Evening star., 1936-12-06

Although 20 hours is but one-f1ft
Regular Army pilots are required to 81
permit the local Reserve officers to
put in quite a diversified program
during the coming year.
Lack of adequate flying time to
keep them in condition for emergency
service always has been serious
handicap to the Air Reserve. 1t is
impossible for the Reserve squadrons
to function as combat organizations.
as is the case in the Navy and Marine
Corps Avi: , On Reserve.
The allo ton of time is flexible. A
total of 400 hours has been set aside
for the 409th Attack Squadron, local
Reserve organization, based at Boiling
Field. Within this limit, however,
there is considerable range of freedom.
Many of the Reserve pilots assigned to
the squadron will not use more than
few hours during the year and possibly
10 or IL will put in considerably more
than 20 hours each.
Local Reserve officers holding air
plane pilot ratings are assigned to the
4O9th for training. This squadron is
commanded by Maj. Roy c. White
head. Air Reserve, chief Of the medical
section of the Bureau of Air Com
merce, who has been working hard to
build up squadron efficiency and
broaden the experience of the indi-
vidual pilots.
The 20 hours of flying time allocated
to each of the airplane pilots in the
squadron has been sub-divided for
training purposes. The schedule for
individual pilots calls for 10 hours Of
air navigation, radio beacon and hom-
ing device flight training; three hours
of formation flying; three hours Of
night flying; one hour of radio COM
munication flying, and three hours Of
instrument flying.
Air navigation training is expected
to include individual flights to distant
points to establish and maintain the
ability of all pilots to reach their
objectives under varying conditions
of climate, terrain, weather and other
variable factors, making use of Com
merce Department airways radio
range beacon and weather facilities.
Part of the time also will be devoted
to navigation by dead reckoning.
Formation flying, because of the
restricted time available. probably
will be confined to formations of three
airplanes. The night flying is ex-
pected to be sufficient merely to estab-
lish the proficiency Of pilots in oper-
alton of airplanes and equipment at
night.
The radio training program calls
| for flights to train combat crews in
the manual operation of radio equip
ment; communication from plane to
plane and from plane to ground.
In addition to the flying training,
monthly conferences of the local Re-
serve squadron officers will be held
for the purpose of issuing operations
! instructions and critiques of the
months flying.
In event the ALLEGATION Of flying
hours proves insufficient to complete
the minimum program outlined, re-
quest will be made for additional fly
ing hours, as an emergency measure
to round out the program.
Boiling Field now has one of the
new BT-9 North American basic
training airplanes on the line for the
use of local Reserve pilots and two
more ships of the same type are on
order The BT-9s and the BITS
built by Seversky, are the fastest and
most modern training types yet de-
veloped for the Army. They are suit
able for use for advanced tactical
training.
With the assignment Of the new
ships and the well-rounded program
worked out at Boiling Field by Capt
Jack c. Hodgson, Air Corps, unit in
structor to the 409th, the local Reserve
squadron is expected to reach a new
peak of activity during the coming
Summer.
The regular monthly training con-
ference for all local Air Reserve Off
GERS, including not only officers of the
409th but those holding other assign
in room 1859 Munitions building. The
subject will be Air Corps communi-
cations equipment and its uses. Capt
Hodgson will be instructor.
WRIGHT DAY, December IT, an.
niversary of the first airplane
flight, will be celebrated here with
an aerial parade. an illustrated re.
view lecture on flying and dinner
dance
The Washington Air Derby Asso-
citation and the Aero Club OF Wash
ington have joined forces for the cele-
bration, under the leadership of that
able and energetic amateur pilot
Chester H. Warrington, president o.
both organizations.
Every private and commercial pilo
In washington who has his own air.
plane or can borrow one for the oc.
casion is asked to participate in the
aerial parade over the city at 1926
am, the hour of the first flight a,
Kitty Hawk, N. c., December II. 1903
Take-off. from College Park Air
port, is scheduled at 1915 am. The
route will be down the Eastern Branch
to Hains Point, up the Potomac tc
Georgetown University, and back tc
College Park, airline. Warrington Is
hopeful that at least 20 airplanes will
be in column, even though no mill
tary aircraft now are expected to take
part.
The historical lecture is to be de-
livered during the afternoon by Paul
Edward CARRIER. in charge of the air.
craft collection of the Smithsonian
Institution. Motion pictures covering
the history of flying will be used to
illustrate the lecture.
Details for the dinner-dance now
are being worked out by committees