Evening star., 1937-02-06
ACCUSED
. BY FLYERS HEAD
Safety ParIey Is Disturbed
by Charge Companies
Risk Pilots Lives.

Charges that competitive flying Is
endangering the lives of air transport
passengers resulted in stormy session
today at the national airline safety
conference In the Commerce Depart
ment.
David L. Behncke. president Of the
Airline Pilots Association, who had
charged in an interview that pilots
are being forced to fly against thei;
judgment, was taken to task by air.
line operators. who insisted that he
make public any information he might
have to substantiate the charges.
The Behncke charges were brought
before the conference by Representa-
tive Randolph Of West Virginia, who
demanded that afidavits to which
Behncke referred be made public.
Rickenbacker Joins Demand.
Capt. Edward v. Rickenbacker also
demanded that Behncke cite specific
instances in which pilots had been
forced to fly under conditions which
they considered dangerous. Other air.
line oficials and pilots, clamoring for
recognition, denied that there ever
have been instances in which pilots
were forced to fly against their bet
ter Judgment.
Edgar s. Gorrell, president Of the
National Air Transport Association,
insisted that Behncke get copies of
the affidavits. Commerce Department
officials then explained that copies
Of the aff1davits are before the Bu-
reau Of Air Commerce Accident
Board.
Immediate appropriation Of $l4,-
100000 for the modernization and
extension of Federal airways aids will
be asked Of Congress as q result OF
the safety conference.
Strongly approving the program Of
the Bureau OF Air Commerce for
airways aids, the conference, repre-
Senting the entire American aviation
industry. adopted a l0-point program
which is regarded as strong defense
of the bureau policies.
Although it has been charged before
Congressional investigating commit
tees that failure OF Federal aids to
air navigation have been responsible
for accidents, the conference. without
dissenting voice, went on record in
approval of the existing types Of aids
and the program of the bureau for
modernization and enlargement Of its
Federal airways system.
After the conference had adopted
its 10-point program, demanded that
the Federal Government agree on an
estimate of the full amount required
to complete the airways system and
urged that Congress appropriate the
full amount at once and that 1t re-
main available until the program Is
completed. He voiced the opinion
that sl4O0o,OOO is the amount re-
quired. On motion of J. Brooks B.
Parker OF Philadelphia, the confer
ence unanimously Endorsed the appro-
priation.
The new l0-point conference pro-
gram. briefly, is as follows:
l. That the modernization OF ex-
isting facilities and installation Of
additional facilities as proposed by the
Bureau Of Air Commerce lis of pri-
mary Importance in the interest OF
increased safety" and that funds and
personnel be made available to COM
plete the work by January !.
2. Modernization Of airways' radio
range beacon and weather broadcast
stations to provide simultaneous
transmission Is desirable and the
older type stations should be modern
lied as proposed by the bureau. New
stations are Of the simultaneous type.
3. Prior to December !. means shall
be provided on transport aircraft for
reduction of that type of radio inter-
ference known as rain, snow. sleet
and dust static.
4. That radio direction finders are
desirable, but that installation OF
such devices should in no way de-
tract from the importance of the
modernization and completion Of
radio range systems as the primary
r1avigational means OF instrument fly
ing" Installation of direction finders
should not be made mandatory at this
time, but further development should
be encouraged, 1t was held.
S. A Bureau OF Air Commerce ap-
proved type certificate for radio to
be installed in airliners and nom
scheduled planes rated for instrument
flying along the airways Is desirable
and the conference recommended
creation of a committee composed OF
representatives Of airlines, pilots as
sociations and manufacturers to work
with the bureau in formulating q type
Of certificate which will be adequate,
but not restrictive Of development.
Continued Development Work.
6. That the Bureau Of Air Com
merce and airlines continue develop
ment work now under way in ground
station directional finding as sup
Elementary aid Of air navigation.
I. That the bureau and the airlines
continue development work now under
way in blind" approach and blind"
landing.
8. That due to infrequent identif-
cation, limited hours Of operation and
shared-frequency channels, that COM
mercial radio broadcasting stations in
general cannot be relied upon for air
navigational purposes.
9. The subject of radio frequency
complicat tions and ALLEGATIONS be con-
sidered by the Radio Technical Com
mittee for Aeronautics.
10. That the matter of current and
detailed aviation maps be referred to
the Air Regulation Division and Air
port Mapping and Marking Section OF
the Bureau Of Air Commerce.