Evening star., 1933-05-14


of humanity.
The Armys success, is expected to
be repeated in the immediate future
in civilian practice. The Department
Of Commerce Aeronautics Branch, at
the busy New York air terminal, New
ark Airport. has installed all the radio
aids necessary to blind landings, and
Department Of Commerce pilots, chiefly
James Kinney. have made repeated
blind landings there. Three of the
great airlines using Newark Airport
have undertaken to equip training
planes for blind landing and will put
their pilots through q course some
what similar to that Of the Army.
the time Is coming when every trans
pororpilot will be required to demon
strate his ability to land by instru-
ments, as he now must show his
ability to fly by instruments. There
Is little question that blind landings
will come to play an important part
in military air operations or that COM
bat planes will operate under all con-
ditions OF weather by day or night.
The Army's blind flying school was
conducted with characteristic thor
oughness. The six pilots selected for
instruction had little previous instru-
ulcIt AylLB AL pldSIOC woo
flown with hooded cockpit, which pre-
vented the slightest vision Of earth, sky
or horizon. Count was kept Of all prac-
tice hours flown. An observer was car
ried to check results and to prevent
collisions with other flying craft, but
to be credited, all flights and landings
made by the blind landing students
had to be strictly unassisted and the
student remained under the hood until
he brought the airplane to q dead stop
on the runway.
Each pilot was required to make
five flights completely blind, including
takeof and landing. covering sufhcient
distance on each flight to make q re-
turn virtually impossible except with
the aid Of the blind flying system.
Five perfect demonstration landings
had to be made. the last three in sue
cession. to establish q degree Of ex-
pertness with the system and to elimi-
nate the element Of chance.
The most difncult part Of the course
for each Of the six officers was the
first blind landing which involved
decided psychological adjustment. It
became necessary for each pilot to ad-
just himself to the replacement OF his
human senses by instrument senses. 50
to speak. 1t was a tremendously tense
|
made contact between his fast moving
plane and the unseen ground with
nothing to guide him but cold instru-
ments.
Once the adjustment was made and
the pilot learned to place reliance in
his instruments, the system worked out
rapidly The shortest practice time
flown bv q student before accomplish
ipg the first blind landing was l hour
and 20 minutes; the longest, hours
and so minutes.
The Army's new blind landing grad
yates are Maj. F. H. Coleman, First
homme, r. J. Minty and C. D. Meal
lister and Second Lieut.. L. r. HarmAn.
Their instructor is Capt. Albert F.
Hegenberger. navigator on the first
fight from the United States to Ha-
waii and first man in the world to
make a solo blind landing.
Flying Pullmans Planned.
Airplane passengers will be able to
sleep in full-size berths in the latest
airliners. now planned for service be-
tween New York and Chicago. Ar
rangements for the first aerial pull
mans are being made by American
Airways under direction of Z. L. Cord.
who explained that twin-engined Cur
tiss Condors of the latest type probably
will be first employed for this service.
They are expected to carry berths for
IL passengers.
Though the plans are fairly well In
hand. It is not believed the proposed
service will be inaugurated until next
Fall. There are a number Of details
still to be worked out. among them
the problem of deciding whether pas
sengers shall prepare for bed in spe-
cial dressing rooms at the airport prior
to taking of or whether sorely needed
space in the airliners must be set aside
for this purpose.
The sleeper of the skies has not yet
approached the comfort of rail sleep
ers. due largely to lack of space. Night
passenger services are established
on a number Of the Nations longer
transport runs. but the passengers on
these lines make the best OF comfort
able semi-reclining chairs for sleeping
purposes, doing their sleeping fully
clothed.
Many passengers fly the night runs
and a majority of them appear to have
no dificulty whatever sleeping in the
chairs. though these. Of course. are
not as comfortable or as conducive to
restful sleep as a berth. Even on day
light runs many passengers have q
tendency to doze, lulled py the rear Oh
the motor and motion Of the plane.
and there Is no reason to doubt that
q majority Of passengers Will take
kindly to the flying sleeper, in the
opinion of air transport ofnciab.
Troubled Times Ahead.
The National Aeronautic Association,
sole representative in the United States
Of the Federation Aeronautique Inter
rationale, world governing body for
sport aviation and for homologation OF
official record flights. Is facing grim
struggle for its very existence.
The banner of revolt against the
ng-standing reign CT the N. A. A. has
been raised in various parts Of the
United States and disaffection Is evil
dent within its own ranks. The bitter
dispute between the Washington Air
Derby Association and the N. A. A..
which was composed less than ~ hours
before the start Of the Langley Day air
meet at College Park last Sunday, Is
only one pointer which shows the way
the wind Is blowing.
Most startling Of the developments
in the troubled affairs Of the N. A. A.
recently, however, was the resignation
as vice president and member Of the
A~ Oh -