Evening star., 1935-03-24

mark on his proficiency and apti-
tude. and predicts his chances of be-
coming a naval aviator
All students then take the regular
flight training course in the usual
manner.
so far" it was reported, "only 10
cases have progressed far enough in
training to be considered. OF these.
every one bore out the predictions
made during their glider training.
When enough cases are available.
thorough study will be made to deter
mine the value of this type of train
ing"
Veterans Join Airline.
Appointment of two aviation vet
erans to high positions in Eastern Air
Lines has been announced by Ed
ward v. Rickenbacker, general man
ager.
Edmund T. Eddie" Allen, World
War Army pilot and instructor, test
pilot. airmail flyer and aviation en-
gineer. has become chief engineer of
the airline. Don C. McRae. who as
sisted in developing the first point
to-point communication service for
commercial airline, has been named
chief communications engineer.
Eddie allen began his test flying
during the World War. in the United
States and England. He then was at
tached to The office of the chief of the
Air Service here and later transferred
to McCook Field Ohio, for Army flight
test work Leaving the Army in 1919
he became test pilot for the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
In 1921 he left to enter the Mesa
chusettS Institute of Technology.
where he studied mechanical and avia-
ton engineering for two years. He
then served another tour of duty as
test pilot at McCoek Field, became an
airmail pilot for the Post Office De-
partment on the first night line be-
tween Cheyenne and Salt LAKE City,
resumed test dying on new airrnail
equipment and then returned 70 his
airmail run flying a plane equipped
with experimental two-way radio
equipment Since 1880 he had been
a consulting engineer for Douglas,
Northrop. Lockheed. CurtissW Wright,
Chance Vought, General Aviation,
Stearman, TranScontinental e. West
ern Air and Pan-American Airways.
Allen will specialize on motor op-
Grafton and flight efficiency with East
ern Air Lines. He now is flying the
various routes Of the line, engaged in
research to determine correc: flight
attitudes and motor control for nor
NAL fight operations.
McRae, who earned a first-class ra-
dio operators license at the age OF
Is. engaged in pioneer commercial
station development at Salt Lake City
while studying electrical engineering
at the University of Utah. He joined
Western Air Express in 1926 and since
has been engaged in airline radio de-
velopment work.
Air Fares Decrease.
PASSENGERS on the scheduled air
transport lines in the United States
are paying an average fare of SO
cents per mile, according to reports
to the Bureau of Air Commerce. This
is the lowest average fare rate ever
in effect on the airlines of the United
States and is considerably less than
the average on European lines.
AS late as 1929 the average rate in
this country was IL cents per mile
and for about four years the rate has
been about cents per mile.
With the decrease in fare rates, the
average length Of the trip taken by
the American air passenger is in
creasing. The bureau found that
during 1884 the average trip was 407
miles, as compared with 367 miles
in 1888.
During the whole of 1884 the air
lines started a total Of 70,930 sched-
uled transport flights and completed
66,591 of them for a percentage of
1888 for the year.
The domestic airlines on January l
were providing employment for 6,455
persons. including 500 pilots, 248 CO.
pilots, 2,201 mechanics and ground
crew men, 1886 other hangar and
field employees and 1857 operations
and Office employees They had 518
airplanes in operation at the begin
ming of the year.
Marines Form New Glass.
A new recruit class is being organ
lied to fill existing vacancies in W.
7MR. local Marine Corps Aviation
Reserve squadron. The authorized
full strength of the squadron is 40
men. The squadron, which just under
went its annual inspection at the
hands of a Marine Corps board, is
now nearing it's highest peak of eff
cheney and is rounding into shape apr
the coming annual active-duty cruise.
James E. Webb, squadron COM
mander, recently received his promo
ton to captaincy. Other officers of |
the squadron are First Lieut. j. G. |
Adams, adjutant. and Second Lieuts.
r. B. Burchard. executive and train
ing officer; F. N. Reeve, gunnery Off
Ger; Nelson I. Gaunt, engineering
officer; c. E. Parker, assistant opera
tions officer; r. B. Jacob, operations
officer, and w. H. Orton, aerology and
officer.
Non-commissioned officers are F. M. |
Richard, first sergeant; R. E. Dennis
and J. S. MesSer, sergeants, and M.
L. Atkinson, H. M. Camper, d. L.
Crist, E. c. Miller, G. NJ Rice, G. H. |
Robertshaw and T. D. Thorne, cor
porals.
There are 13 privates. first class,
and seven privates on the squadron |
roster.