St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-07-02
HERE and
THERE
p W. Smith


| The field of aviation is one int
which the Negro has not entere
very far. There are numbers o
reasons why this is so. The prin
cipal reason, however, is becaus
he has not pushed hard enough. 1
he waits for an invitation or en-
enlargement from any Outsid,
source, aviation will develop fol
the Negro just as the Army ant
Navy have done.
Fortunately, there are always in.
dividuals who wait, neither for in.
vitation, permission or encourage.
ment, and such have found the en-.
trance gate, crashed it, leaving an
opening broad enough for any en-
terprising youth, boy or girl, to en-
ter this fascinating and valuable
field. Such an acquisitive person is
Col. John C. Robinson of Chicago
Negro of Ethiopian extraction,
famous Brown Condor of the Italo-
Ethiopian war.
The story of how and where he
obtained his aviation education and
training would make interesting
reading, but l pause only to record
that he has accredited more than
1000 flying hours in military and
commercial flying. This fits him ad-
mirably for the head of the insti-
tuition he has founded in Chicago,
known as the John C.. Robinson
Aviation Activities, with headquar-
tiers at 44O1 South Parkway.
1t was my privilege to visit the
school recently and also his Har-
lem Flying Field a few miles out
OF Chicago. In the school is taught
the groundwork technique of fly
ing and the mechanics of airplane
building and repairing. At the field
the student is indicted into the
science of actual flying.
I was induced to make these Wis
its through invitation of Mr.. La
Verne Chatham, young Negro
student from Battle Creek, Mich.
This youth has to his credit Ia
hours of solo flying toward the so
required for his first license.
Because human life is always in
the balance in flying, the govern
ment has taken to itself the rules
and regulations which pilots are
compelled to follow. These are
stringent and rigorous. When the
government permits a pilot to fly
an airplane you may be sure he has
undergone successfully the sever
est tests of his ability and prof.
cheney in safeguarding not only his
own life but that of any passen-
ger.
This information and much more
of detail was given me by Mr.. C.
R Coffee, modest and intelligent
young Negro in charge of opera
tons in the absence of Col. Robin
son; entitled to call himself Lieut..
Col, he pushed aside the title and
proceeds to the telling of how a
plane is flown and how a flyer is
made.
I went to the field with the in
ferior complex of one who has a
horror of high attitudes, determined
not to be persuaded to go into the
air under any circumstances, but
as I listened to the lucid explana-
tons of Mr.. Coffee of airplane
and air pilot training,
I found the fear leaving. Only be-
cause he was unable to leave the
field at the moment kept me from
changing my mind and taking a
trip in the ether.
Among other things I learned
that the government takes moth
ing for granted in the matter of
planes or pilots. Both are subject
ed to the closest scrutiny and ex-
There are many kinds of flying
for which different degrees of skill
are required. A rigid examination
must be passed for each advanced
step. A pilot may not tinker with
his own engine unless he has a
mechanics license. A different Ii
cense is necessary for each type of
plane or motor. It takes years of
and many hours of fly
ing time to achieve the highest
rank of transport flying. Mr.. Cof-
fee is master mechanic, has more
than 500 hours of solo flying to his
credit, is qualified to teach and
train student FLYERS: vet there are