Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
STATE AIR REGULATION.
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

thorized State board of aeronautics,
while a similar bill Is pending in New
Jersey.
Illinois and Michigan granted to rail-
roads authority to operate airplanes. A
similar measure is pending in Wiscon-
sin, but Missouri has defeated pne.
! Aeronautic insurance was the subject Of
Jersey, and Michigan has placed o tax
on gasoline used by aircraft. Ohio al
| ready had such a tax. California has
recently passed a law subiecting air
planes to quarantine regulations to pre-
vent the bringing of agricultural pests
into the State.
It will be seen from this tendency
that q pilot will have to be about as
much of lawyer as he Is an aeronaut
If he Is to fly across the country with
out running afoul Of many different
laws, to violate which would entail
penalties In fines and perhaps loss Of
license. In an effort to check the tend
ency, the Aeronautic Chamber Of Com
n1erce plans to act as q clearing house
on proposals Of State Legislatures and
bring about as great q measure OF
uniformity as possible.
Federal Laws Stabilize.
The fact that the aeronautics branch
Of the Federal Department Of Com
merce Is so active in matters Of general
regulation Is likely to prove q StabiliZer.
Aviation especially lends itself to inter-
state use, as mountain ranges and
bodies Of water may be shortcut with
ease and the high speed attained makes
ong-diStance flights especially feasible.
This interstate movement will keep the
lines under Federal rules which will,
of course, be uniform for the entire
country.
These Federal activities are designed
on the one hand to promote aviation
and on the other to protect the public.
There Is in the aeronautics branch Of
the department an airways division
concerning itself with survey, con-
struction, radio, weather and COM
municatjonS. This division is the pro-
moter OF airways. Another division Is
concerned only with research and has
nothing to do with operation. It Is Q
technical scientific branch which
studies engineering, lighting, and engine
testing.
ANY plane to enter interstate COM
merce for the transport Of mail, pas
sengers and merchandise must be
licensed by the Department of Com
merce, and before such licenses are
issued the most rigid tests must be
met. A manufacturer must submit full
data on the type Of his machine, and
these are subjected 10 the most search
ing scrutiny by the engineers of the
department. After the blue prints are
approved, the planes themselves must
be examined with equal care. The
Government even goes SO far as to-
maintain constant inspection at the
factory Of equipment, personnel, work.
manShip, materials and methods Of
fabrication. This Is not an inspection
service made once and then freeing the
manufacturer to make an unlimited
number Of planes. 1t is kept up con-
stantly.
So far the department has issued
20,321 licenses TO student pilots, ap-
proved 100 types Of planes and 26 diff
ferent engines, licensed 6,740 airplanes,
8,478 pilots and 6,421 mechanics. The
airplane manufacturing business and
number of persons desiring to fly are
growing SO rapidly that the Department
Of Commerce must constantly increase
its inspection force to keep up. Then,
too, the department maintains a route
inspection, flying air traffic officers con-
stantly going about to detect violations
OF regulations