The Washington times., 1939-01-02
Planes and Pilots

m HE President is expected to send national defense
l. message to Congress soon after tomorrow's open
ing session. Until then, won't be possible to form
full picture of what the Presi-
congress, PeOpLe dent has in mind for enarg
Aypn;t Moeeooo ing our armaments
A 9" The President has. however,
let fall few ideas recently which have created
siderable excitement, and which it is possible to
comment intelhgently we hope
For one of these, there is the word from Admnistra
ton circles that the President feels should have
from 10000 to 3 900 fighting planes in commission.
This would be, so far available figures on other
nations air forces Indicate the largest force of fight
ing planes possessed by any country The Presl-
dent is reported to feel that to build these planes in
hurry would not only make Impregnabe from the
air but would also be big help to business.
Before Congress writes check for 10000 or 5000
fighting planes it should be informed that respectable
. military experts don't think need anywhere near
that number of planes IF building planes solely
to defend the country against invasion. The proper
number is put by these at around 5000 each Tor
Army and Navy.
It would seem, too that the sound defense tactic
would be to concentrate most of the arpane effort on
building up an airplane industry which turn out
planes in quantity and in hurry When and if war
comes can then produce planes of the latest types
to do the airfghting That will be somewhat better,
to a laymans mind at least than to be caught with
$4,000 planes that were built time ago and have
been obsoIescing since.
Then, there is the matter of training reserve air
force The President has disclosed press conferences
that the Administration hopes to extend flying training
via the colleges and the Ma
"A Great CIUILIGn tonal Youth Administration
ADintiOn ReserDe" to about 10000 young men
~ year.
This would be civilian pilot training only; the Presi
dent emphasized at press conference that it was not
planned to give the boys any training in combat flight
There is likely to be considerable debate this subject
For one thing, combat flying is far different from
civilian flying It requires, among other things skill
Ain mass plane maneuvers not to mention practice in
flight gunnery and other things you have to know auto
maticaly when hostile planes an-aircraft both
are trying to shoot you down.
A combat pilot for the American air forces has to
90 through two years of fultime training-a years
primary training and years training in combat flight
technics-before he is considered qualified That is
good deal than the so hours training these college
and NYA students expected to be given to make
them members of great civilian aviation reserve"
For another thing the NYA is noted chiefly for telling
young people that life too tough for them to buck
alone and that Uncle Sam is going to shoulder lot Of
that burden for them.
Maybe the first part of that statement is true; but
certainly young man soaked in that kind of mental
medicine is not likely to make valuable member of any
flying reserve force, let alone making first-cIass
combat pilot.
Might it be wiser to put the whole job of training
civilian air under Army and Navy men, just as
the CCC has been supervised by Army men from the
beginning?
w We don't know for sure Let's wait and see what the
Presidents national defense message contains. will
be one state paper that citizen should overlook
Two Ships for One still looks like the basic formula
!. for our national defense.
tFrom Daily
Summer White House