Evening star., 1933-08-27
Aviation News
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

| BY JOSEPH
A PROMINENT of Alva Sole
| " mail, Post Office DEPARTING
~ airmail district of the Unit
a ability of the man who org
during the two years in which i
Nations foremost private club de1
The airmail district over whiC
September l is that with headqu
! territory from Richmond, Va. to
Coast west to Texas. 1t includes
tional airmail system of Pan-Am'
the Americas.
BY his appointment Mr.. Sole
the East holding pilots rating.
| flying time behind him, he soon '
transport license, highest type of /
ernment to civil pilots His app
those in local aviation circles, not
of airmail activities in the area sol
he has been so closely identified wi
his aviation career.
Born in Wheeling, w. Va, October
| 20, 1889. and educated in schools of
that State, Mr.. Sole entered the rail-
way mail service in August, 1909. and
served for 10 years before he resigned
in 1919 to go into private business.
He was reinstated in the railway mail
service in March, 1881, and has been
on duty between Washington and New
York
Sole's keen interest in aviation was
first given active expression when he
took leading part in the creation of
the local legion in March. 1928. The
nrin Nf
men and women. none of whom had
any previous experience in aeronau
tics They set out to learn the busi-
ness of flying. literally. from the ground
up. 1t was their purpose to share all
expenses, buying an airplane and hiring
ground school and flying instructors.
Though handicapped by lack of ex-
perience, the legion went forword stead
lily. overcoming obstacle after obstacle
! which might have defeated any group
/ lacking good leadership and a powerful
determination to succeed. Sole was
elected first president of the legion
and became its first member to solo
During the year after Sole made his
first fight alone the legion soloed 35
Of its members. IL of whom during
that time obtained their Department
of Commerce licenses, including one
transport license. Five of them bought
their own planes and several began
aviation careers professionally.
Achievement Is Recognized.
Early in 1881 the D. c. Air Legion
was awarded the trophy OF the Ameri-
can Society for Promotion of Aviation
as the outstanding flying club in the
United States during the preceding
year. During that year the legion had
increased its membership to 135 and
sent 80 members. men and women. on
their first solo flights 1t purchased
two airplanes and two gliders and its
members purchased seven planes for
their own use The National Aero
nautic Association also went on record
as declaring the legion the foremost
successful flying club in the country.
Early in 1881 Sole's business took
him away from Washington and he
severed his connection with the legion,
then at its highest point of activity.
Since that time Sole has kept up his
flying and within the past few weeks
qualified for the new and more rigid
Department of Commerce private pl-
lots license He has made an lnten-
sive study of airmail matters during
the past two years and comes to his
new post with the highest recommen-
udllOllS HUH NlllIlli anu ouIoiNC IAAS
postal service.
He has been active in Masonic cir
cles locally and is a member Of t-e
New Jerusalem Lodge. No. 9. r. "A.
A. M; Columbia Chapter, No. l, r. A.
M. Columbia Commandery. No. 2, K.
T., and Almas Temple, A. A. o. N. M.
S. He is a member of the Railway
Mail Association. For the past two
years his headquarters have been IN
New York, though his duties have
brought him to the Capital every week.
Ocean Airline Planned.
The long-heralded German airplane
transport service across the South At
iantic probably will be inaugurated
early next year. according to informa-
ton received through official channels
by the United States Department OF
Commerce.
The rebuilt steamship Westphalen.
which, after extensive experimental and
test work, has been converted into
floating ocean airport. is to be used as
a base of operations in the Atlantic
midway between the most western
point of Africa and the northeastern
tip of South America.
Clifton R. Wharton, American con-
sui at Las Palmas. Canary Islands,
reports UildL IL lS thpCCb6u tAide sAAOoS
islands will be another stopping point
on the ocean line, and that the Span
ish national airport in the Canaries
is to be improved Immediately by in
stallation of more modern and COM
plete facilities as step toward the
opening of the service.
According to the reports received
here, the route probably will be from
Germany By way of Spain, the Canary
Islands, Gambia, West Africa: the
Westphalen in the Atlantic, and Natal,
Brazil, to the South American main
land.
Coastal Time Reduced.
Air transport time between the At
lantic and Pacific Coasts, already re-
duced' three times since Spring, again
has been curtailed with the inaugIra-
ton by Transcontinental and Western
Air OF blue ribbon" airmail sched-
ule between the Middle West and the
Pacific Coast.
Forty additional minutes have been
cut from travel time by the elimination
of three stops, leaving Albuquerque,
N Mex. as the only stop between
Kansas City and Los Angeles. !, The
time saved insures arrival of letters
mailed in the East the day before at
Los Angeles In time for the first morn
ing delivery.
The airline also has reduced by SO
minutes the time required for passen-
gers to fly from New York to Los An
OeleS IN the nidtranscontinental route