Evening star., 1940-06-02

Maj. Gen. H. H. Arnold, u S. A.,
chief OF the Army Air Corps,
,rhoSe testimony regarding our
plane deficiencies startled men,
bers OF Congress.
Harris -E1Uing Photo.
personnel of 491, IS on-fying officers
and $50 enlisted men.
Scattered about the country, under
military jurisdiction, are more than 30
flying fields aviation arsenals and depots
and intermediate airdromes The Army
has Is major air bases in operation
Two, at Denver and Rock Island, guard
the entire Middle West There are two
bases at San Francisco and two in the
Canal Zone. There are one each at
Seattle, San Bernardno, San Antonio,
Montgomery, Miami, Newport News, New
York, Holyoke, Mass, and San Juan,
Puerto Rico. About half the countrys
2,300 commercial airports. it is said, are
convertible to military use. The Navys
major air stations are at Norfolk. San
Diego. Seattle Coco Solo in the Canal
Zone and Pearl Harbor. Hawaii.
The Navy possesses only one flying
school, at Pensacola. The course is seven
months, and those able to graduate are
assigned directly to combat units. with
commissions at their option as ensigns
in the Naval Reserve or second lieuten-
ants in the Marine Corps. There were GIT
aviation cadets at Pensacola on May !.
and pilots are turned out at rate of $50
a month.
Every six weeks the Army graduates
200 pilots with commissions as second
lieutenants in the Air Reserve Their
course of nine months begins with three
months of instruction at one of nine
civilian flying schools. with a combined
capacity of 1896 cadets. These are at
Santa Maria, San Diego and Glendale,
Calf; East ST. Louis and Glen View,
Ill; Tulsa, Okla; Dallas, Tex; Tusca-
loosa. Ala, and Lincoln. Nebr. The next
three months are spent at Randolph
Field, San Antonio, and the final three
at Kelly Field, San Antonio, known as
the West Point of the Air" Three
months of postgraduate work follow at
one of the Regular Army air bases.
$50 in Training at One Time.
In training at one time in the IL flying
schools are generally about $50 Army
cadets. From the date of matriculation
in the elementary term, it is calculated
that two or three years are needed to
make flrst-class combat pilot pos
sible reservoir of battle flyers is indicated
by Robert H. Hinckley, chairman of the
Civil Aeronautics Authority, who told
the National Aviation Forum here last
week that the Authoritys training pro-
gram certified 10000 civilian pilots dur
ing the past IL months. at rate of 80
Gay; and can readily increase the
number to several times 10000 flyers
in any year" They would require one
or two years of added training for COM
bat service.
The enlisted personnel of aviation must
be not only skilled, but specialized tech
nicians. Among those required are radio
operators and mechanics, gun riggers,
airplane electricians, aircraft welders and
metal workers and artisans expert in
parachutes, airplane motors and car
bai CNotS, piOPclAClS, dsldtIOu Instruments
and air photography. Others are schooled
as aviation administrative clerks, OBJ
servers and code interpreters
Training in such branches in the Navy
is part of the regular schedule aboard
ship and at air stations. The Army has
found it necessary to set up three
schools of its own and make use besides
of seven civilian schools. Scott Field at
Belleville, ILL.,, has recently been con-
verted into a basic training school for
Air Corps mechanics. Students then
proceed to Chanute Field, Rantoul, ILL.,,
for engine and airplane specialization, or
! to Lowry Field, Denver, for clerical
bombing and radio instruction. There
are Is courses, ranging from one to six
months.
1000 Graduate Artisans.
The civilian schools are in Chicago
and East st. Louis. H.; Tulsa Okla;
Glendale. Calf. Mineola. N Y; New
ark. N. j., and East Boston, Mass. They
have produced thus far about 1000
Hraduata artisans Chauute Field han.