Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-12-01
"SKY FLEET" DROPS ANCHOR
in HOME PORT AFTER TOUR

A1 lLN KVON
Group Is the last word In military
flying.
approximately, the tour was start
ed under the army auspices. In
June, after the pilots had obtained
their releases from active duty at
Selfridge field. they flew the eight
cabin monoplanes in the Sky
Fleet" to washington. d. g. where
the fleet was formally dedicated
under the auspices Of Major Cen
eral James =. Fechet, chief Of the
army air force, and the flagship
was christened by his daughter,
Miss Mary Fechet, as the General
jim" in honor Of her father.
Through the east central states.
the SKY Fleet" toured first. GID
ing down into city after city in
the Ohio and Missipps rver Dasns.
Wherever SPECIAL aeronautic activi-
ties were being held. the Sky Fleet"
tried to participate and aid the pro-
jects by its participation.
Then, through New York and the
New England states as far as Port
land. Me. doubling back TO fly down
the Atlantic coast. stopping at al
OF the principal cities as far south
as Washington.
Skirts Gulf
Heading westward, the feet again
crossed the mountains and flew
through Michigan and the north
central area. then down through
the southwest and the mid
western states beyond the Mississi-
ppi. East from Texas. the Sky
Fleet" skirted the Gulf Of Mexico
down the west coast Of Florida.
Returning north through the
southeastern states. It completed
more than 10000 miles Of travel IN
a little more than five months.
Everywhere the SKY Fleet went,
il was warmly welcomed by the
leading officials and citizens o.
cities. states and the nation.
At washington. ID. c., President
Herbert Hoover invited the pilots
and fleet officials, together with W.
O'Neil. president of the General
Tire and Rubber Company, to call
OH him at the White House. He
chatted with them. in the executive
offices. for a quarter Of an hour and
snilinrlv expressed the wish that
he might be going along on the tour.
vice President Charles Curtis and
Senator Hiram BINGHAM. OF Con-
recticut. president Of the National
Aeronautic association. greeted the
"sky Fleet" party at the vice pre-
s'dent's offices in the senate build
ing.
Governor Myers Y. Cooper. q
Ohio. Governor John Il. Trumbull
or Connecticut. many congressman
and MAYORS OF scores Of cities greet
ed the SKY Fleet" party during
the nationwide tour.
Wrirht-Lab Visit
One Of the most interesting IN
cidents Of the tour was the visit
which the Sky Fleet" pilots paid
to the research laboratory Of Orville
Wright, Father Of Aviation. al
DAYTON. Mr.. Wrieht chatted with
the young fiers at length, RELATING
interesting Incidents about the
early davs cf aviation.
The "gkv Fleet" pilots were par
tIcularlv IMPRESSED by remark
that Mr.. Wright made. He had
told them how laboriously and
cautiously thew had to work TO per-
feet some OF TIE aeronautic devel-
oprnents that are regarded as mat
ter-of-fact parts OF everyday fly-
ING todav.
I'VE didn't want to take any
chances" he remarked several times
~ speakinv or the first DAYS oi
aviation. we were not irving for
altitude IN those davs but were con-
tent If ve could operate the planes
10 or ~ feet off the ground. II
we went higher. II was u~nintsntion-
al.
Aviation today will be greatly
benefited by q tour such as Won are
MAKING. lust as o are maxine,
lust as long Us 1t IL r1afe with
safety ~ that III viii insDire con-
fidenre in others. 1t Is a mighty
fine thine r. do.
Pilcts' Personnel
The YOUNG cir service lieutenant
from the First Pursuit Grnun who
made up the nersonnel II the "Skv
Elees" ware Lieut.. Arthur g. Lv-
harrer. fleet commsrder: Iie''f. j.
stanley Y Harvav. finance nffi~er.
riert. Rohe-t x. csovsn~nli fleet
anrineer: Tsarlt. Sheldon B. vodeT.
fleet techniriar. Tfert- Hn-ace
". Rei1. maten-niocis+- Tiart. MUvl
Estes. Jfert. A1f-ad Faiharer. ar1
rieut. Robert X. plark. Lieut.
rieut. Pia~k nilotAd fhA nanufac-
f~r-e-s' shin IN the fleet.
Fric r. Seward. mote exnert
18th tha Warmer Aircraft Cor0o~s-
tim. If Detroit. accompanied the
MORT
FTnet N Fata rare N the wa~re-
Search ITO r. =. rnosn-s with ~rhlrr
fha nianey vrn-n pnsTinnnd. Fran
Hoffman rrr " T. G~nrrhnra air