Evening star., 1933-09-03

program, the number of aviation in
spectors for the entire United States
has been reduced to IS. This woefull7
small number includes George E. Gard
ner, chief Of the inspection service, and
Luke Harris. supervising airline main
tenance inspector; supervising in
spectors, engineering inspectors,
airplane factory inspectors, 81 aero
nautical inspectors, 7 airline inspectors
IL schools inspectors and airline
maintenance inspectors.
Inspectors are located at only As
points in the United States. Although
fupds for field travel have been cut by
t50 per cent, each inspector must be
responsible for inspection work in a
large territory. Under the reduced
| travel allowance the inspectors can
visit only about go points in addition
to their home stations as regularly as
once a month. This means that only
at 100 points in the United States will
there be a Federal aeronautical in
/ spector stationed or present as often
as once In 80 days.
The danger of such situation be-
comes apparent when 1t is realized that
there are more than 1000 active air
ports in the United States. many of
which may not see Federal inspec-
tor once a year, II that often. Yet,
for the safety OF the public, it is vi
tally essential that many regulations
be enforced and that aircraft be in
spected regularly and pilots be exam
ined regularly.
It is Inevitable that If 50 much as q
| single serious aviation disaster in the
future should be traceable to lax Feder-
al inspection, public faith In aviation
throughout the country will be dam
aged to a degree commensurate with
| the seriousness Of the accident.
There are 1000 airplanes and $4,000
licensed airplane pilots in the United
any group Of IS human beings how
ever faithful, industrious and self-sac-
rificing they may be, can supervise
properly such numbers.
The first step to meet a thoroughly
unsatisfactory situation was the aboi-
shing Of the newly created grade OF
solo pilot. Under the new inspection
set-up inspectors cannot go to, the
home airports Of pilots requiring exam
ination for licensing or renewal of h
cense. Pilots wishing to be examined
must fly to the nearest inspector, who
may be many miles away, and must
then take their chances that he will be
| free to examine them.
lack the training and experience nee
essary for cross-country flying and
cannot go to the inspector if he Is
more than a few miles away. There
was no solution but to abolish the
grade of solo pilot and leave fedgling
flyers unlicensed until they pile up the
so hours of solo time requisite for
examination for licensing as private
pilots
As to the enforcement of air traffic
regulations, the situation obviously is
most unsatisfactory. There are GER
tain to be many instances OF violation
Of regulations against dangerous types
Of flying which never will come to the
attention of the widely scattered and
earth-bound inspectors.
Regulations require that all aircraft
undergoing repair after any type Of &C
cident must pass Federal inspection be-
fore they may be put back in service.
With inspectors anchored as they are
under the new economy system, it be-
comes incumbent upon the owner OF
an aircraft undergoing even minor re-
pairs to fly his plane to the nearest In
spector. This puts the owner to great
inconvenience, expense and loss OF
time It will be sore temptation to
many owners to put repaired planes
back into service without the formality
Of an inspection, trusting to luck that
their crime of omission never will come
to official notice.
Not only will relaxation OF the
rigididity of Federal policing and in
spection have immediate unfavorable
results but it Is quite likely that seri-
GUS permanent harm may be done. If
the Federal Government falls down on
its job of making aviation safe. State
and local governments will be forced to
step into the breach and undertake
their own regulation.
Rigid enforcement of conflicting
State aeronautical codes in various sec
tions Of the country very conceivably
might result in serious Gripping of
civil aviation. It was to obviate this
very situation that Congress created the
aeronautics branch and set up code
Of Federal aeronautical regulations. If
necessary national regulation Of ma
tional aviation is to be permitted to
slip out of the hands of Federal au-
thority into the Jurisdiction of con-
flicting local authority, the benefits OF
many years of struggle to build up civil
aviation may be lost.
Emasculation of the Federal aviation
inspection force, it is reported, will
save the Federal Government 5000 900.
It may result in infinite harm to civil
aeronautics, to say nothing Of risk to
life and property. Is this good
economy?
Marines Go to Camp.
Officers and men Of W.T., the new
Marine Corps aviation reserve squadron,
organized last Fall at Anacostia Naval
Air Station, will go on their first tour
of active duty as squadron this month
at Cape May, N. j. Ten officers and
25 men of the squadron are to leave
Washington for the New Jersey Coast
Guard and Navy aviation base Friday
afternoon and Saturday morning. They
| will remain in camp until Septem-
ber 81.
The trip will be made in the seven
airplanes which are shared jointly by
W.T. and VN-6R, local naval aviation
reserve unit, in two motor trucks and
| the private automobiles of some of the
| squadron members. Owing to the Fed
eral economy program, many of the Of
| ficers and men will serve their country
without pay.
Lieut.. Hamilton D. South, jr., o. s.
M c., has just been ordered to duty
at the Anacostia Naval Air Station as
| instructor for W.T. and Is expected
to report here in time to accompany
the squadron to Cape May. He will
take over part Of the burden Of Lieut..
Malcolm M. Cloukey, q. s. NJ, instruc-
tor to VN-6R, who also has acted as
leader Of the Marine squadron since