The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-06
Crashing Airplsnes
Costly Experiments
Will We Ever learn7

II will be tough on the national
pocketbook. disastrous for many
American families and distressing
TO American efficiency II, during
war. every time bunch OF pilots
are caught in fog. they all bail
out and planes drop like hailstones
from the skies.
Eight navy planes-hslf a million
dollars worth Of ships-are scram-
bled junk. A squadron OF students.
with three instructors. are caught
in fog. Their training planes,
not equipped with radio. must be
flown into A lucky break or until
the fuel runs out. Then over the
side.
Why were the ships not equipped
with RADIO Where were the in
structors. whose job 1t Is not only
to instruct students but also TO
watch out for their general safety
in keeping one eye peeled on the
airport? Where were the meteor
ologists who must have known a
fog bank was on its way from the
Gulf OF Mexico TO blot out the navy
training base at Pensacola. Fla. ?
Why. at least. did not the instruc-
tors have radios
The nation Is not training filters
under pressure Of war. This is
peace, when there Is time TO take
full precautions for general safety.
Is this to be the kind OF spectacle
the country must expect in the ad-
ministration' Wild rush TO turn
out military pilots?
Plan. are being laid for the es-
tabllshment OF a Civilian Air Re-
serve. The plans not only favor
college students who have never
flown before. but propose TO con-
tinue flying benefits To POSTCARD
yates OF officially approved col
leges.
Yet in the nation today there
are 50 100 sirplane pilots, 81, 300 OF
whom are student pilots and % 500
pilots who are already licensed.
II the government il prepared 10
spend millions OF dollars OF tax
payer funds. 1t would seem the best
part Of common sense TO spend
most Of II completing the training
Of men who have already learned
TO fly.
But such. apparently, Is not the
case. Instead, these kinds Of
things happen. as explained by q
correspondent:
I graduated from high school.
with no funds for further school
ing found Job in . factory
and worked for a living. was
interested in flying since the Lind
bergh flight. With an approved
flying school nearby. saved mon
ey. took flying lessons ard study
in ground work. The ship. we
learned on we're old OX.5s that had
to be flown every second and we're .
plenty tricky. The cost Of dual +
instruction vas s25 an hour. I
saved enough money 10 finally get .
my so hours solo and my s Z.
Transforming was still fairly
profitable In small towns. so ! built
up another 80 hours flying crates
IN and out Of COW pastures as well
a. getting experience on all types
Of ships wherever could. Then
the depression ~ and everything
folded up.
There vas nothing TO DO but .
save more money and try 10 hold
out ] finally saved enough 10 a.
tend engineering school for a year
and majortd In radio. I spent all
the dough had ana got a second
class commercial radio license.
Here vas. fortified with two
government licenses and ! thought
surely I would get Job now. You
know what happened 10 the rnsr-
chant marine. the operators from
sea took all available land joins.
Then the Great Lakes shippers
took off all their radio operators