Evening star., 1935-11-24


1T Is the primary plan Of the as
ISOLATION" Mr.. Waggy said, ito carry
low cost flying instruction into COM
munities too small to support reg
ular flying instructor. except through
the charging Of exorbitant fees. and
TO bring the cost of flying. both in
the small communities and the
larger ones, to a point where all
young Americans who wish to learn
10 ny may do so. To accomplish
this, one plane will be used to cover
several communities, flying from one
to the other, and thus reducing the
overhead expenses of each"
The D. c. Air Legion, Waggy
pointed out, reduced the cost of
flying in Washington by more than
so per cent and enrolled $50 mem
bers, Of whom about 10 soloed and
so obtained licenses
The local Air Legion was organized
by group of young men and women
who wanted to learn to fly, but who
could not afford, as individuals, to
pay the cost of instruction and flying
time at recognized schools. They
banded together, bought an airpiane
and hired ground and fight in
structors. By pooling expenses, they
were able to go ahead with a flying
course and to add equipment from
time to time, until their form of
organization and methods became
national models.
Local Men Prominent.
Members of the local legion have
gained prominent posts for them
selves in the aviation world. One Of
them now Is an assistant superin-
tendent Of the United States Airmail
Service, others are airline officials,
and some operate airports and flying
schools Of their own. Their names
figure in virtually all of the air meets
and flying events in this part of the
country.
The local legion proved itself a real
pioneer in the field of private flying,
and its members feel that their ex-
periences should be of value to new
comers to aviation everywhere.
The successful stratosphere balloon
flight of the National Geographic
Society-Army Air Corps was the first
made in this country under the new
pressure-temperature rules of record.
ing put into effect by the Federation
Aeronautique Internationale, it was
announced as the Bureau of Stand
ards completed its work of calibrat-
ing the balloon instruments.
Because of the detailed procedure
required, the length of time for
celebration of the instruments has
been greatly increased, it was ex-
planned by the National Aeronautic
Association. The new rules specify
that altitude must be determined by
both pressure and temperature meas.
urements and not by pressure alone,
as formerly was the case.
Method of Determination.
Both pressure and temperature
celebrations have had to be run by the
Bureau Of Standards on the instru-
ment carried by the balloon and from
both sets of figures calculations were
made to determine the altitude at the
highest point of the flight. To further
increase the accuracy, the Bureau Of
Standards also has taken into con-
Sideration air pressure and tempera-
ture recordings by the Weather Bu-
reau at number Of stations in the
flight path.
Under the new international rules
the official meterograph could not be
carried in the gondola of the giant
balloon, or even in the rigging, but
had to be suspended 10 meters, or
32.8 feet, below the gondola. This was
to insure that the temperature of the
instrument would not be affected by
solar heat reflections from the gondola
or bag.
The meteorograph, lowered by hand
from the gondola after the take-of
and drawn in again before landing,
was encased in a special aluminum-
covered container equipped with a
miniature electric fan. This fan was
kept running throughout the dura-
ton Of the flight and circulated the
outside air around the meteorograph
to give the closest possible approM-
nation to suspension of the instru.
ment in the free atmosphere with
out the sunproof casing.