The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-07
Crashing Airplanes
Costly Experiments
viii We Ever lesrn2

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 a fog, they all bail
out and planes drop like hailstones
from the skies.
Eight navy planes--half million
dollars worth of ships are scram-
bled junk. A squadron of students,
with three instructors, are caught
in a 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 II Is not only
to instruct students but also To
watch out fer 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 Ia not training fliers
under pressure OF war This Is
peace. when there is time 10 take
full precautions for general safety.
Is this to be the kind Of spectacle
the country must expect In the adj
ministration's wild rush TO turn
out military pilots
Plans are being laid for the es-
Enlistment 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 10 POSTCARD
yates Of officially approved" col
leges.
Yet in the nation today there
are 50 100 sirplane pilots. 80 300 Of
whom are student pilots and ~ 500
pilots who are already licensed.
II the government " prepared to
spend millions Of dollars OF tax
payer funds. II would seem the best
part Of common sense 10 spend
most Of IL 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
correspondent:
Il graduated from high school.
with no funds for further school.
ing. found Job IN a factory
and worked for a living vas
interested In flying since the Lind
berrh fight. With an approved
flying school nearby. saved mon
ey. took flying Lessons and study
in ground work. The ships Ne
learned on we're old Ox-5s that hsd
TO be flown every second and were
plenty tricky. The cost Of dual
instruction was t25 an hour
saved enough money 10 finally get
my 80 hours solo and my =. g.
Transforming vas SIN fairy
profitable 10 small towns. 10 ] built
up another 50 hours f1ying crates
IN and out Of COW pastures as well
a. getting experience on all types
81 ships wherever / could Then
the depression ~ and everything
folded up.
There was nothing 20 do but
save more money and try 10 bold
out. finally saved enough 10 at
tend engineering school for a year
and ma 1ored In radio. ! spent all
the dough ] had and got a second
eisss commercial radio license.
Here was, fortified with two
government licenses and thought
surely would get a Jon now. You
know what happened 70 the mer-
chant marine. the operators from
sea took all available Land jobs.
Then the Great Lakes shippers
took off all their radio operators