Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
COAST GUARD AIDS
AVIATION ADVANCE
Service Is Expanded as Air
Industry's Demands
NeceSsitate.

NEW YORK, August 3o.--The aerial
guardian of the seacoast--the United
! States Coast Guardians to be ex-
pandsd to permit extension to aviation
of all the activities which long have
been related to marine transportation
and at the same time afford greater eff
cienoy: in patrolling the coast and To-
eating vessels in distress.
With over-water flying ON the In
crease and aircraft manufacturers re-
porting heavy sales to air transport
lines and private individuals of air.
craft of the seaplane type, the neces-
sity for expansion of the Coast Guard
air force became apparent, and already
recommendations have been made to
Washington for additional equipment
and trained personnel. 1t is the belief
of the high officers in the Guard that 1T
can render assistance to aircraft of
nature paralleling its service to marine
shipping and also will provide greater
tiers for disabled vessels. 1t was
pointed out that during the three years
the Coast Guard has used aircraft this
branch of the service had demonstrated
its worth, not only to shipping, but also
by blocking smugglers and enforcing
the customs law.
Varied Services Given.
During the brief three years exist
enee of the service it has performed
various duties, from aiding transatlan-
tic flyers to hunting schools of fish for
the local fishing fleets. Although the
planes cannot tow a boat in to shore,
they provide the eyes of the Coast Guard
and easily locate the craft in distress,
so that Speedier rescues are made
than before the Inauguration of the air
branch of the service.
The planes are equipped with two
way radio sets, which are used to flash
the location of the disabled vessel to
the Coast Guard cutters, which in turn
make the reScueS. The planes also are
able to circle the derelict and direct
other shipping to the rescue. In the
case of aircraft down on the water 1t
will be possible to direct the cutters to
the scene of the rescue or to land on
the surface of the sea and pick up the
survivors If the water is not too rough.
Patrol Coast.
After every storm it is routine for
the air branch to patrol the coast, ever
ready to lend a helping hand to dam
aged craft, locating small shipping in
distress without means of coInmunica-
ton or carrying lines out to stranded
boats while the seas are running high.
Due to the safety of passenger air
transport over water, several lines are
being formed for operation along the
coasts and across the Great Lakes, 1t
was pointed out by aviation leaders,
and the worth of a communication sys-
TEN between the present Coast Guard
stations will be of inestimable value in
checking these large transport planes
along the shore. Officers of the service
contend that it must be prepared to
meet any contingency, and that the
planes it now has are inadequate for
the service. Eight new planes, radio
equipped and designed for heavy serv-
ice, soon will be purchased by the de-
partinent, and other craft will be added
as soon as Congress approves the ex-
penditure.
During the last three years the Coast
Guard has had the opportunity to-
study the service and has found that
an airplane can efficiently patrol an
area from IL to 20 times as great as
surface craft Last year Guard planes
made more than 400 flights and
searched an area of more than a mil
lion square miles.
Seacraft Used Generally.
While several of the air transport
lines are using land planes to cross the
water, the service of this type is for the
most part performed by seacraft, which
is less dangerous in case of a forced
landing. In the case OF forced land
ing with land plane the lives of the
passengers and crew are in immediate
danger and their rescue depends upon
the speed of the search.
In the search for craft floating low
in the water the airplane has a decided
advantage over surface craft because of
the height and the better angle of
vision. With several lines already es-
tablished down the Atlantic seaboard
and more soon to be placed in opera
ton, the necessity for the expansion of
the Coast Guard air branch has become
apparent in Washington, where con-
tracts are being drawn up for the pur-
chase of additional equipment.
The personnel for this branch of the
government service is trained at the
Naval School at Pensacola, Fla. Cen
orally they are graduates of the Coast
Guard Academy with three years of sea
experience prior to training in aviation.
Copyright, l930.D