Evening star., 1933-12-31

~ uOuTS apart, air transportation
indispensable factor in modern ci'
The great increase in flying ST
ing as it has during a period Whel
of activity has been seriously cl
economy. The airlineS are rea
progress in steadily mounting pa
ness, and are the only transport
Slstent traffic gains during the pei
Not only have speeds of the largest
types Of air transport planes been
stepped up during 1888 from an aver
age OF 120 miles per hour to an aver
age of 165 miles per hour and better
| in some cases, but operation costs have
been decreased and passenger comfort
and security improved.
| Many world records lave been estab-
| lished, testifying further to progress
in alrplane and engine design. The
world airline distance record, one of
the five so-called major" records, has
fallen twice during the year A new
world speed record, second of the
major records, was established. Two
new altitude records. one unofficial,
were established by balloon flights into
the stratosphere.
Many flights across the oceans were
made, notable among them the just
( completed Lndbergh cruise which in
Volved two ocean crossings. the mag
niflcent massed flight by Balbo's Ital-
ian air armada and the record solo
| flight around the world by Wiley Post
The year closed with active plans in
progress for regular transoceanic air
service in the near future.
So numerous were the events of the
! year that there is not space for more
than brief listing and. even So a
number of happenings of Importance
must be excluded. Among the major
events, chronologically were:
January.
Twenty-Five sportsmen pilots took
part IN the second annual cruise from
New York and intermediate points to
the all-Amerlcan air races at Miami.
twenty-five planes of Aviation Squad
rons, I'd Brigade, U. S. M. c., arrived
IN Washington after a remarkable
flight from Nicaragua, ending United
States Intervention and the first COM
bat operations of American air forces
since the World War. Jean Mermoz,
France, crossed the South Atlantic
with six passengers, pioneering French
transocean mail service. CONNER
clal transcontinental speed record of
~ hours from Los Angeles to New
York was established by a plane Of
90 A@<1piCSo, AlIC III regular service.
Great Britain urged the Disarmament
Conference to consider abolition of
military aviation.
The Senate killed the $4,000 900 air.
mail appropriation. which later was
restored only in part, marking the be-
ginning of a program of curtailment
which vitally affected air transporta-
tion throughout the year. Squadron
Leader Oswald r. Gaylord and Flight
Lieut.. Gilbert E Nicholetts. England
established new world record distance
record of 5.430 miles. England to Wal
Wis Bay, near Cape Town. James A.
Mollison, England, crossed the South
Atlantic. westbound The Los An
geles-New York air express record was
cut to 13 hours so minutes by Russell
! Mossman. who made five stops en- route.
Eastern Air Transport absorbed the
Ludington Airlines. closing a pioneer
ing enterprise in passenger flying. The
q. S. S. Ranger, this country's first
rear a1rplane carrier, was launched
March.
Blind landing equipment was installed
by the Department of Commerce al
Newark Airport, N. j., for service tests
since when hundreds of blind landings
have been made by a number of pilots
Pan-American Airways bought As per
cent Of the stock Of China National
Aviation Corporation and became a
partner Of the Chinese national govern
ment IN the air transport field in the
Orient.
| April.
A British aviation expedition con-
qCered Mount Everest, worlds highest
! 30 no rr
the New Jersey Coast. carrying to death
Rear Admiral William A. Moffett and
70 other officers and men. Francesca
Agello, Italy, broke the world speed
record at Desenzano. Italy. averaging
423e22 miles per hour. The first solo
flight China to the Philippines was
made by Fernando Rein Loring. Spain
The bi-motored Lockheed Electra. 10
passenger, made reported speed of 215
miles per hour in tests. It was the first
OF several new fast planes Of the same
general type produced during the early
part Of the year and which now are
! In service on many lines.
May.
The German S. S. Westfalen sailed
into the South Atlantic for experiment.
al work as a floating air base AS a
| result Of the tests, regular service Is
| planned for 1884. The Graf Zeppelin
started another season Of regular trans
atlantic service between Germany and
South America. The Army Air Corps
graduated its first blind landing class
of six officers at Wright Field. Ohio.
Jean Mermoz recrossed the South At
lantic with five passengers.
June.
Frank M. Hawks established a new
transcontinental nonstop record of 13
hours 26 minutes Is seconds James
Mattern left New York on the start of
projected flight around the world
crossed the Atlantic, Europe and Asia
and was lost for many days in Northern
| Siberia. A joint congressional COM
mlttee, after prolonged investigation of
the Akron crash, recommended contin-
uation of the Navy airship policy. with
replacement of the Akron, construction
of new training ship and restoration
OF the Los Angeles. Twenty-hour trans
continental air transport service was in
! augurated. Capt. Mariana Barberan
and Lieut.. Joaquin Collar, Spanish
army, made a splendid ASSEMBLE flight
| from Spain to Cuba and were lost later
in Mexico. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt
completed an air trip from washington
to California and return. The q. S. S.
Macon underwent her trials successful
ly and was accepted by the Navy.
July.
The National Air Races were held at
Los Angeles and resulted in establish
ment of an East-West transcontinental
speed record by Roscoe Turner of II
hours 80 minutes. Jimmy Mattern, who
had been missing since June IA, was
found at Anadyr, Siberia, July g. Col.
and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh started