Evening star., 1952-04-16
Flight Pay Is Needed
ToGet Qualified Men,
Einletter Declares
washington, =. Z.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL I6, 1882

Air Force Secretary Finletter
declared today the Air Force was
having serious trouble getting
qualified men for flying jobs and
blamed this on a definite lack
Of incentive" for flying.
The Secretary disclosed the
problem-and offered evidence to
back it up-before a Senate Armed
Services subcommittee questioning
grants of extra hazard pay to
flyers and other servicemen.
The subcommittee, headed by
Senator Hunt. Democrat. of
Wyoming. must report to the
Senate by May Is on how the
extra-pay programs are being
operated. Three weeks ago Sena-
tor Douglas. Democrat, of Illinois
proposed cuts or elimination Of
such payments.
Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg. Air
Force Chief of Staff. and Chief Of
Naval Operations Fechteler We're
to testify later today.
Contends Pay Is Needed.
Mr.. Finletter urged the Senators
not to move "too hastily" in max
ing any changes in flight pay. He
said the extra pay is "a major
factor in determining if we are
to get the right men to fly planes. u
He said the Air Force, for the
first time in. history, faces pros
pect of not getting a quota Of
flyers from the West Point gradu-I
ating class this June. The Air
Force is supposed to get IS per-
cent of the graduates. but not
that percentage has volunteered,
he said.
In addition, he declared:
/. OF 6,700 Air ROTC gradu-
ates to be called to active duty
this June, a "discouraging num-
ber of only 1900 evidenced any
interest in flight training" OF
these. he added, only about 750
can be expected to qualify.
2. The Air Force will soon ex-
haust its supply Of applicants for
aviation cadet training. Nearly
always in the past. he said, there
has been large backlog of ap-
plicantS.
Mr.. Finletter stressed that
flight pay is mot a system Of re-
ward for doing a job. The basic /
reason is to get the best men we
possibly can"
Needs Cream Of Crop"
With flying equipment becom-
Ing more and more complicated,
the Secretary added. I'VE are get
ting to the point that we can't |
afford to have any one, but the
cream of the crop handle it,"
Senator Saltonstall, Republican,
Of Massachusetts, said the same
arguments might be used by the
Army regarding officers needed
for complex artillery or other jobs.
Mr.. Ffnletter said he was speak
ing only from his knowledge Of
Air Force needs.
Lawrence Whiting, another PEN
tagon spokesman, said Air ForceI
career officers have a life expec-
fancy Of IL years less than that
OF career ground officers. Mr..
Whiting participated in a two
year study. which led to granting
the extra pay through the Career
Compensation Act Of 1949. i
The extra pay given flyers, Mr.. |
Whiting asserted. amounts to just |
about what would be needed to al
low flyers to buy $4,000 worth of |
term life insurance.
Questioned on Chair Corps.
Senator Stennis, Democrat, of
Mississippi said one of the sore
points of the program is that the
flight pay is given many of the
Penatgon's so-called Chair Corps
0mcerS.
IF the had a staff of men who
spent all their time in staff jobs,
that would be valid" Mr.. Finletter
replied. But these staff men
must be able to fly planes because
they're only in desk jobs tempo
rarily. They all go to combat /
later"
The secretary told the Senators
their basic study should revolve
around Air Force regulations on
flight pay. He explained that
Congress left standards for such
pay up to the President. The
White House, he said, directed
that flyers must have four hours |
OF flying month to qualify.
BY regulation, however. the Air |
Force requires about 100 flying |
hours a year instead of the 48 |
set up in the White House order,
-