Evening star., 1944-04-30
'CAA Instructors Saw
Army Is Trying 10 Put
Them on the Shelf
By JOSEPH II. BAIRD.

soon-to-be- abandoned air training
program are complaining to the
Ramspeck Civil Service Investigat-
ing Committee in the House that
they are being brushed off" by
boards named to inquire into their
further usefulness in the war effort.
1t was learned authoritatively yes
terday.
Meanwhile. the committees in
vestigators are completing a report
which will be highly critical of the
Air Army Forces plan to train $500
women ferry pilots at time when
thousands of male airmen with, in
many cases, thousands of hours of
flight time, are begging for assign
ment. 1t will be submitted to Chair
man Ramspeck, probably within the
next few days, and he and his COM
mittee then will determine whether
to transmit it to the House.
An inquiry by the committee has
confirmed press reports that 48
members of the Women's Air Ser
vice Pilots, with only civilian status,
are undergoing training for COM
missions at the air base at Orlando,
Fla. The course given them will last
nearly seven months, which ap-
proximates the nine months course
given male candidates for commits
sions in the Army Air Forces. the
committee found.
Bill Still Before Committee.
Although the Costello bill now
pending in Congress would authorize
the commissioning of the WASPS
into the Air Forces, it is still before
the House Rules Committee, and
some leaders on Capitol Hill doubt
that it will ever pass. In training
these women for commissions before
passage of the measure, a congress
sional source said today, the Air
Forces appear to have Jumped the
gun"
AS a result of widespread COM
plants by pilots in the Civil Aero
nautics Authority's War Training
Service program, who hold that they
are being "shelved," the War De-
partment set up boards of inquiry
to look into their usefulness as can
didates for regular combat pilots,
ferry pilots and other duties.
One Inquiry Cited.
A report received in Washington
from a squadron commander at one
OF the training schools gives the
following account of the inquiry that
was allegedly conducted there:
"On Saturday, April Is, 1914"
the report said, 'the instructors of
this school engaged in the flight
training of aviation cadets for the
Army Air Forces, were favored with
a visit by So-called Flying In
structor Board.
The opening words of the speaker
for this board were in part: Since
curtailment of the primary training
program so many kilograms and let
ters have been received by your
Senators and Congressman as to
your disposition that they are on
the Army'S neck, and we have to
do something to get them off,
THE things that followed were
most humiliating and embarrassing.
After a brief explanation we were
handed a contractm(called Instruc-
tor Interview Formy ITO sign. It asked
what we wanted to do If we were
qualified. We were not given time
to think 1t over, and were required
to make our choice in pencil and
make our signature in ink. They
told us 1t was only a survey and
not contract"
Three Choices Provided.
The report then quoted the form
submitted to the men. It provided
that they might apply for (a) Dis
charge from the Enlisted Reserve
Corps; (b) Continuance in the En-
listed Reserve Corps for training and
duty with the Air Transport Com
mand; Co Call to active duty with
the Army Air Forces.
The form, as quoted in the report,
concluded:
I further understand that If
choose Major Option B and am
assigned thereto, and am at any
point found not qualified for such
training or duty, I therefore and
with due consideration of the above
named Major Options, elect the fol-
lowing dispositions or forms of duty
on training as my preference in
the order named
And I accept and desire which,
ever one Of the above three prefer
ences Is approved for me under
existing regulations, and will per-
form to the best of my ability.
The pilot making the report said
that he considered the form "a
binding contract"
Qualifications Are Rigid.
The report pointed out that to
qualify for training as an Army
Transport Service pilot the appli-
cant must have at least six months
service in an Army contract or War
Training Service school, be between
lS and 35, and have flown 1000
hours as pilot, 200 of which must
have been in aircraft of over 200
horsepower. BY contrast, WASP ap-
plicants are required to have 35
hours.
IF these qualifications are met
it continued, I'VE then get transi-