The Nome nugget., 1942-06-03
Air Forces Air Ferrying Command
 Operates WorId-Cirdling Network
Credit due Brig. Gen. Harold L. George, Chief of the Ferrying Command and to all men who are delivering U. s. planes across the seven seas.
WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON - What the Air Corps chief refers to is not only the efficient manner which United Stat es arpanes are being rushed to the farhung fighting fronts but to the pioneering possibilities for future peace For out of the tragic destruction of war out of the tons of steel sent daily to the oceans bottom out of the cities wrecked and lives lost will great forward thrust for aViaona network of arlineS span ming the world like a spiderWeb For today the Air Forces Air Ferrying Command (AFAFC) is conduct ing operation larger scale than all the civilian air lines of the United States put together And in few months, when present plans are completed it's opera tons will be ten times larger than all the civil arnes of the world before the began. Headquarters of this giant network is temporary wooden structure near the Lincon Memorial with maps big as barn. housing the offices of the commander of the Ferrying Command.
 We are not only the arsenal" the Commander will tell you on the rare occasion when you can get him alone for moment; we are transport agent for the world. We picking up planes in California and put ting them down few days later in Lbya Persia India Australia, Alaska, Russia, Great Britain any place you want to Our operations offices are scattered from here to the ends of the earth No airline ever conceived on such scale. And after the war we'll that's something to think about
 33OO Planes A Month
 The principal job of the Ferrying Command is to pick up arpanes at the factories and fly them to tac tical units in the United States to U S. combat forces abroad to allied countries under LeaSe-Lend. Ac- cording to figures disclosed by Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, U S. factories producing $500 planes month. Except for the small Navy quota and tran- CTS, the AFAFC handles them all
 U S. Ready
 lesser job, but pubiczed is the job of flying "bg shots around the world When Ambassador Wi nant and Admiral Stark went to London last month the Feryng Command took them across When Bill Bulhtt went to Cairo and Syria last fall the AFAFC sent Lieut., Ben Funk and crew in big bomber which incidentally travelled 88,000 miles, or 3i2 times around the world before it got back to the United States It delivered Butt, then proceeded to the war areas where Funk carried Wavell from Java to Ran- goon and back flew Brett from Java to Australia and back then flew into the Philippines at night to pick up some airplane technicianS mOre than proper plane ful of them) and flew them out to Java. Losses are not published, but not for the reason that they high On the most important route-the route the South Atlantic and Africa-onv three planes have been lost since got into the war Cor since the operation began) and the of two were saved. Incidentally, this is the route which SUD- plies planes to four foreign fields of combat bunch of pilots at the Florida arfeld fine morning will start asking each other about assignments
 I'm going to Brerton Where are you going?" Cairo You, Jack?'
 "Iraq."
 And fourth declares his destination as China The first man means he will take his bomber to Mai Gen Lewis H. Brerton in India the second to the British forces in the Middle East and the third to the head of the Persian Gulf where the Russians will take the plane north to the fighting front You don't have to be an airline president Nke c. R. Smith eX-American Airlines now helping the Govern ment to run the shoW) to know it takes more than daShlng young pilot to deliver those planes There must be landing eds-Some of the new fields have run ways mile or more in length. There must be dspers- al areas to allow planes to scatter when enemy planes appear There must be fuel supplies and fuel facilities living quarters for tired transient crews; hospital fac ItiDC +ICx