Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-23
CIVIL AIRCRAFT
ACTIVITY MARKED
Nearly $4,000 Passengers
Carried Over Scheduled
Routes During 1929.

Civil aircraft in the United States
new total OF approximately $50, 00o, 900
miles during the past year, or daily
average OF 414,0O0 miles, according to
statistics made public by the Depart
ment of Commerce in the Commerce
Yearbook.
| There was q marked expansion during
the year, according to the report, in
both scheduled and miscellaneous flying
A, operations by civil aircraft, and these
Operations we're extended to portions of
the country which In the past had not
enjoyed air service.
In the field Of scheduled air trans
portation, comparable to railroad trans
portation, there were more than 25.000,-
600 miles flown, or a daily average of
69, 900 miles. Nearly 175,000 passengers
were carried over scheduled routes and
more than 100000 pounds of mail
were flown. resulting in a revenue 10 air.
mail carriers of SIT 1000 900. Five hun
dred pilots, SIS planes and ground per-
sonnet totaling 1000 engaged In sched-
uled operations.
The record for miscellaneous opera
tons, which includes student instruc-
ton, air taxi flying, experimental flying,
aerial photography, crop busting and
similar activities, shows approximately
lbs 200, 900 miles flown by nearly 1000
licensed planes and more than 10000
licensed pilots.
IS Routes In Operation.
During 1929, according to the report,
there were IS domestic air transport
routes In operation, of which SO carried
passengers, 80 carried mail and ~ car
ried express. There were In operation
by American companies IS routes, of
which g carried passengers, % carried
mail and 10 carried express.
Passenger comfort was given more
consideration by airline operators than
IN the past, 1t was reported, more COM
forts and better interior fittings being
employed to this end. Railroad and air.
line combinations and mergers of aero
nautical organizations formed another
important trend of the year. Air serv-
Ice TO Latin America was greatly ex-
panded. Progress was made In raising
standards Of flying instruction.
Aviation manufacturing. showed great
progress, more than 5000 airplanes,
valued at SIS, 1000 900, being produced
during the year. while the total of all
aeronautical products manufactured was
estimated at $100,000,000.
Many Dealers Placed.
Heavy production schedules made nee
essary active marketing, the report con-
SA-ASSNs eAAA manly al pAdLlS IhIhuuldCCuT-
ing companies organized sales depart
ments on national scale or provided
Tor the marketing of their planes
through some national agency. Dealers
were placed in the most promising terri
tories for the purpose Of distributing
aeronautical products. Some of the
manufacturers organized export depart
ments TO make it possible to expand
their markets beyond the borders of the
United States.
Progress was made in 1929 on the re-
hnement Of aircraft engines and in the
development Of new models. which to a |
large extent were responsible for the
increased reliability and efficiency of
aircraft, according to the report.
The rapid expansion which took place
during 1929 resulted in numerous new
manufacturing units being formed.
Some of these units initiated activities
with comparatively limited means, both
as 20 personnel and finances. and ac-
corded only secondary consideration to
the actual economies of production and
marketing, their primary objective hav-
Ing been the immediate production of
aircraft Of q type for which there was
then popular demand, the report
Exports Of American aeronautic euuip-
ment Increased $50 per cent in 1929
over the preceding year, one of the fac
tors in this increase having been a rigid
system Of Inspection carried on by the
Aeronautics Branch of the Department
OF Commerce, assuring that products
were up to standard in design, work
manship and airworthiness, 1t was
stated.