Evening star., 1933-03-05

~ Dy tributary companies WnlcQ
le mail carriers.
Transport; Donald B. Johnston, Eastern
Air Transport: Fred A. Jones, Luding-
ton: Lloyd L. Julelson, Ludington;
Joseph B. Kuhn, Ludlngton Frank P.
Little, Eastern Air; J. Hamilton Neale,
Pennsylvania Airlines; Lawrence H.
Pabst, Eastern Air; Erlon H. Perker,
Eastern Air: George c. Pomeroy, Lud-
Lowell v. Scroggins, Pennsylvania Air
lines; Trow e. Sebree, Pennsylvania
Walter j. Shaffer, Eastern Air, William
A. Sieyer, Eastern Air; Earl L. Smith,
Ludtngton: Harry L. Smith, Pennsyl-
vania Airlines: c. Earl Steele, Luding-
ton, and Gilbert Waller, Eastern Air.
Safety Record High.
New safety records for air transport
operation were made during the last
half Of 1882, according to the semi
annual report Of the Department Of
Commerce Aeronautics Branch. The
American-operated airlines few 4,377,-
425 miles for each fatal accident dur
Ing the half year, while the passenger
miles flown per passenger fatality
amounted to 9,1l3672.
The records show 48 accidents In
26,264,553 miles of flying. OF the 176
persons involved in these accidents, 1874
escaped without injury OF any kind.
Eighteen persons, only nine of whom
were passengers. were killed and only
eight persons were severely injured.
As evidence Of the ever-tncreasing
rigidity Of standards applied to air
transport pilots, Is pointed out the fact
that personnel errors accounted for
only 15.9 per cent of the accidents in
CT cd nir1i,o al
errors up to year or two ago ac-
counted for more than half of all
accidents.
Line Takes Fourth Place.
Since the recent merger OF Eastern
Air Transport and Ludington Airlines
the new organization ranks as the fourth
largest air transport line in the world,
according to officials of the system.
The unified system now carries on
operations totaling 14,700 miles Of
scheduled flying daily over airways
1922 miles in length, connecting "a cit
les Of the Atlantic seaboard.
The services formerly performed by
both lines are being continued except
that the Washington Norfolk run of
Ludington has been cancelled in favor
OF the Richmond Norfolk line operated
by Eastern Air and the Fleetster ex-
press service operated between Washing
ton and New York by Ludington has
been discontinued
Eastern Air Transport officials. in
common with Postmaster General Wal
ter F. Brown, have expressed a rejudice
against the use of single motored planes
for passenger service and it was on
this ground the Fleetster service was
stopped.
por~opoa1 ,b,,c,. - e. L 49,
limited TO the resignation of James NJ.
Eaton. president of Ludington Airlines.
and to one or two changes in the con.
solidated traffic department.
Ihe merger has been of direct benefit
TO Eastern Air in the routing of pas
sengers making long distance flights
beyond Washington to the South The
short-haul passengers flying between
Washington and New York now are
carried on the Ludington planes, leav-
ing the Eastern Air ships free for the
long-hau business. adding considerably
to the comfort and convenience of the
passengers.
Ludington Is being operated as q
separate division of Eastern Air Trans
port and this plan Is expected to be
continued for the present.
Radio Record Made.
Some Of the greatest aviation progress
OF the past two years has been made in
the neld OF radio aids to air navigation.
The usefulness and reliability Of aircraft
radio has been increased tremendously
within period Of few months, with
great benefit to the entire air transport
industry.
Pilots who two years ago were lust
beginning to realize the value to them
in their everyday life of radio are
thorough converts today to the idea of
constant radio communication.
The development of radio and the
training OF pilots in radio use lately
has just made possible unique record
In aviation annals. During the past
month, mail and passenger pilots of
Transcontinental and Western Air
flying between Kansas City and New
York established an almost perfect
record of radio communication. Seven
teen OF the 20 pilots on this run estab-
lshed 100 per cent Of their scheduled
radio contacts with ground stations and
the other three pilots averaged SO per
cent Of all scheduled contacts.
In flight the pilots on this run. as on
virtually all of the Nations major air
transport runs today, are required to
report to radio ground stations Of the
line every 80 minutes. At these times
the pilot reports his position. altitude
and weather conditions encountered
During the past month, Of 1,728 con-
facts scheduled in this manner, 1,7l6
were completed on schedule on the
Kansas City-New York run.
During the past month the pilots
radio average for the entire coast-to-
coast system was 96.1 per cent, it was
announced