Evening star., 1928-10-28
Hoover Has Played a Hidden Role
In Progress of Our Civil Aeronautics

this could be checked If the people de-
sired to support a program Tor State
legislation and limit their patronage 10
licensed equipment.
Standard Set Up.
In the department itself our engi-
neers had already set up standards 1or
airplane construction. AirplaneS Wnlcn
met the standards were being issued ap-
proved type certificates. Under tne
pressure OF public opinion manufac-
f1rers and operators who had been
somewhat careless found 1t necessary
to meet the departments standards.
Stricter investigation of accidents was
carried on by the inspectors, and soon
the alibis of careless pilots ceased 10
save them from penalties or revocation
of licenses. The percentage of crashes
quickly showed favorable reaction, and
In scheduled air transport and other
operations using licensed planes and
personnel the ratio has steadily become
better.
AS with booms in other industries,
there were takers and promoters who
desired to promote nothing but their
personal success. A campaign OF edu-
cation was undertaken.
It was pointed out that considerable
experience Is necessary after training
before a new pilot can hope to obtain a
position with reputable organization.
Training schools have had to increase
their equipment and raise their stand
ards in, order to satisfy prospective STU
dents who have learned not to believe
the old story of "a commercial pilot in
ten hours"
Hundreds of cities began to plan air.
ports to accommodate the swiftly grow
ing air commerce. Many OF them en-
gagged in races with neighboring cities
to see which would have the first air
port. In their haste they sometimes
fell into grave and costly errors owing
to the lack Of competent diS1nterested
advice.
Standard airport requirements, with
certain necessary areas, service facilities
and lighting equipment, were prepared
and distributed. There are now several
hundred improved airportS in the
United States and the number is grow
ing rapidly ....
Transport Increases.
Air transport has increased tremen-
dously in two years. There are 20 or
more companies now operating 1888
miles of routes over which about 200
planes fly a total daily mileage of 32,-
042 miles. This Is scheduled service
only one-tenth of all flight in the
United States, but the most important,
since 1t is the backbone OF commercial
aviation.
With such extensive flying there have
naturally developed some difficulties.
The worst of these is flying in fog,
which has caused number of accidents
to good planes flown by good pilots.
When pilot heads into fog he Is in
stantly engulfed in world Of mist and
his instincts play him false. He must
then fly by instruments which tell him
whether he Is banking or flying level
whether the plane Is inclined up or
down and whether 1t has sufficient speed
to maintain control. In addition, he
must keep on his course and he must
remember whether he Is above rising
country. so that his sea level altimeter
viii not cause him to believe that he
is at safe altitude when "a towering
peak lies in his path.
All this requires skill and cool-head-
edness. Even then the present instru-
mentS are not adequate. Knowing this,
careful experiments are being conducted
in our aeronautics Research Division to
perfect fog piercing light, capacity
or true-height altimeter, and more
serviceable radio beacon.
The lights are needed so that pilot
hurting along u a fog at more than