Evening star., 1931-05-22
AIR FLEET PILOTS
FACE HARDEST DAY
Division Armada Dispatched
to Eastern Mountains
From Chicago.
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERToN,
StaH Correspondent Of The star

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 22.-The
most severe peace time test ever I'M
posed upon a great air force Is In prog
ess today in the Allegheny Mountain
country, dread grave yard" Of airmail
pilots for decade.
Across the backbone Of the Eastern
on q front extending from
Cumberland. Md, to the Mohawk val
lay in New York, the Army Air Corps,
it forces swelled by flying cadets from
Kelly Field and National Guard pilots
from every corps area, has been or
defed to advance to the defense Of
New York and the New England coast.
Expert observers accompanying the
mighty flying force term this movement
the most daring of the sort ever under
taken by any nation. Planes of the
division are under orders which call for
a total of nearly 400 900 miles of flying
between dawn and dusk over the most
formidable flying country in the United
States, in formation and on q rigid
military schedule.
Face Greatest Test.
Today is the most feared Of the Is
days scheduled for the operations of
the 1st Air Division. It represents the
ultimate test for men already tried
by days of exhausting training, planes
which have put in thousands of miles
of croSS-country flying with only field
maintenance command methods. fuel
ing and maintenance and for the air
port systems along the mountain air
ways.
Today's test follows q cross-country
trip for the whole division from Day
ton to Chicago, reaching a climax in a
division review.
II the Chicago review seen from the
ground was impressive. from the air
1t was magnificent From the rear
cockpit of a Keystone bomber passing
In review down Chicago's beautiful
water front there were in sight at one
totaling approximately 400 Of the $50
planes engaged.
The bombers took of from Ford
Lansing airport, down on the Indiana
border, two hours before review time
to give them time to rendezvous with
the faster pursuit, attack and obServa-
tion squadronS. Taking of in forma-
ton, they headed south and west into
Illinois over broad farms and country
villages on a vast circuit planned with
precision, TO carry them into the review
column in proper place and at the
correct instant.
Pass Over Joliet Prison.
During the circuit the bombers
passed directly over Joliet prison,
carrying the roar Of the free-hying
squadrons into the great cheese-box
cell blocks below. As the bombers
passed over Joliet in group formation,
climbing in stair-step fashion from the
leader to the wing planes Of the last
element a thousand feet above and
behind. other squadrons could be seen
like swarnns Of gnats against the sky
line far behind.
AS the swing toward the shores of
Lake Michigan began, more and more
squadrons appeared in every direction
at concentration points miles apart.
Fleecy cumuluS clouds cast irregular
shadows on water and shore as the
bombers passed over the shore line
near Waukegan, up by the wisconsin
border.
Down the lake. quarter Of a mile
on shore and 1000 feet UP, the bomb
erS swung into the majestic march of
the sky warriors. Ahead, down q
length Of bulky fuselage over the
shoulders of Lieut.. G. o. West and his
tons of the pursuit flights. squadrons
and groups, the lower elements mere
slivers of yellow wings against the
deep blue-green OF the frtgid, wind
whipped waters of Lake Michigan, the
upper elements dark silhouettes against
fieece-fecked blue sky.
Below and ahead, beneath the roar
ing engines, out between the wings,
we're other bombers of the group in re-
in the bumpy wind sweeping on the
shore.
Welded Into Giant Unit.
Behind at all levels. swept squadron
upon squadron in roaring pomp "a
breath-taking procession of the Nations
might in the air. Far below the at
tack squadrons slid smoothly along
close to the dark water Against the
dull haze of the horizon were light
bombardment planes from the Pacific
Coast. Mounting from water to sky
were the stepped-up observation squad
rons from every section of the country.
So splendidly were the movements
of the units timed as they cruised along
at their various speeds that they be-
came welded into one splendid whole,
the 1st Air Division, the worlds
mighiest air formation, as they swung
over the great Navy pier jutting out
from the Chicago Loop district.
rLom tne vantage point or the
bomber cockpit the spectacle was gior-
ious. On every side were the tightly
comracted squadrons of the Nations
aerial defense against the inspiring
panorama of water, park, towering
buildings and great industrial centers
that is Chicago
Imagination could picture few spec
tacleS more inspiring One of them will
come on Memorial day when the planes
Of the division will dip in review be-
tween the Lincoln Memorial and Ar
lfngton over the Capital of the Nation
they were created to protect.