The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-17
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON, June 6.-Notes on the Ma.
tional Aviation Forum:
An outstanding feature was the baptism of
the new national airport at Gravelly Point, Just
across the Potomac from Boiling Field.
The handout said: THE first aircraft landing
in Washington National airport took place this
morning when Thomas H. Beck, head of the Ma
tional Aviation Forum landed with an official
party from the blimp Enterprise to place a
brass plaque at the runway intersections where
work began today" etc.
what the release didn't tell was that the gray
Observation-Disclosures spent two hours and IS
minutes trying to make a landing that should
require no more than 80 minutes. The reason
given for the delay was "unfavorable cross.
Winds"
You don't need to take this seriously. Land
Ing blimps in a bad wind is a lot different from
landing airplanes-but it was a helluva begin
ming for the capitals new $780, 900 airport,
Gaps In Air Ranks
A person couldn't help but be staggered by
the gaps in these ranks of aviation created by
catastrophes of recent years.
Where were Will Rogers and Wiley Post?
Where was Frank Hawks? Where were Gen.
eral Billy" Mitchell and Amelia Earhart? All
dead, and except for Mitchell who probably died
OF a broken heart, all died violent deaths in the
III LII the uSnL OF recent
events, the death of Mitchell, who washed out
his career in a one-man battle for a great air
force, probably was the greatest tragedy Of all.
one couldn't help wonder, too, why Howard
Hughes and Col. Charles A. Lindbergh weren't
on hand. Enemies of the latter snorted such
excuses as "high.hat" and maybe he's too BUSY
writing speeches. Friends said probably the
Lone Eagle felt he had done enough for
American aviation and maybe the national
aviation forum wasn't so important anyway.
Many others concurred in this last conclusion.
One prominent airman, speaking off.the.record
said:
Its the same old story. We come here and
Tor three days listen to endless dull speeches
ABOUT aviation will meet this great emergency
oy DONG thus and So and here's what aviation
10 neaoeo 1or.' AS a matter Of fact, aviation
is going to do just what the federal administra.
tlon tells 1t it can and must do. Since we don't
know what that Is, we ought to keep our par.
rot voices to ourselves"
It's Easy She Says
Parrots, or no parrots, some speakers made
some cracks well worth reporting that
weren't reported. For instance, Louise Thaden,
the Little Rock girl who got off the ground to
make good, said: ITO those of you who do not
fly I should like to stress this point: The
mechanics Of flying is NOT a difficult Job.
Learning to fly is about on a par with learning
to drive a car, ride a bicycle or sail a boat.
And there are no longer any heroics attached
to flying"
And Bill Stout, who is president of his own
engineering laboratories, predicted that the not.
too-distant future would bring the day when
we could buy a 100.horsepower engine, weigh
Ing about 100 pounds for less than $500; that
the wings Of planes will be detachable; that a
gent may drive his plane about the streets un.
til he is ready to go to the airport, button his
flappers and fly away home.
Stout says these new air flivvers will be bet.
ter able to land in smaller fields, on rougher
ground, in BUMPER air and in sitter cross.
winds with less flying skill than anything we
have now.
1 think it was Oliver Parks, the gentleman
from Alabama, who really started the minds OF
plane manufacturers to Keeling with the remark
that there are go, ooo,o young men in our
high schools and colleges who have more than
a passing interest in aviation
Propagandists Of hate attack minoroity
| groups in order to create social disunity that
R----