Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28

country's first airmail pilots, who
has resumed active flying Sfter
nearly IL years. The contrasts
between the "old days" and today
in aviation are many and sharp
he has found.
In fact, he says, the only points
OF similarity he was able to notice
In some 800 miles of crosS-country
flying a few days ago were the
ground rolling by below and the
mud, dust, cinderS and ancient
iron hangers at Boiling Field.
The differences between the fly
Ing Of decade ago and that of
today are much the same as the
differences between the first days
OF motoring and today, he found
IN the early days of the automo-
bile even a short trip into the
country was an adventure. The
roads usually were terrible. The
cars of the day were tricky and
uncertain of performance. There
were no gasoline stations and
each driver, perforce, was his own
mechanic and repair man. The
man who drove IS miles per hour
. was a hot sport who prabably
would come to no good end. When
he stopped his car he became a
circus freak instanter and crowds
gathered around to stare at him
and his benzine buggy. A fiat
tire was good for an afternoon of
innocent merriment on the part
Of the byStanderS.
Consider now the experiences of
our former airmail pilot. He had
brushed up on his flying, put in
the necessary time, and obtained
his Department of Commerce
pilots license. He was on his way
from the National Capital by rail
to Detroit to bring back a new
Stinson Junior cabin monoplane
for the airwayS division of the
Department of Commerce. With
him he took his son, an alert
young soul much interested in air.
planes and allied phenomena.
This was the first sharp differ
ence; IL years ago our pilot had
no son, and, perhaps, no prospects.
Seek and We Shall Find.
Arriving at Detroit, he sought
the Wayne County airport, near
Wayne, Mich, where he was to
Q4CA w 1lC WO1Q
Sought" is used advisedly. The
airport, he found, was many miles
out of Detroit and few were the
souls who could direct him on his
way. Eventually he arrived at
the airport by rail, truck, auto
mobile and the process of laying
down one foot before the other.
Consider now his surprise.
al ID 0A4 ~
vas unheard of and the landing
field usually was just big laugh.
In the corner Of some farm would
be q field. in state of nature.
Grass and weeds grew as high as
grass and weeds could grow under
the set of circumstances then pre-
vailing. Where there were no
grass and weeds, because of the
activities OF mankind and his fly
ing coutraptions, there were dust
or mud, depending upon the
recent state OF the weather. Great
puddles of grease and oil from the
draining of crankcaSes and other
grooming jobs about the airplanes
were likely to be found all about
the hangers.
The hangar itself usually was
q rickety, shabby looking sheet
metal affair, Scabrous with rust.
A dirty, dingy canvas screen might
be found hanging across the open
end. The fioor was dirt or cinderS.
There was no heat and the place
IN Winter usually was colder than
the outside air. In the corner
might be found little cubbyhole
In which there would be pot
bellied iron stove, usually sur
rounded by buckets and cans Of
oil set in the warmth to keep the
contents in what might be termed
q state of fiuidity. Whatever signs
of human life there were about
the place would be found in this
cubbyhole.
A Study in Contrasts
With this picture in mind, our
pilot approached the Wayne
County Airport. Great areas of
close cropped grass. rolled smooth
and hard, and long smooth run
ways greeted his eyes. The field
would have made 10 of the fields
Of the early days. Neat wire
fences kept the curious out of
harms way. In place of the de-
Spondent hangar of his recollec-
ton there rose a beautiful build
ing Of enormous size; some 400
feet by $50 feet, with an attrac-
tive operations Office rising at one
side, a comfortable pilots club
with easy chairs, shower baths
and all comforts, and a restaurant.
He Strolled a out, admiring
through the scenes of grandeur
and made his arrangements to fly
away the next morning.
Morning dawned dull and
gloomy, with low ceiling but good
visibility beneath. In the old days
he would have taken off, knowing
no more than that about the
weather.
About all you could tell in the
early airr1ail days was that it was
raining or was not raining and
that the flying weather was good
or was poor at the place you hap
pened to be-" he explained. You
didn't know what lay ahead. If
you felt uncertain about the
weather along your path you
might call up some friend in one
of the cities ahead and ask him
about conditions there. He would
cock an eye out the window and
give you his own informal opinion
and you would or you would not
barge of.
Weather. Then and Now.
"Here it was all much different
I asked for the o'clock weather
REPORTS and was given detailed in