The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-18
Army Airplanes To Cover 2,0OO, ,OOO Miles
Starting May l7 and Ending May 30, IL s. Air Mane=
 vers Will Extend Over Atlantic SeabOard

| Washington, D. C., March IS = From Nle day they leave their home hangars until the hour of their re- turn. the 672 Army Air Corps and l National Guard planes participating in the Air Corps, field exercises in May will have flown a distance equal to more than four round trips | between the eGrth and the moon - about 100000 miles.
 | The exercises themselves be- ginning in Dayton on Mary 17th and ending in Washington on May 30th ] call for plane mileage of almost | 100000 miles over airways that lead to Chicago. New York, Boston, Hart ford. Springfield, Albany, Trenton. Atlantic City, Jersey City. Newark, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In addition to this mileage Is the imposing figure of 1,450,O0O plano miles to be covered by various units in going to and returning from the field exercises over airways that total about 50,000 miles. or twice the circumference of the globe.
 An idea of the magnitude of these operations explained Assist ant Secretary of War F. Trubee Davison. in charge of Army aviation,
 may be had from the fact that Air I halts for fuel in 26 cities and over-
 night stops in A localities.
 Pursuit planes from California, Texas and Michigan will travel about 100000 miles on these cross country flights.
 | Attack organizations rom San Antonio and Galvaston will cover about 150,000 miles.
 "Bombardment squadrons from California. Texas and Virginia will fly about 16S,000 miles,
 | Observation and National Guard units from more than a dozen states will cover territory to the extent of | 425.000 miles.
 While 1881 will see the largest concentration ever held by the Air Corps, the fact that 672 planes are to be welded into a Provisional Di- I vision does not mean that we would have that number of combat planes to go to war with if an emergency should arise.
 l '.In fact, from fighting stand point, we could muster only about 425 combat planes the remainder of the provisional division are cargo 1 planes and school planes which could take no active part in repelling enemy invaders. The object of the | field exercises Is not to create an impressive picture of aerial strength which we do not actually possess - as we are still short of the total of l planes provided for under the five vera program -- but to take inven- l tory of the efficiency of planes and personnel respectively and to get first hand answers to questions of command and supply involved in handling a large air organization. :"
 Movements of air troops will begin | on the. west coast as early as May l2th and will conclude at Dayton on May 17th. the date set for the concentration to be completed. The homeward flights will start on May I31st.
 k Cities where overnight stops are to ibe made include: Omaha, Salt Lake City; Fairehild. Ohio: Fl Paso; Dal- | las: Louisville. Jackson. Mississippi; Little Rock; Galvaston: Montgomery: Nashville: Kansas City, Missouri: lsIbuuuerque. San Francisco; Fay etteviiie. North CaroIina: Memphis: Chattanooga; St. Louis; Buffalo; Shreveport: Chicago; Minneapolis: St Paul; Aberdeen, South Dakota;