Evening star., 1931-12-20

IL OF emerf1 enCleS is the DeSt pllOG,
st prefer to fly.
many types of aircraft he has flown,
has completed his training until he can
fly by instruments alone, in the opinion
of Maj James H. Doolittle.
Writing for the National Aeronautic
Association, Maj. Doolittle says: The
Importance of being able to fly by in
struments alone cannot be overeSti-
mated 1t not only greatly promotes
the safety of flying operations, but in
creases reliability by permitting adher-
ence to schedule where it might other
wise be impossible.
Instrument flying, Doolittle pointed
out, has become a part of the new
Army Air Corps training schedule and
all Army pilots now are obliged to ac-
quire proficiency in blind flying.
The great advantage. from a mill
tary standpoint, of being able to operate
under adverse weather conditions is
obvious" Doolittle said 1T permits the
Air Corps to serve the ground forces at
any and all times and also enables the
Air Folce to carry out its missions OF
destruction under conditions which
practically preclude the possibility Of
detection and interference. 1t is now
entirely possible for bomber to take
of In dense fog, proceed to its objec-
tive (aided by radio) drop its eggs
and return to it's base without having
been seen by the enemy
Training Is Demanded.
The major American transport COM
panies now demand that all their pilots
be able to fly blind. Several of the
larger companies maintain instrument
f1vjY1C RI i1nts
are properly trained in blind flying.
Even SO skilled pilot as Dean Smith,
who accompanied Byrd to Little Ameri-
ca, was required to take blind flying
tests on his return to the United States
before he was allowed to 90 back on the
airmail
Since the advent of the radio
beacon" Doolittle continued, mail
pilots on the New YORK Cleveland run
consider the weather satisfactory for
flying providing it IS possible to land
at their objective. Fog along the route
is of no consequence to them and dur
ing the season of bad flying weather,
blind flying over some part of this
route is the rule rather than the ex-
ception'
Doohttle recalled that the tragic end
of several transoceanic flights was
traceable directly to the inability of
the pilots to fly by instruments.
you will recall, some years ago" he
said, when the radio operator Of a
plane flying to Honolulu radioed back
We are flying in dense fog Then
the ship is In q spin The pilot has
Strengthened the ship out The ship
Is spinning again And then . .. .
silence"
Recognized Authority.
Jimmy" Doolittle is recognized as
one of the worlds greatest authorities
on blind flying. He is the only pilot
who ever has taken off, flown course,
returned and landed by instruments
alone. This he did for the Guggenheim
Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics.
while serving on detail from the Army
Air Corps. HIS flight was made while
he was inclosed in a shielded cockpit
which prevented him seeing outside the
plane.
As an aid to pilots who have to fly
regularly, despite the weather, Eastern
Air Transport has adopted the Sperry
automatic pilot, which handles the con-
trolls with unerring precision, thanks
to its gyroscopes and electrical "in-
nards." Though the automatic pilot
flies as accurately and as we'll through
the thickest fog as through broad sun
light, this will not preclude the neces-
sity Of training of Eastern Air Trans
port pilots in blind flying and this still
will be one of their requirements.
Experience has established beyond
any question that the human senses
cannot be relied upon to keep pilot
out of trouble when he Is forced by fog
or storm to fly blind. There Is no pilot
with an absolute sense of balance, who
can keep an airplane in level flight
while flying blind by his own feel OF
the ship. Instruments alone can solve
their difficulties and instrument train
ing, as Doolittle says. has come to be
recognized as an indispensable part OF
the training of every aviator.
Military Sales Important.
The Importance of Army and Navy
orders for military airplanes and air
craft engines to the aviation industry
during the business depression period is
revealed by a report Of the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce covering manu-
features during the first nine months
of this year.
The report shows that the military
services accounted for 63 per cent of
the total production value during the
nine months During the first nine
months of last year, when the aviation
boom" was stimulating commercial
purchases, the Army and Navy pur-
chases amounted to so per cent of the
total.
But for the purchases by the Fed
eral Government of military planes
and motors the industry would have
first nine months of this year there
we're produced only 1,411 commercial
airplanes, with value of $5,748 080, as
compared with 1871 planes valued at
$9,201 ,270, during the same period last
year.
Commercial aircraft engine produc-
ton showed an increase In numbers
but a heavy falling off in value. due to
larger production of light, relatively in
expensive engines for small planes.
More Engines Built.
While the engine production increased
from 1888 units to 1,743 for the COM
parative nine-month periods Of last
year and this year, the value fell off
from $500 .399 to $3,789,276.
The industry's losses In the CONNER
cial production field would have had
purchases of military airplanes and en-
gines as the five-year aircraft pro-
grams of the Army and Navy went into
their closing period.
Military airplane production increased
from 479 planes In the first three QUAR-
ters Of 1880 to 615 this year, while the
value Of this production increased from
$6,861,475 to $9,517,776. Military air
craft engine production showed slight
increase.
Small wonder. in the face of the
virtual salvation of the industry by
governmental support, that there should
be agitation in favor of continued def
nite programs Of purchases by the Army
and Navy flying services, at least until
business stability is restored.
The agitation is not at all one-sided,
however. The aircraft industry needs
public support. Equally true is the fact
that public security demands a healthy
aircraft manufacturing industry which
can be depended upon in case Of emer-
gency for mass production.
Contest Officials CLASSIFIED.
A. -