Evening Star Newspaper, August 4, 1929, Page 60

« spect for Department of Com-| URING the coming seven months _every airplane pilot in the United States now holding a commercail trensport license must take out a new type of specialized license which will limit his commercial flying to types of planes with which he is familiar and in which he flies regularly. The new regulations, which are to become effective September 1, constitute another step in the campaign of the aeronautics branch of the Department of Commerce for safety in com- mercial aeronautics. Heretofore any pilot holding a transport license has been per- mitted to fly passengers or cargo in any type of airplane approved by the Department of Commerce. The pilot may have put in all his flying time in single-motored air- planes, yet under the law he was permitted to take up passengers in the largest of the tri-motored transport planes, even though he had not flown that type of plane before. i When the new regulations go into effect on the first day of next month this condition will be changed. Pilots will be licensed tu fly for hire only the types of pianes with which they are fa-| miliar, and they may fly these types of planes only so long as| they keep themselves in practice upon them. Pilots to Be Restricted. The pilot who has been trained in a light, open cockpit plane and who has not flown other types will be licensed only for the light, open cockpit type. It will be illegal for him to fly passengers or freight for hire in a cabin plane of any kind or in-a heavy, open cockpit plane. And pilots by now have learned to have a wholesome re- merce regulations. They know that any infraction of the regula- tions will bring them nothing but grief. Not only do the new regulations restrict the pilot as to the type of plane he may fly for hire, but they make it compulsory for him to keep in continual training on that type of plane. Under the new rules the pilot may not carry pas- sengers or cargo for hire in any type of plane which he has not flown for at least two hours during the previous 90 days, or in which | he has not had at least 30 minutes of practice flying, including sev- eral landings, immediately prior to the flight. The present regula- tions covering the minimum amount of flying time for trans- port, commercial and private pilots remain unchanged. During the six months’ period for which his license is issued the pilot to retain his flying priv- ileges must put in at least 10 hours of flying in each type of plane or planes for which he is licensed. If he fails to do this amount of flying he will be for- bidden to carry passengers or cargo for hire until he passes an- other test. Planes Are Classified. ‘The new regulations divide com- mercial planes into 12 distinct classes for the purpose of licens- ing pilots. There are three gen- eral classifications by weight: Less than 3500 pounds gross weight, from 3,500 to 7,000 pounds gross weight, and more than 7,000 pounds. Each of these weight AVIATION BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON. classifications is subdivided by types: Planes with one engine and open cockpit, more than one engine and open cockpit, one engine and closed cabin, and more than one engine and closed cabin. The classifications apply to sea- planes and amphibians as well as to land planes. Under the new regulations a pilot may be licensed to fly for hire one or more of these 12 classes of planes. He must pass rigid tests in planes of each type for wHich he is licensed, and the classes of planes which he may fly then will be specified upon his license card. Licenses now in effect, all of which were issued for-a period of six months, will remain good until the date of expiration. After Sep- tember 1, however, all new licenses and all semi-annual renewal licenses will be issued under the new regulations. Pilot May Request Test. If any pilot during the six months’ period for which his license is issued should desire to fly for hire a type of plane for which he has not been licensed he may apply to a Department of Commerce inspector for a flying test on this type. Should he pass the test to the satisfaction of the inspector his license will be amended to include the new type. The new regulations are a result of study by the Department of Commerce during the past year of the causes of airplane accidents. The study shows that approxi- mately 50 per.cent of all airplane accidents are due to errors of judgment on the part of the pilot or to other human equations. It is hoped that enforcement of the new regulations will help ma- terially to reduce the accidents due to the human equation by insuring that the transport pilot is skilled in the operation of the particular type of plane he is called upon to fly. Aim for Greater Safety. The new regulations, it is an- ticipated, will greatly increase the difficulty of the larger trans- port companies in finding pilots for tri-motored planes. The sup- ply of trained pilots on this type of ship virtually has been ex-| hausted and it is becoming neces- sary for the companies to train their own tri-motored pilots, using for this purpose pilots who have had experience on the smaller types of planes. Under the present regulations it has been possible for pilots to put in flying time on the big trans- port planes on regular passenger runs by taking over the controls in flight from the first pilot. Under the new regulations, however, the co-pilot as well as the first pilot will be required to show license for the operation of multi-motored planes before he can even -sit behind the controls during a pas- senger flight. Government officials here are confident that the new regula- tions not only will add to the safety of transport flying, but will greatly increase public confidence in aviation. After the new.regula- tions have become effective the airplane passenger may rest as- sured that the pilot up ahead not only is an experienced flyer, but that he has been tested and found capable of flying that particular type of plane. COLOMBIA BOASTS OF 17 AIR FIELDS| German Company, Which Holds| Concession, Extends North and South Routes. ‘The Republic of Colombia, which is forging to a position of aeronautical leadership in South America, now has 17 airports in active operation as the bases for a nation-wide air passenger, mail and express system, according to the Pan-American Union. Recently Scadta, the German com- pany which holds the air service con- cession in Colombia, extended its op- erations to the north and south. From the port of Buenaventura, on the Pa- cific, there is service as far south as Guayaquil, in Ecuador. The longest established line is that from Bar- ranquilla to Giradot, about 700 miles. This service has been extended recently as far south as Neiva. On the Pacific Coast regular service is flown from Guayaquil to Colon and from Sautata to the headquarters port at Barranquilla, the route of flight fol- lowing the Caribbean coast line via Cartagena. The Pan-American Union has re- ceived schedules and descriptive matter, in which it is stated that “the Colom- bian airway system reaches all cities of the republic, provides for immediate connection to and from foreign coun- tries and saves from 6 to 10 days in the conveyance of mail and passen- gers.” NAVY GETS ALL-METAL «STRESSED SKIN” PLANE Ship Board Fighting Type of Un- usual Buoyancy Delivered i for Test Purposes. An_all-metal single-seater plane of | the shipboard fighter type has been de- livered to the Navy for test purposes to| demonstrate the value of many unusual | features of construction and design. The plane is built around a fuselage of the monocoque or “stressed skin”| type of construction, in which the thin | duralumin fuselage skin takes most of | the loads. The land undercarriage may be dropped in flight by the movement of a single lever to obviate the danger of nosing over in a forced landing on! Tough water. i Watertight compartments in the, fuselage are expected to give buoyancy for a number of hours and permit sal- vaging of the machine in case of a forced landing. The power plant is a 450-horsepower air-cooled Wasp motor. The ship car- ries bombs, two machine guns firing through the propeller and oxygen equip- ment for high-altitude work. Three Applications Denied. of entry lve jeni al ‘n’g Grand l'brk;, N. Dak.; Milwaukee, LARGE PLANE PLANT BEGUN AT HARTFORD Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co. Builds $2,000,000 Unit for Motor Production. Construction of & new $2,000,000 air- plane motor plant has been started by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co. at Hartford, Conn. The plant will be com- pleted and in operation about the first of the year and will result in an imme- diate increase of 50 per cent in the production of Wasp and Hornet motors. Plans are being made so that the pres- ent production of more than 200 en- gines a month can be doubled and later tripled. ‘The unit now under construction will be 400 feet wide, 1,500 feet long and will contain a total floor space area of 500,000 square feet. A land area of 600 acres has been acquired and provision has been made for the ultimate in- creasing of the new plant to five times its original size. A 400-acre flying fleld and airport will be developed behind the factory. ‘The factory, which is of the type used by Henry Ford, General Motors and other large automobile manufacturers, will include a two-story administration building, a personnel building, an en- gineering building for experiment work, a garage for 50 cars, a power- house and a restaurant for 1,500 em- | M ployes, which will be capable of expan- sion to care for between 3,000 and 3,500 employes. ‘Thirty engine test houses will be built on the flying fleld end of the plant, where the motors will go through their two separate test runs, totaling 13 tal | American operating _lines THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, AUGUST %4 1929—_PART 4 U, PLANS TOTEST | PARACHUTE TYPES Issuance of “Approved Cer- tificates” for Manufactur- ers Is Considered. As another step in its eampaign to insure aeronautical safety, the Depart- ment of Commerce is considering the advisability of issuing aproved certificates to manufacturers of para- chutes whose products meet certain rigid requirements, it was announced last night by Maj. Clarence M. Young, dlreiwr of aeronautics of the depart- men! Proposed lations would prohibit the use of any but approved type certifi- cates in licensed aircraft and would tend to drive off the market any type of parachute failing to measure up to stringent safety standards. It is intended that the proposed reg- ulations shall apply anly to individual man-carrying parachutes of the type known as “pack-on-aviator, rip-cord manually operated.” This is the type now in general use. Other types which may develop and which give promise of eMtiency, however, will ‘be given con- sideration, Maj. Young said. Test Draft is Submitted. A preliminary draft of suggested parachute test procedure and require- ments now is being submitted by the Department of Commerce for the con- sideration of parachute manufacturers, in accordance with the desire of the aeronautic branch to supply the indus- try as soon as possible with an estab- lished commercial standard. In order to obtain approval of & given type of parachute it will be necessary under the proposed regulations for a manufacturer to submit to the Depart- ment of Commerce complete drawings and specifications, including strength of materials, and details regarding con- struction, release and harness mechg- nism and packing methods. Each type of parachute then will be tested in four different ways to deter- mine its ?romplneu of operation, cer- tainty of functioning," strength and rate of d®scent. To demonstrate prompt functioning, the rachute must open fully before striking the ground in 25 drops with & 200-pound dummy, from an airplane traveling 60 miles an hour at an altitude of not more than 150 feet. To test certainty of functioning, the parachute will be dropped 10 times with a 200-pound dummy, from an altitude of not more than 500 feet, with airplane speed of 60 miles per hour. The para- tg:l'e suspension lines will be twisted purposely in packing. To the test 8. pass the chute must land fully open with all twists removed. 800 Pounds in Strength Test. ‘The strength test will consist of five I “ROUNDHOUSE” FOR AIRPLANES | An airplane hangar patterned after the railroad roundhouse has been placed in operation at Los Angeles by Western Air Express. Its new design may revolu- tionize hangar construction. Of hexagonal shape, capable of servicing six tri- motored Fokkers simultaneously, the huge structure contains many novel features, including centralized repair shops, overhead servicing of fuel and oil from the center, electrically operated doors and a glass-inclosed master mechanic’s office in the center, from which he can su itend operations in all parts of the hangar, while a system of loud speaker communications permits him to talk with any individual in any place in the hangar. The floor slopes out from the center toward the doors, a feature which, combined with the automatic doors, permits the removal of the capacity number of planes from the hangar in one minute. —Wide World Photos. GLIDING ART IMPROVES. ‘The art of gliding in Germany, where motorless fiying is a time-honored sport, showed material improvement during the past year, according to & technical memorandum issued here by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Gliders produced during the past year showed a general improvement over those of 1927, and there was a strong tendency toward the establishment of new types, it was stated. The past year brought forth a whole serles of | new-gliders, nearly all of which repre- sented an improvement over those of | previous years. FINE GOODS SENT BY AIR. Silks and Laces Among Articles in Paris Shipments. Returns made by aerial companies show that silks, hats, coats, robes, furs and lace are among the principal items dispatched by air from Paris, with au- tomobile accessories holding second place. ‘The added care given to merchcndise dispatched by air is also responsille for a good many consignments of precious stones and metals, as well as objects requiring particular care in handling. drops with the parachutes carrying 800 g:und.a of lead weight. The will made at an convenient altitude from an airplane traveling 85 miles per hour. No external shock absorbers will be per- mitted and the ‘;uruhute ‘must show no failure of materials. In the fourth test the rate of descent for a live jump must not exceed 18 feet per second and the rider must not suffer any discomfort from the shock of opening and must be able to disen- ge himself from the harness after anding. To qualify under this test, three “live” jumps wil be made from an altitude of 2,000 feet. Each parachute, after the type has been approved, must be made under rigid supervision. All parts must be properly tested before assembly, harness and packs must bear the manufactur- er's name, address, serial number and date of manufacture and tne manufac- turer must stamp on the canopy and harness the date when each should be replaced. At present it is recommended that a silk parachute be replaced four years from date of manufacture, & cot- ton chute within two years and harness within two years. The contemplated approved type cer- tificate will remain in force until re- voked or suspended. It will be revocable at any time for any infringement of the spirit or letter of the Government regulations. Twice each year, the man- ufacturer will be required to submit to the Department of Commerce an affi- davit certifying that ali parachutes manufactured under a given approved type certificate are in exact accordance with the design and specifications sub- mitted and shall list the serial num- bers of all such parachutes. aff- davit must state that the Government'’s requirements are complied with fully. LINE, HALTED BY REVOLT, TO RESUME SERVICE SOON Air Mail Between San Luis Potosi and Nuevo Laredo Was In- terrupted by Revolution. Alr mail service. between San Luis Potosi and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, dis- continued last March, due to the out- break of the Mexican revolution, will be resumed by the 1st of August, accord- ing to a report received here by the Départment of Commerce from Com- ;nerg‘;'l Attache George Wythe at Mex- co_City. The line is operated directly by the Mexican government, with American planes purchased by the civil aefonautics bureau. The planes will be ‘flown -by military pllots. As soon as preper ar- rangements can be made, however, the line will be turned over to a private company. The United States are mail service which formerly connected with the Mexican service at Laredo now con- nects at Brownsville. It is thought that with re-establishment of the Mexican air mail service by way of ureduh in - NAVY'S HIGH FLYER CALLED SUPERMAN Lieut. Soucek “Born” Stand Great Altitudes, Tests Indicate. to BY ALLAN QUINN. (Associated Press Aviation Editor.) Lieut. Apollo Soucek of the Navy, lder of the world's seaplane altitude record, is a superman for high fiying. Few men can fly above 325,000 feet without the ald of ox'i‘.en for artificial breathing. In fact, that is set as the limit of human endurance, but Soucek’s endurance extends for 3,000 feet above that. Many flyers have become un- conscious at great heights. Soucek feels little effect. Given Rigid Tests. Before he started his altitude flying last Spring Soucek was required to take an examination at the naval hospital to determine if his constitution would stand the rarefied atmosphere. He was put through tests simulating conditions at high altitudes. A clamp was placed on his nose and tube connected with a tank was placed in his mouth for breathing. As he bregthed over and over again the air in the tank the oxygen was used up and conditions became like those of rarefied atmosphere. Before him was a row of lights with a row of buttons beneath. The buttons were to be gremd for Soucek to put out lights when flashed on by the ex- amining physicians. ‘There was an ammeter, the arrow of which must be kept at zero by means of a knob. A foot pedal controlled the sound of a whirring motor. If pressed the wrong way, the sound roar. All Fine for Twenty Minutes. “Everything went fine for about 20/ minutes,” Soucek relates. “Then I be- gan to get worried. The lights were harder to see and the buttons harder to reach. The hand of the ammeter kept jumping around. I had to think hard which way to press the pedal. “Pinally I was tired. A sort of lan- will changed to connect with both lines exico. Airport Adopts Field Rules. Albany, N. Y., has drawn up a set of field rules for the government of airplanes using its airport. The n‘g; hours for each engins six people. pit with space for chairs. All Washington Motor NOTICE Mr. Motor Boat Prospect The New Elco Veedette Boat Is Here We have just received our first Elco Veedette—Elco’s newest model. A real 31-foot cruiser with the speed of a runabout and still has cruising accommodations for four to There is a cockpit forward seating four and plenty of cabin with six-foot head room. There ley—ice box—Ilockers and lavatory, also spacious after cock- still capable of 18 to 20 miles per hour. This boat sells delivered here in Washington for $5,000.00 complete—nothing else to buy—and was a complete sell-out at the New York show. We can guarantee delivery on two boats only. See this wonderful new boat—ride in it—see for yourself what a real boat this is. ¢ Our boat club and service station is located at the footof’thnld'wnar!u.s.w.,orull“'ls&l. eral air traffic. rules were made basis for the new cod large gal- of this in a 31-foot cruiser and Boat Sules. Azeficy Reflecting the matchless genius of Fisher’s artist-crafts- - men, as well as the unparalleled resources of the Buick and Fisher organizations, the magnificent new Buick and charm ob- viously superior to any other car in the Buick field. Buick’s new bodies are longer—lower—more luxurious. They reveal entirely new harmony of color and line. They are replete with extra features I and convenience, including new Non-Glare Wingshield for safe night driving—new and richer g upholstery—new fittings and appointments of princely " luxury—as well as the adjustable front seat and many Bodies™by Fisher incorporate beauty ¢ other advantages of Fisher design. And, in addition to these unrivaled beau features, this new Buick embodies other wonderful new elements of value. Such value is expressed in a new and mightier valve-in-head engine lending new brillianceto o . Stanley H. Horner 1015-1017 14th St. Bury Motor Co. ce of utility, make each series ty and luxury Buick Motor Co. (Division General Motors Corporation)—14th at L Emerson & Orme é > Anacostia, D. C. o 17th & M Sts. N.-Wa . Bowdoin Motor Co. Lodge Motor Co. Purcellville, Va.. Alexandria, Va. @HEN BETTER AUTOMOBILES "ARE BUILT became a| BUICK MOTOR COMPAN Division of Canadian Factories McLaughiiaBuick, Oshaws, Ont. Fred N. Windridge ; Rosslyn, Va, Veteran Army Flyer, Afraid of Motor Car, | | Flies on Honeymoom KANSAS CITY (#).—The atti- tude of Capt. Richard Duncan should be tonic to those persons who hesitate to ride in airplanes. This former flight commander in the English Royal Flying Corps never has learned to drive an ;:wn:nblle because he's afraid to 50! When Capt. Duncan, now & flying instructor here, flew to Chicago for his wedding, it was explained that the couple would e 8 brief aerial honeymoon because “the groom is afraid to drive a motor car.” GOEBEL SEEKS RECORD. ‘WICHITA, Kans., (#).—A monoplane to have a speed of 175 miles an hour is being bullt in secrecy here for Col. Arthur _Goebel's proposed assault on Capt. Frank Hawks' new non-stop transcontinental flight record. Special cowling will add 15 miles an hour to the plane’s speed, its manufac- turers say. A 400-horsepower motor will be used. Huge gasoline tanks, pro- viding sufficient fuel for 3,000 miles of flying, are included in specifications for the plane. guor came over me. I didn't seem to care what happened. “Just as I was about to go under the tube was jerked from my mouth. I was slightly ill.” Soucek thought he had failed. But the physicians gave him a high rating. He had stood the test for 251> minutes, indicating he could fly to 28,000 feet without the aid of oxygen. AVIATION IN MEXICO SHOWING ACTIVITY Rapid Development of Air Mail and Passenger Serv- ice Is Noted. MEXICO CITY, (#).—That the Re- public of Mexico is keeping pace with the United States in the development of air mail and passenger routes is shown by the figures just released by the de- partment of communications. The gov- ernment has granted contracts for the operation of 10,764 miles of aerial routes, of which 2,646 miles now ac- tually are in operation. Concessions granted and contracts let for inaugural of new lines calls for an aerial network of Mexico eliminating distance and connecting practically every capital and important city in the republic. The Mexican Aviation Co., & branch of the Pan-American Airways, now is operating more than 2,000 miles of mail, express and passenger rou Mazaf Aviation in Mexico thus far, because of the scarcity of good landing fields, high mountain chains and limited equipment, is confined to day flying. Routes soon to be inaugurated will link Tia Juana, Lower California, with Mexico City via La Paz, Lower Cali- fornia; Mexicali, Lower California, with Nogales, Ariz., and Mexico City; Plans Another Record Fly. Now the Navy fiyer is planning to go after the altitude record snatched from him by the German fiyer Willy Neun- hofer. Early in May Soucek pushed his little Wright Apache, equipped as a land | plane, to a new world's record of 39,144 feet. Before the mark could be certi- fled, however, the German pilot as- cended to 42,123 feet. ‘The Apache, as it stands, has flown as high as it can. Soucek attempted to take it higher in his flight in May, but it would climb no more. Navy aero- nautic experts now are hoping to alter it 80 it will exceed the German mark. of Buick cars. vis Gemeral Motors | Juarez with Mexico City; Mexico City | with Acapulco, Pacific Coast port near- est Mexico, and San Luis Potosi with | Brownsville, Pledras Negras and Man- | zanillo, and Chihauhau City with | Nogales. —_— Airport Rating Requested. | __Authorities in charge of the Buffalo, N. Y., municipal atrport have requested the Department of Commerce for & rating of their port under the Federal airport regulations. The Buffalo airport has been designated an airport of entry because of international airline service !to Toronto. FISHER soyling in the most colorful and captivating motor car bodies of the year .... - every phase of Buick performance—in new Oontro}l_ed Servo Enclosed Brakes, unmatched for smooth, positive action—in four new double-acting Lovejoy Duodraulic Shock Absorbers, new longer rear springs, assuring superlative riding comfort over any road atany ‘speed—m new frictionless steering gear and new Steering Shock Eliminator, achieving the easiest steering in the world. And what is more, this new Buick with all of these vital superiorities, is offered at new low prices—prices that Buick for 1930 the greatest value Buick has ever offered in 26 years of building extra value into Compare what this new Buick offers. Every comparison will definitely establish it as the world’s greatest motor car value. Y, FLINT, MICHIGAN Buick aad Barqsese Motor Cars Dick Murphy, Inc. 1835 14th St. N.W. 604 H St. N.E. Rushe Motor Co. Hyattsvil BUICK WILL le, Md. C. C. Waters & Sons ° ‘ Gaithersburg, Md. BUILD THEM