Evening star., 1937-07-18

might be available for its purposes.
as virtually all other airlines have
done. 1t decided. years In advance.
the type Of aircraft 1t was going to
require; aircraft so far in advance of
anything then obtainable that most of
the aviation world was startled and
incredulous when the specifications
became known. But the airplanes were
built The splendid Skorsky S-42
types which pioneered the Pacific to
China and to New Zealand, which are
pioneering the Atlantic and which are
the backbone Of the Caribbean, South
American coastal and Bermuda runs.
were developed to american
specifications So were the great Mar
tin clippers which now are maintain
ing service between California and
China. And so are the huge Boeings,
which have not yet come out Of their
Seattle factory.
The same forward looking policy is
applied to the training Of the flight
crews which man the big clipper fy-
ing boats. Pan-American starts with
men who already are qualified trans
port pilots, university graduates and.
very often, aeronautical engineers. 1t
opens to these men career leading
TO the highest flight rating yet created.
that OF master OF ocean flying boats.
up to last year no man had attained
that rating In the seven years of op-
Grafton. Today there are five masters.
Learns From Ground to Skv.
The recruit pilot, with his trans
port license. his university training and
MS aeronautical engineering degree
starts III school with Pan-American
he acts as traff1c man, communica-
TONS worker and meteorologist. He
helpS the mechanics and radio men
In school he learns the trades of en-
sine mechanic. radio operator and be-
comes celestial navigator. He Quail
ines for licenses In these trades. He
learns traffic problems and must Quail
l1y by examination in international
clearances. international law, maritime
law, at least one foreign language and
seamanship. Then he becomes eligible
to MI the Junior post on an ocean,
flying boat
10 progress to the next degree
flight engineer-he goes to school
again, specializing in engines and
radio, among other things.
The next degree is senior pilot. Thi.
calls for great deal OF air and water
experience. The senior pilot is captain
OF his flying boat and will receive
salary of $1,000 year or more.
But even the senior pilot and cap
tain goes to school. He is seeking the
superlative rating OF master. The
master, eventually will be relieved of
all actual flying details and will act
purely as the master of his ship. in
exactly the same capacity as does the
captain OF the largest ocean liner.
This will greatly prolong the useful
careers of veteran pilots and will per-
NIT Pan-American to use their long
and hard-won experience after their
value for actual plotting detail has
ended.
But. although Pan-American so far
has won for itself a virtual monopoly
on all of the far-flung routes it has
pioneered, there is growing tendency
IN Washington to restrict any further
monopolization OF international aerial
trade routes, especially in the richest
field OF all-the North Atlantic.
Five Years Of Preparation.
Here Pan-American already has put
in more than five years of prepera-
tory work 1t has entered into oper-
ations agreements with Great Britain.
France and Germany. It has OBJ
tanned exclusive rights to represent
United States aviation in Bermuda,
the Azores. Greenland, Iceland and
in the British ports.
Years Of detailed weather and oper-
ations studies have been completed.
Pan-American representatives have
gone into Labrador, Greenland and
Iceland with scientific expeditions.
Trades agreements and commercial
liaisons have been made The flight
pioneering period is in full swing and
terminals have been prepared in the
United States and Canada, in Ber-
muda, the Azores and Ireland.
The time Is drawing near for air.
mail. Congress has provided funds
for ablishment Of trans s-Atlantic
airmail service this Fall. Again, Pam
American Is the only operating airline
In the field and the only one likely to
be in the field for long time to come
Its pioneering work is behind it and it
is ready to go. But will the same
old monopoly result? Will Pan-Ameri-
can bid in another juicy contract at
the maximum rate because it is the
only airline capable Of backing up q
bid? Perhaps not.
II transatlantic service were to be
esta blished on a contract basis. as Is
done altogether In the United States
and has been done, so far. in the in
ternational field, = monopoly unques-
tionsbly would be created in favor Of
Pan-American Airways.
But the Post Once Department and
the Commerce Department are unwill-
ing to see such \ monopoly established
They believe the transatlantic serv-
ASS WIN VIC liCAFy CiiOuSlA W SuRpOIG
competitive activity and that the field
should not be restricted by monopoly
Would Distribute Business.
Second Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Harllee Branch, in charge OF
airmail. explained that the Post
Once Department is seeking to avoid
contracting with Pan-American or
any other company for transatlantic
airmail service. but that efforts will
be made to distribute this airmail
business on straight poundage
basis to any airlines capable OF per-
forming the required service. This Is
the procedure followed in the steam
ship mail service since the smashing
OF the ocean subsidy system, it was
explained and ends both subsidies and
monopolies.
Before the poundage rate system of
distributing mail business can be
applied to the trans-Atlantic air
service, however, Branch said, legisla-
tive action will be required. The
necessary bills have been introduced
in the Senate and House And a9ort.