Evening star., 1933-07-30
Flyers, Especially Military W
saa Aviators, Must Be Versatile
Example of knowledge
Needed Shown by Lieut..
Roland Birnn.

THAT aviators must be versatile
men goes without saying. They
not only must know the rather
/ complex art of flying. but they
must know engines more than
ordinarily well; they must know air
plaine maintenance; they must know
meteorology, radio and other subjects,
including aerial navigation, which IN It
self Is to be mastered thoroughly only
by long study and practice.
Military aviators must be even more
versatile than their civilian brothers.
because Of the added complexities OF
military duties, including aerial pho.
Biography, gunnery, liaison with ground
troops, military law. military SANTA
ton and first aid. and the science OF
mass operations with which non-nili-
tary flyers need not concern themselves.
An Unusual Example.
An unusual examr.e of versatility,
even for Army Air Corps pilots, how
ever, is Afforded by Lieut.. Roland Birnn.
Amy Air Corps. who has Just completed
four years Of duty as public relations
officer In the Office of the chief OF the
Army Air Corps and now Is awaiting
transfer to the Air Corps Tactical
School, Maxwell Field, Montgomery,
Ala.
Lieut.. Birnn, in addition to being IN
exceedingly good military aviator, MSn
all that implies. has hown v1rtuaAy
every type Of American airplane, IN
Guiding those In civil aeronautics and.
aside from his military duties, has dis
tinguished himself as an ethnologist.
civil engineer, author, radio announcer
and yachtsman.
He Is widely known in scientific cir
cles for his studies OF the primitive
San Bias Indians of Panama. He made
a valuable collection OF the culture OF
these Indians for the Smithsonian In
stitution.
He is as familiar with the staftlhgly
diverse conditions OF Iceland ana
Greenland as with the tropical tungles,
having lived for some time In the Far
North as . young man wnlie uacmg
the pathway followed by his Morse
ancestors
Born in New Jersey March 3. 1894.
the scion of . hardy Morse and VIKING
stock, Birnn was educated In the New
York schools and universities and for
two years before the World War was
engaged with unusual success a. = civn
and construction engineer there.
Enlisted in 1917.
He enlisted in the aviation section
of the Army Signal Corps December
II. 1917, went through ground school
at Princeton University and flying
school at Taylor Field. Montgomery.
Ala. He was commissioned q second
lieutenant September IL, 1918, and
ranked as reserve military aviator. After
his World War service. he became
first lieutenant In the Air Corps Of the
Regular Army, July l, 1920.
Lieut.. Birnn served in . seaplane
squadron at Langley Field, Hampton,
Va, during the bombing tests on sur
rendered German naval vessels.
1922 and served there for three years.
During his three years in Panama he
won oficial commendation for his ex-
tens.ve flights over previously unex-
plored Jungle and mountain country In
the interior.
While engaged In this work he suf-
fered the only crash Of his flying career
. crack-up In the mountains. from
which he escaped without serious IN
jury.
II was while engaged in the explora-
ton Of Panama that he became inter-
ested In its primitive peoples and their
history and customs. He spent his leave
Of absence among the San Bias IN
olanS, cXtenoW8 00 SAp1ofAQOnS GOWN
the coast Of the Caribbean Sea almost
to Colombia. In Q little sailboat he ex-
plored the coasts and penetrated far
inland along the navigable streams He
learned to speak the San Bias language
with fair proficiency and attended the
council meetings and other social fsinc-
tons OF these so-called hostile" IN
dams.
He brought back many specimens Of
their handicraft, some Of which are In
the National Museum. Another collec-
ton is In New York.
He was down on the San Bias Coast
pedition Of 1894 made It's way down to
the beach from the interior. The
white Indians" brought With them Dr..
John Baer oS the Natenal Museum,
Washingtcn. Who was II and who soon
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