Evening star., 1940-05-02

AeTOH0uttcS AttnOT1Ly IfdnSJCTfe0
to the Commerce Department.
Nationwide opposition threat
ems to result in a bitter nom
partisan fight ,Dhen the plan
reaches the floors OF Congress.
This is the ftth of a series OF
articles dealing tOith this con-
trouersial subject.
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Creation of the Civil Aeronautics
Authority seemed to pump new life
blood into the veins of an ailing
aviation industry. Despite the ap-
pointment to the Craftsmanship Of
the authority of a man virtually un-
known to aviation people, although
confirmed private user of the air.
plane, the authority speedily gained
the confidence and support of the
industry.
The new chairman, Edward J.
Noble, now Undersecretary Of Com
merce, at the first meeting OF the
authority members, admitted that
the authority did not have the ans
wers to many Of the urgent aviation
problems, but promised that If hard
work could provide them they would
be found.
"Give us q chance to find what
It's all about" he said, then, If
you don't like What we are doing,
you can start shooting"
Functioning at first as q fact
finding body, the authority made
contacts with leaders of the various
branches Of the aviation industry,
with operators and with airport
owners, with private flyers and with
State and community leaders. There
was no spirit Of bombast and cer-
tainly no suggestion that anyone in
the new set-up regarded himself as
savior" Of aviation. In an atmos-
phere of open-minded willingness to
learn and to cooperate. the new
c. A. A. won an immediate response
from the leaders of an aviation in
dustry which had been harassed by
years Of Federal inefilciency and
lack Of organization to handle the
increasing problems of civil aviation.
Morale Improved.
An immediate improvement in
morale throughout the industry was
reflected in air transport operations,
manufacturing and even in the field
Of private flying. Airlines began
large-scale purchases Of new equip
ment and sponsored the development
OF advanced types Of air transports,
among them the four-engined pres
sure-cabin substratosphere airliner
and new ocean flying boats.
Passenger traffic began to pick up
and within a short time new time
monthly records were being written
into the books. These gains were not
spasmodic, as in the past: they con-
tinued month after month, regard
less Of seasons.
In cooperation with the C. A. A.
and one another, the airlines put
into effect uniform company stand
ards Of good practice above and be-
yond the sound new Federal regula-
tions which were being drafted.
Credit for large part of the excel
lent new Federal aviation code now
in effect must be given to the last
director of the Bureau of Air Com
merce, DR.. Fred D. Fagg. now vice
president and dean of the faculty
of Northwestern University, DR..
Fagg's record Of service with the
bureau was one Of personal efficiency
and good management, but even he
could not escape the handicap of
political maneuvering and inem-
cheney to which Commerce Depart
ment regulation Of civil aviation had
been subject.
Tackled Job Courageously.
The new Air Safety Board plunged
courageously into its new job. Its
accident reports were rendered with
out fear or favor and they began to
contain long lists of specific recon-
mendations-16 such recommended
tions accompanied preliminary re-
port on one of its first major investi-
gations-and, what is more to the
point, its recommendations were
acted upon.
Seven months after the c. A. A.
took over, there began an air trans
port record Of perfect safety which
now has continued without q break
for more than a year. This safety
record, unequalled in the history of
any major form Of transportation,
has been achieved despite constant
gains in passenger, express and mail
trafnc which have pressed into
service new planes, new pilots, new
crews and new ground personnel on
airlines throughout the country.
Faced with the responsibility Of a
huge civilian pilot training program,
the G. A. A. exercised the same good
judgment with which it approached
the air transport problem. The
civil pilot training program has
passed the halfway point in it's first
year of full operation with stimu-
lating effects throughout the avia-
ton industry and with a safety
record never approached in student
training of any description. The
safety record for this student train
ing actually has been far better than
the record for American non-
scheduled flying as a whole and was
better than the airline safety record
up to the start of the perfect year.
Has Raised Standards,
The important effect Of the c. A. A.
program has been to raise the
standards of aviation instruction
throughout the country to a degree
which is expected to have q basic in
f1uence on flying instruction for
years to come.
In the field of economic regulation,
Policeman Rescues Man