Evening star., 1936-12-20

own airplane and holds private
license. Last May he received the
Washington Air Derby Association
Trophy. presented annually to the per-
son who has done the most during the
year to promote aviation in Wash
ington.
Warrington. retiring rswiEent. also
is a former holder of sAs trophy.
I TNDER a new ruling BY the Con-
troller General. the Post Office
Department is authorized to make
payments TO airmail contractors who.
because of bad weather, are forced 10
forego stops at the terminals of their
routes but who go ahead to the first
open stop on the adjoining route TO
prevent delay in the handling Of the
mail.
In the past. in several instances,
contractors have been denied pay
ments because of failure to land at
prescribed terminals. although their
pilots went out of their way to expedite
mail service TO points beyond the ter
minals.
In its petition for a review Of the
decision denying payments in such
cases, the Post Office Department said:
1T Is felt that where the contractor
by reason Of weather conditions fails
TO land at the terminus of one con-
tract route. but continues on over an.
/ other contract route, making landing
as soon as practicable, and expedites
the airmail thereby. it should not be
denied all compensation for carrying
the mails between the omitted ter
minus and the next stop, especially
in view of the fact that the mail Is
actually carried. :
1T is further felt that adherence TO
this ruling may result in the csncella.
ton of flights, in material delays while
waiting for clearing weather. and
/ perhaps in some instances in landings
hazardous to passengers made solely
to prevent the deduction of mail
pay"
ELYING a total of $500 miles, OF
which only 456 miles were over
land, the 2lst Reconnaissance Squad
ron navigation section recently COM
pleted one of the most notable flights
so far undertaken by an avigstion unit
OF the General Headquarters Air
Force The 2lst Squadron was organ
lied at Boiling Field and was moved
TO Langley Field, Va, few months
ago.
The flight was made in a Douglas
OA-5 amphibian from Langley Field
20 the Panama Canal Zone and re-
turn. with only one intermediate stop.
at Miami. Those making the flight
were Maj. V. J. Meloy, flight COM
mander and navigator; Capt. H. c.
Downey. navigation and engineering
officer: Capt. A. Y. Smith, instructor;
First Lieut.. D. r. Gibbs, navigator:
First Lieut.. E. L. Tucker, navigator
and communications officer; First
Lieut.. j. A. Miller. instructor: Staff
Sergt. w. B. Buff, crew chief, and
Pvt. X. E. Trout, radio operator.
The flight from Langley Field to
Miami was made airline, virtually all
of it over the open Atlantic. The
following day the l,125-mile airline
trip to the Canal Zone was made non
stop. The party remained in the Canal
Zone two days so the ship might be
inspected by Air Corps officers there.
During the flight the four avigation
students-Maj. Meloy. Capt. Downey
and Lieuts. Gibbs and Tucker-aI-
ternated as dead reckoning and celes-
tial navigatorS, and every one took his
turn as pilot. The navigation is con-
sidered very successful, as each OBJ
jective was reached with an average
error of less than one degree.
WITH the usual seasonal slump in
air transportation failing to
make itself manifest, United Air Lines
has reported gain OF IS per cent in
revenue passengers carried in Novem-
Der over the same month Of last year.
This Is the largest monthly gain dur
ing any Winter month in the history
of the line.
During November United carried
1926 revenue passengers, as compared
with IL. .009 in November of last year.
Record airmail and express trafic also
was reported for the month.
During the first IL months of this
year United has carried 204 .292 rev.
enue passengers. which is 26.835 more
than it's total passenger traffic for all
of 1885. This years total is expected
to exceed 100000.
Other airlines are enjoying corre-
spending gains and the best Winter
in air transport history is expected
for the country as q whole