Evening star., 1934-10-07


aviation progress for many years
While the Government continues its
three simultaneous probes, distracted
aeronautical leaders in Washington
prepare to entertain world aviation
notables gathering here today for the
first American meeting OF the Fedora
ton Aeronautique Internationale, world
governing body for record and sport
flying. In connection with the F. A. /.
meeting there also is to be held here
this week the annual meeting Of the
National Aeronautic Association,
American representative of the inter-
national organization, which will bring
delegates from majority of the States
of the Union. The F. A. I. and N. A. A.
meetings are to be followed later in
the week by the first local meeting of
the Ninety-niners, national organiza-
ton of woman pilots, closing next
Sunday with the first all-women's air
meet in the Eastern United States.
The past few days have brought the
creation by the War Department Of
the long-heralded General Headquar-
ters Air Force, which groups the COM
bat units of the Air Corps into COM
pact, mobile unit under direct COM
mand of the General Staff and strikes
heavy blow at the principle Of an in
dependent air force.
And while Washington witnesses the
greatest local aviation activity in years,
the aviation world awaits the start
from London on October 20 Of the
longest, most hazardous air race in
history - the double MacRobertson
contest over almost similar routes
from London to Melbourne, Australia
for prizes totaling $75.00o Ameri-
can pilots and airplanes will be pitted
against the greatest flyers of other
countries in both speed and reliability
sections of the race.
Although the assembling of the in
ternational delegates attending the F.
A. I. meeting began yesterday and the
informal program also began yester-
day with a meeting of the directors
and will continue today with pro-
gram of entertainment, the meeting
will not start formally until Tuesday
morning.
Due to the international character
Of the conference, the Government
will take an unusually active part in
entertaining and aiding the visitors,
with receptions in their honor by Pres
ident Roosevelt and Secretary of Com
merce Roper and demonstrations at
the Langley Memorial Laboratories of
the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics, at Langley Field, Va, and
the Bureau of Standards. The Wis
itors will be flown to Langley Field to-
morrow in Army and Navy planes,
passing over the birthplace Of the air.
plane at Kitty Hawk, N. c., en- route.
After the conclusion of the F. A. I.
meeting, the National Aeronautic As
sociation convention will begin Thurs
day morning, continuing until Sat-
urday afternoon.
The 99ers will assemble in Wash
ington Saturday and the woman pilots
attending the meeting will take part
next Sunday afternoon in an all
women's air meet at College Park Air
port, College Park, Md. The Washing
ton Women Pilots Association will be
In charge and a number of local wom-
an flyers will participate In program
which will include spot landing, bomb
dropping and parachute jumping con-
tests, 25-mile handicap race and
other events.
College Park this afternoon will be
the scene Of q colorful flying program,
reaching climax with a hot-air
balloon ascension and a 10,000-foot
delayed parachute drop by George de
Grange, local exhibition jumper
Today's program, beginning at 2
O'Clock, will include demonstration of
an aerial bomb which it is claimed is
directed to its target by photo
electric eye, operating fins which act
as rudders. There also will be Jump
from a low-hying airplane, it is an
nounced, by one Windy Broden,
who wears no parachute but intrusts
his life and health to an inflated rub
ber suit in which he will bounce Che
hopes) like a rubber ball. Miss Helen
Frigo, local woman pilot and exhibi-
ton jumper, is to make jumps this
afternoon and next Sunday and will
compete in the flying events next week.
College Park officials say today's air
show will be the best they have put
on. They offer free parking space
around the airport and invite every
one to attend.
War Flyers Disagree.
The difficulties faced by the Federal
Aviation Commission in obtaining
anything like representative view
point Of aviation people on any single
question of national air policy was il
lustrated during the past week when
two of the Nations greatest World
War pilots, on consecutive days, pre-
sented views which in many instances
were diametrically opposed.
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell, chief
Of aviation for the First Army in
France, returning to the battle for a
unified air force with the same frank
ness of speech which earned him Of
ticial censure and court martial, was
followed by Col. Edward v. Ricken-
backer, Americas leading war ace, who
declared with equal vigor that naval
aviation should remain in the Navy.
Army aviation in the Army.
Mitchell advocated consolidation of
all air activity, civil and military, in q
Federal department of aeronautics.
Rickenbacker insisted that, at least
for the present. military and civil
aviation should be kept vigorously
separated.
Mitchell ventured the opinion that
Europe outclassed the United States
in all forms of military aircraft. Rick
enbacker held stanchly to the su-
periority Of our attack planes to any
in the world, and the equality If not
the superiority Of our bombers to
anything known. He conceded that
French pursuit planes exceeded ours
in ceiling and perhaps speed, but that
ours were superior in range.
The two famous wartime pilots dis
agreed widely In their recommenda-
tions for the Federal control of peace
time air transportation. Mitchell
wanted the airmail flown by the Gov
ernment; Rickenbacker insisted 1t
should be flown by private contractors.
Mitchell wanted the patent pool" Of
the "air merchants" broken up; Rick