Evening star., 1933-04-17
New Safety in Flying.


own feet. commercial aviation is still
an infant among the industries. Like
others, 1t has felt the blight of the de-
preston. But during the lean years it
has nevertheless made tremendous
strides nearer to the promising future
that lies ahead. One of the remark
able achievements Is In making flying
safer
segment of public opinion may still
associate flying with accidents. That
Is perfectly natural. The same asso-
citation was true of the railroads of an
other day. But the science and in
dlDtry OF aeronautics have now pro-
SreSsed to the point where there is no
justification for airplane accidents, al
though there will always be accidents
in the air, just as there will be scci-
dents In other forms Of transportation,
because Of the ever-present human ele-
ment. No device is SO mechanically
perfect that it can offer absolute safe-
guard against errors Of human judg-
ment. No regulations are so strict, nor
SO rigidiy enforced. that they will not
be broken. 1t is revealing fact that
last year ninety-two persons lost their
lives in, civil aircraft accidents o, curing
during flights which violated the air
commerce regulations and air traffic
rules of the Department Of Commerce.
and that nearly half the recorded
flights involving infraction of the regu-
lations resulted in accidents.
But civil aircraft in the United
States few about 10000 900 miles last
year and safely carried about 1900 900
passengers. Civil aircraft carried more
than four times the population Of
Washington around the world more
than five thousand times. More than
half a million of these passengers were
patrons OF the scheduled a!riines, and
they few during the period when the
airlines were making q new record for
safety. In the first half Of the year
the sirlines flew 368, ,l85 miles for every
accident; in the second half, 547.l78
miles for every accident. A rcrRft Oper-
ations, other than those Of the sched-
uled airlines. are the miscellaneous
activities" such as racing, test flying,
student instruction, exhibition flying,
crop busting. aerial photography and
pleasure flying. Some Of these Oper-
ations are hazardous, and there are
now close to 5000 planes ard $4,000
Licensed pilots engaged in these mis-
cellaneous activities. Yet miles flown
per accident were about 10000 during
the last year. Possibly the same ap-
proximate relation exists. as far as
accidents are concerned, between the
scheduled flying on regular airlines and
the miscellaneous flying IS between
regular motor bus lines and private
motoring.
Great credit is due to the Depart
ment Of Commerce for its activity
toward reducing accidents In civil
aviation, which comes under Its juris.
diction. 1t is charged with the in
spection OF aircraft, examination OF
airmen for competency enforcement Of
air traffic rules and the operation OF
some l9,5OO miles Of Federal airuayS
which it has estab. ishsd. The opera
ton of these Lines includes mainte-
nance of the beacon lights, strung like
jewels across the continent at ten to
fifteen mile intervals: lighted inter-
mediate airlanding fields, radio range
beacons, airway radio stations for
weather and emergency broadcasts to
aircraft in flight and $4,000 miles OF
te.etype circuits for collection and dis
semination of weather information.
Right now the Department of Com
merce is taking the second Of two great
strides toward disarming one of the
major enemies Of aviation-fog. In
recent years great progress has been
made. through development OF radio
and airplane instruments, In the art
of blind flying" Pilots, seeing moth
ing beyond thrir cockp.ts, fly blind
along a radio beam that shields them
from harm. But the difficulty has
been in getting into and out OF fog
shrouded airports Among solutions
offered was one developed in Wash
ington and tested experimentaliy at
College Park-his.osic marker of avia-
ton progress. There test pilots of the
Department Of Commerce have made
more than q hundred blind landings,
by "hying down" radio beam project
ed from the ground at the normal
angle Of glide. Recently the expert
mental installation was taken to New
ark Airport, where landings were made
in fog so thick as to discontinue all
other aircraft operation.
No man can foresee all the posi-
bilities that lie In the future Of avia-
ton. Few governmental activities are.
fundamentally more important than
nurturing and guiding its progress.
Impcrtations OF Anne! lean apples are
no longer encouraged by France--a fact
that may cause a slight decline in the