Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-14
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

| New York, arriving In Richmond at
5:25 o'clock and in Greensboro at 7:05
pm. The northbound plane will leave
Greensboro at am, Richmond at
$50 O'Clock and connect here at 1885
o'clock with the regular morning plane
| to New York. Direct connection with
the Colonial division will be made at
Hartford, Conn, and Boston. Eastern
Air Transport, which has been flying
mail for more than three years, now
serves % cities and employs fleet OF
46 airplanes.
Line to Atlantic City.
The Ludington Line, operating hourly
service between Washington and New
York, has Just inaugurated new
hourly service to Atlantic City, connect
ing with the present line at Camden
Airport, the Philadelphia stop. Twenty
| four daily schedules will be flown
between Philadelphia and Atlantic City
throughout the Summer, close connec-
tons in both directions being made at
Camden. The connection Is so close, In
| fact, that there are to be four tri-
motored planes on the ground at one
time. north and southbound planes
along the New Washington line
arriving simultaneously and the At
lantic City planes arriving ana depart
ing at the same time:
Yesterday the Ludington Line inau-
gurated its am. Summer schedule
between Washington and New York, an
hour earlier than the previous starting
time. Arrangements now are Demg
completed with the Pennsylvania Rail-
road for carving passengers between
Newark Airport, the New York terminal,
and the Pennsylvania Station, New York,
which will cut Is minutes from the
travel time between downtown New
York and downtown Washington. Buses
will be used on trips which do not per-
nit good train connections.
A newcomer to the local air transport
field is the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
York Airline, operated by Rlcnmono
Air Transport The purpose OF the new
service is to fill in gaps in the scheo-
,IIes now maintained between Washing
ton and Richmond, passengers peulg
transferred to Ludington planes at
Washington Hoover Airport.
| Passenger service Is being operated
between washington and White Sui
nhur Springs, W. va, with stop at
Hot Springs, Va, by the Dixie servlce'
with headquarters at Charlottesvlii!.eT'
Va, This line has made a tle-up VIII
the Iudington interests and 1t Is PROP
able that fri-motored planes will be put
on the line to replace DixleS single
If the Post once Department abides
| by its original plans, there also VIII De
airmail and probably passenger service
as we'll between the National Capltal
and Norfolk early in the Summer. Inc
! Department of Commerce, IN accord
ance with the plans, has installed a
lighted airway between washington ana
Norfolk. with beacons every 10 miles
and three intermediate fields, lighted
for night flying. They are idle, awaiting
opening of the service for which they
are built. Meanwhile the Post once
Department is said to be considering the
junking of its plans and installing the
airrnail service from Richmond TO nor
folk.
Economy orders are threatening to
break the backbone of the Armys sec
ond line Of aerial defense, the Organ
lied Reserve. Because OF reduced al
| lowanceS for flying duty by reserve
pilots, the effectiveness Of the first
group of reserve pilots, to whom the
country must look to fill its combat
squadrons in case of emergency, Is IN
danger of being destroyed, in the opinion
| Of qualified observers.
The present reserve training program,
as a result of economy orders, 1t is said,
! will allow first group reserve pilots only
| IS days of active flying time In three
years. This is regarded as utterly in
adequate to keep them in condition for
emergency service.
Unless more funds are provided for
reserve training, it IS understood, first
group pilots who have had active duty
| during the past two years are not to
get any training this year.
Experience shows that pilot, mill
tary or civil, must fly regularly to keep
himself in good flying condition. This
| is recognized by the Department Of
| Commerce, which requires that a pilot
must fly regularly to maintain his linn
tied commercial or transport license. 1t
Is especially true of combat flying, which
demands constant and thorough train
ing.
A pilot who has not flown for many
months cannot be considered pilot
ready for emergency combat service.
He must be claSSed as q pilot who will
require an intensive refresher course to
fit him for combat duty. Thus the pri-
mary purpose Of the reserve-to main
tain q group Of trained and qualified
pilots ready for emergency duty on "a
hours notice defeated.
It is recognized that the finest in
surance for pilot Is to fly constantly.
The man who flies every day is a
better risk than the man who flies only
at infrequent intervals. To cut down
on the flying time Of the Reserve
officers not only destroys their efec-
tiveneSs for immediate service, but also
subjects them to greater danger during
the more infrequent periods when they
are able to fly.
It would seem to be to the advantage