Evening star., 1932-08-16
POLITICS BENEFITS
AVIATION INDUSTRY
Statesmen Seeking a Wider
Handshaking Range Are
Taking to the Air.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO Ine star
NEW YORK, August 16.-The air
plane industry, still short hop be
hind the dividend stage, may nope 1ol
some helpful advertising in this year
political campaign. In the last presi'
dental campaign the radio came into
its own, and this year statesmen seek
ing wider talking and hand-Shaklne
range are taking to the air
Senator Hiram Bingham Will starr
buZzing around Connecticut next week
on his senatorial campaign in an auto
giro-particularly useful as a pohtl-
clans accessory. as one could almost
kiss a baby from the cockpit wlthcu,
grounding. F. Trubee Dawson, Assist
ant Secretary of War for Aeronautlcs
suuaring away for his New 4orR
gubernatorial campaign. never feels
quite at home on the ground. and the
same goes for David S. ingalls,. Re
publican candidate for Governor IN
Ohio Certainly a plane offers gooo
stance for the traditional viewing WIFI
alarm and pointing with pride.
While the air waves will, OF course
outrun the planes, and the radio Will
be buster and noisier than ever. IN
spite of the hitch about candidates
having for the time, there is in THIS
presidential year a bit of wing f1ut-
tering in the aviation industry, augur-
ing better days and disclosing a record
of achievement quite surprising in view
of the general conditions.
Passengers Increase.
The total of passengers carried on
all air transport lines in the first SIX
months of this year was 223,834. as
compared with 176.143 in the first half
of about 3O Der
cent, Similarly, the mileage increase
was 80 per cent for the same period,
with a total of 23,633,036 miles flown,
ps against 18.242475 miles last year.
Air mail poundage was ga per cent
less than last year. The most notable
gain was in air express, with an IN
crease of 70 per cent.
The industry notes with satisfaction
that the showing of gains has been
made without unsound expansion or
forcing of business. No new lines have
been put IN operation. and there have
been consultations which have actually
decreased the number OF competing
companies. Thus, the industry sees
wholesome results in the checking OF
unsound expansion and the possibility
of overtaking those elusive dividends,
with traffic intenSively concentrated IN
the existing lines.
June's traffic total of 47.573 passen-
gers was more than 10000 above the
average monthly total.
Evidence that aviation is losing none
of its dramatic appeal to American
youth appears in the fact that flve
transatlantic expeditions are now get
ting set. The latest is that of Julius
Robertson of Negaunee. Mich, and
Clyde Lee of Oshkosh. Wis. They ann
for Oslo. Norway, via Harbor Grace.
Considering general conditions, the
Summer has been surprisingly fruitful
in flying exploits.
Pay Load Studied.
In the research laboratories, techni-
clans are concentrating on the basic
and supremely important problem Of
nav load. and their answer will be
good or bad news for holders of air
plane securities. They insist that in
the long run it will be good news, and
that all they need is time. The year
has marked decided gain in safety
and general dependability of planes.
particularly in the advances made in
'blind flying" both in the development
of instruments and IN the schooling OF
pilots. This work, begun several years
ago under the patronage Of the Gug-
genheim Foundation promises to free
air traffic from the perils of fogs and
mountains.
The training Of the approximately
700 pilots in the air transport services
has progressed rapidly. BY January l
every pilot in the United States will be
required to qualify as a blind" navi-
gator, under the ruling of the Depart
ment of Commerce. Changes in plane
structure are concentrated on new
wing designs which give promise Of
greater speed and lifting power. The
trend is toward twin-engine and
single-engine planes.
lCopYright. 1872