Evening star., 1931-05-05
1881 SEEN AS BEST
YEAR FOR AVIATION
1000, 900 Passengers Ex-
pectc,' : to Be Carried by Com.
merciaI Lines in Peric'.
BY J. C. ROYLE.

The public stops, looks and listens
when it comes to commercial aviation,
but Il still rides in only moderate num-
bers. This condition, however, is rapid
ly changing and there no longer re-
mains a doubt from the reports made
by commercial aviation companies to
the Department Of Commerce that 1881
will be commercial aviation's best year
50 far.
The commercial lines carried 417SO5
passengers IN 1880 and expect to ferry
over 100000 in the current IL months.
Aviation has passed through the inevi-
table readjustment incident to new in
dustries. Wild hopes and imaginative
profits have been discounted and the
industry Is prepared to proceed on a
business basis. Stunt flying has been
discouraged and freak planes no longer
have chance to endanger prospects.
Guard Against Freaks.
Scientific research and laboratory and
machine shop experiments never we're
more active, but the Department of
Commerce has put into effect restric-
tions on the aircraft to be used In COM
mercial transportation with the express
purpose of avoiding danger from freak
types of planes. Scientific developments
are welcomed by the department and
special licensing arrangements have
been provided so that new designs may
have thorough tryout, but in gen.
eral passengers must be carried in
conventional types"
The autogiro type Of plane will be
the one most particularly affected for
the time being, but Gilbert C, Budwig.
director OF air regulation of the Bureau
of Aeronautics, Department Of Com
merce, explains that the restriction is
not an absolute prohibition against the
use OF this type of plane for carving
passengers. Pilots trained to operate
conventional types can operate licensed
autogtros, but those trained only to
handle the planes with lifting propellers
particularly cannot ny other types.
For time. plane production far
outpaced demand. This condition has
now been rectihed, but the normal in
crease in the mileage of all types of
aircraft has grown satisfactorily and
this, 1t is felt by manufacturers, is
assurance Of future demand. The mile
age flown by all types of non-govern-
mental planes has increased from 49,
579,451 miles in 1929 to 64,793,6 ,612
miles IN 1880 in commercial service.
The private plane mileage has added
from $4,000, 900 to 10000, 900 miles to
that total.
Rules Strictly Enforced.
Rules Of the road, as applying to the
air, are being strictly enforced. This
was conclusively shown in the recent
disciplintng Of one Of the greatest fg-
ures Of commercial aviation and it Is
recognized by the industry that with
out regulation and properly equipped
Federal airway system commercial op-
erations would be impossible.
It has become apparent that passen-
ger rates on commercial air lines are
not entirely the dominant factor which
many aviation experts supposed. On a
good number Of routes, fares have been
reduced approximately to the level of
railroad fares plus chair car or Pull
man rates. This did not bring any
startling increase In traffic. although it
undoubtedly aided to some extent.
Time Is still the essence of the aircraft
transportation business and after time
comes comfort. This latter is largely
q matter of skill and judgment on the
part of the pilot and each transport
company must work out that problem
for itself.
The industry itself in a recent decla-
ration to President Hoover admitted
that commercial aviation still has a
long way to go before it becomes a
general utilized means Of transport and
that the time of its common accept
ance depends largely upon engineering
and upon the education Of the public
through demonstration.
(Copyright, 1931)