Evening star., 1932-01-10

transports which have made their ap-
pearance during the past year.
The new ships, Stinsons, follow closely
the design Of the tri-motored Stinsons
now in use on the Ludington Line and
five other large transport systems. They
include, however many engineering ad-
! vancements. There is no change in
power plants, the Lycoming 215-horse-
power radial being used in the nose and
the outboard nacelles.
Naval Air Reserve Gains.
Naval Reserve aviation during the
past year has made the greatest i'm
provement and progress in any single
year since its reorganization in 1928, the
Navy Department has announced.
The feat Of the Reserve unit at Floyd
Bennett Field, N. Y, In capturing the
coveted Schiff Trophy for operating
efficiency, in competition with all the
Regular Navy flying units, is typical of
the excellence Of the Naval Reserve
aviation outfits.
Reserve aviation training activities
were conducted at 10 bases during the
T. year and more than $4,000 hours were
flown without fatality by members Of
the Naval Reserve on active duty. In
addition. members of the Reserve under
instruction at the Naval Air Station,
Pensacola, Fla, added another 10000
hours to the total while training for
qualification and designation as naval
aviators.
During 1881 Marine Corps Reserve
aviation squadrons have been organized
at several Of the naval aviation bases
and have used the same equipment as
the Naval Reserve squadrons.
At the present time go members Of
the Naval Reserve and 19 members of
the Marine Corps Reserve are under
going flight training at Pensacola.
These men, selected from college eradu-
ates who have applied for Reserve avia-
tion commissions, were given prelimi-
nary training at the Reserve aviation
bases at Boston, New York; Chicago
and Seattle. Those qualified for fur
ther training are sent to Pensacola for
year Of training.
If successful at Pensacola they are
commissioned in the Reserve. given a
year of active duty with the fleet or at
Marine Corps stations and placed on
inactive status, continuing training at
Naval Reserve bases.
Air "Panhandlers" Busy.
The latest contribution of the depres-
sion to the joys of the lives of air
transport operators is the aviation
"panhandler," whose forte Is bum
ming" airplane rides.
At Washington Hoover Airport the
situation is most troublesome. Accord
ing to C.. Y. Wheeler, chief dispatcher
for the Ludington Lines, there are liter
ally scores of persons each month seek
ing free flights to all parts Of the coun-
try. Some even want to go to the West
Coast gratis.
Usually the panhandler advances the
argument that he has watched planes
going out with empty seats and that 1t
certainly couldn't do anybody any harm
| If he were to sit there. Many Of them
are disposed to argue the question when
| dispatchers tell them that the seats
may not be vacant all the way through,
since planes stop to discharge and take
on passengers en- route.
Local airport officials estimate that
at least 100 requests for free rides OF
this sort were turned down during the
month of December.
| AS an orchestral conductor, by a
wave of his baton, controls to the finest
degree scores Of musicians, the landing
oficer aboard the Nays carriers con-
| trolls the landing and, to larger degree