Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

ToR those who may have Q ten
- dency TO feel to compliment over
/ the state Of the Nations aerial
a defenses there Is meat for
| thought in the recent action OF
the National Aeronautic Association
Members of the association in all parts
of the country have been pledged te
work during the coming year to over
come deficiencies in the military air
forces of both the Army and the Navy
That shortcomings exist Is only toe
apparent to those who take the trouble
to inquire, Though the Nays five-yeai
aircraft building program has been
completed and the Army Air Corps pro-
gram has been about 90 per cent COM
pleted, there is much room for I'm
provement In both services.
There Is woeful weakness In the re-
serve strength of the Army Air Corps
| entailed reduction of strength and cur
tailment Of training. Naval aviation ID
Handicapped by lack of carrier equip
| ment.
The numerical strength of Air Corps
units In the National Guard Is much
less than the numerical strength of All
Corps units In the Regular Army. al
though the total strength of the Ma
tional Guard Is almost twice as great
as the total strength of the Regular
Army, members Of the association point
ed out.
Whereas, as q part OF the national
| defense system" Is was stated in ar
association resolution adopted for tbs
guidance Of the national membership
Gin the constructive development OF
National Guard aviation, IL Is consid-
! cred right and proper to follow the ex-
| peFienee and practice of aviation de-
velopment in the Regular Army: there
fore, be 1t
Request Aviation Expansion.
Resolved. That the National Aero
nautic Association recommend to tlae
President and the Congress of tbs
United States that military aviation IN
the National Guard be expanded TO in.
clude all classes Of Air Corps organi.
nations. with proportionate strength Of
aviation in the National Guard equa
| to the proportionete strength of aVia-
ton in the Regular Army"
The countryis 10 National Guard
aviation squadrons now are equipped
with observation planes and their pilots
are, by training observation pilots. OBJ
servatiOn is only one branch of military
aviation and, as the situation stands
the National Guard has no strength In
pursuit., attack or bolabardrnent avia-
| ton
The National Guard scuadrons could
not be used as independent air units
but are attached to the divisions q
whose areas they are organised, as d.
visional observation and artillery spot
ting units. For combat purposes, Ma
| tional Guard aviation is out Of the pic-
| ture. This leaves the Air Corps Re-
serve as the sole reservoir upon which
the country may draw for combat
pilots In case of emergency. How well
Is the Air Corps Reserve cualified tc
meet this trust? A little Investigation
shows situation in this respect which
cannot be regarded as bright.
The Budget Bureau and Congress
have materially reduced the funds for
| training OF Reserve officers of the Army
Air Corps The result Ct the reduction
in funds. In the words Of the delegates
70 the National Aeronautic Association
convention, viii be to seriously impair
| If not altogether eliminate. the inactive
! training Of Reserve Air Corps ofscers .
| This statement Of the case is not at all
| exaggerated. The situation is serious.
Flying Time Curtailed.
The current economy orders are "a
! severe Is to allow 1rst-group pilots
only Is days of active flying time in
| three years, In the face Of recommenda-
| lions by all ranking Air Corps officers
that the amount of flying time be In
creased rather than diminished, as q
! step toward safety and efficiency.
1T Is thoroughly established" said
z: Trubee Dawson, Assistant Secretary
| OF War for Aviation, In his last annual
report, that the more a pilot flies the
better he fiiss. I therefore recommend
that provision be made for additional
hying time for Regular Air Corps on
GERS and Reserve oflceFs''
! In an emergency this country will be
! compelled to depend upon the Air Corps
| Reserve to expand its air defenses. The
maintenance Of the most eflcient DOS
sible Reserve, therefore, would seem TO
be OF paramount Importance, If any Re-
serve Is to be maintained at all. There
can be no efficiency unless Reserve on
GERS are permitted TO fly regularly and
| often.
II has been pointed out frequently
/ that pilot who has not hown for
many months cannot be considered fit
material for emergency combat service.
| SUCH pilot must have refreSher train
| ing before being considered ready for
combat hytng. This defeats the entire
/ nance OF group Of trained and quail
ned pilots ready for duty on "A hours
notice
New AIR Program Asked.
The association Is prepared to urge
upon Congress during its coming ses-
sion the adoption OF q new hve-year
I RffffftfwR &4w hn sR
Corps as q continuation of the PRO-
gram which has been carried through
its fourth year and now "a entering
the hfth year, somewhat behind sciaed-
| ule, owing 70 inadequate appropriations
by Congress. Such q program, 1t is
believed, is required for several reasons
In the first place. the Army Air
program. has been designated the
aerial defender Of the Nations coasts,
leaving naval aviation free 10 func-
ton exclusively with the feet. This,
! obviously, imposes a heavy RESPONSE
bility upon the Air Corps, which II
cannot meet without adequate equip
| ufent
Second in Importance is the neces-
sity Of staoilizing the aircraft manu-
| featuring industry, which depends In
large part upon military contracts. An
adequate program permits z spreading
out Of production on q well organized
| plan and obviates periods Of feast and
| famine which would be detrimental TO
| an industry which the interests Of
the country demand shculd ne fos-
| tered BY intelligent governmental trest-
ment. The 1ve-year program Fised not
mean the sauandeTing Of public funds
| upon large numbers Of atrplnnes merely
for the sake OF carrying out program,
but. In fact, may be made q means