Evening star., 1937-12-18
L|GHTER-THAN-A|R
TRAINING ORDERED
Six Young Officers Are Con.
firmed for Study at
Lakehurst,

Although the Navy Department ON
cialiy continues TO maintain silence or
what its future Nghter-than-air policy
will be. the Bureau Of Navigation today
confirmed orders of half dozen young
officers who are now taking airship In
struction ut the Naval Air Station,
Lakehurst, N. J. They will be in
school there for about year longer,
under present plans.
While the future Of building new
airships Is uncertain. the Navy con-
tinues to train personnel for this duty,
selecting the younger officers for the
job. The Nays dozen lighter-than-
air craft now are all concentrated at
Lakehurst and there are two non-rigid
airships under construction at Akron,
Ohio, by the Goodyear-zeppelin Corp.
for the Navy.
The officers whose orders were con-
frmed by the bureau are: Its. U.g)
Alfred J.. Cope, John j. Mccormick,
George e. Pierce, Charles L. Werts and
Ensigns Marion H. Eppes and Tolbert
A. Rice. In addition to these two other
officers are now taking the lighter
than-air course at Lakehurst.
Lakehurst Training Given.
At Lakehurst and used in training
these officers, there are six free bal
looms, one kite, the zR-1, which was
formerly known as the U. S. 8. Los
Angeles, now in an experimental status,
and the four non-rigid airships. the
GIL, ia, XII and the metal-clad
ZMC-2.
Thus, the Navy not only is keeping
together the nucleus Of lighter than
air force of craft, but Is giving younger
personnel the latest training, so that
If Secretary Swanson and Admiral
William D. Leahy, chief Of naval op-
erations, decide on expansion of this
arm OF the Navy's aerial organization,
there will be group at hand.
Since 1925 there have been IS ac-
cepted for lghter-t -than-air training by
the Navy and Sc of these qualified.
But there are other officers In the
service now that were trained prior to
that period. Oficials Of the Bureau
OF Aeronautics asserted it would be
necessary for most OF those who have
been out Of lighter -than-air work for
any length Of time to take . refresher
course.
13 Qualified Pilots,
PIIreon of Aorooa,ts,. .,kL ...s..-
estimate that at the present time there
are 13 naval aviation pilots qualified
In lighter-than-air now on active duty
IN airships at the Naval Air Station
at Lakehurst. In general service
throughout the Navy there are -
naval aviators expert in lighter than
air.
In crashes the Navy lost some Is
qualified lighter -than-air pilots, ON
cials say. The loss Of the q. s. s.
Macon, Akron and Shenandoah, all
hghter-than-air craft, caused 4 no.
ticeable slowing down of naval activity
In this field. But the Secretary Of the
Navy was advised by a board Of ex-
perts later that this type of aircraft
Is practicable, If constructed in, ac-
oordance with the latest principles and
II adequate weather information is
given the pilots.
The new German airship that is to
be hlled with helium, supplied by the
United States, is expected to land at
the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst
around May. Naval authorities have
indicated they will grant permission
for this craft to land, Just as they did
in the cases Of the Graf Zeppelin and
the Hindenburg.
The landing of this new airship will
give omcers and enlisted men at Lake
hurst the required training in this type
OF work, onicials here said today, fur
thermg the studies that are now being
undertaken by the Navy.