The evening world. Newspaper, August 19, 1922, Page 8

Soares ew York ee THE EVENING WORLD, SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1922, City’s‘ Guardians of the Air’ Phin Ate ages Fe hs PHOTOS BY Aid aig Ba Bovsamamic MGR ne >> 4 A > Sak DIVISION, HY. C.P ALR Rpcten eo 5 : Ne ‘ Knit ice PS) OB) Wt Dyys MS By Don Allen (New York Bvening World) YOR: intrepiu y cops, so long the target of paragraphic gibes and the butts of 80 many cartoons, have at last nose- dived Into their own. In fact, the millen- nium must be here, or hereabout for the United States Navy has, for the first time on record, praised something that fs not wholly of the navy After lazying up from Washington recently, a Committee of Investiga- tion from the United States Navy went over the N. Y, C. P. A. R. with & redtaped fine-tooth comb, stood aghast as its members were thrilled by the air antics of the police aces of the air, and then returned and tn calm, dispassionate words announced to the Navy Department that ‘New York's air police is the model avia- tion reserve which the navy should use as a standard for the establish- ment of other reserve organizations throughout the country.'’ When the Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics down in Washington partly reeovered from his surprise at the opening bomb dropped by Lieut. F. W. Neilson, U. 8. N., and who had done most of the inspecting, the officer pointed out another cryptic Paragraph in his report and which read: “The New York Unit contains about forty men. There are also about 120 men in training as pilots and aviation mechanics. The condition of the N-® type training planes turned over to the unit last spring is such as might serve as a lesson in plane mainte- nance to the aviation units of the reg- ular establishment.'* The subject of this little yarn came bobbing up before us the other day as we were passing a garage in front of which stood a sign in glaring red let- ters and which read: “FREE ALR," Naturally, in these days ANY- THING free would start a line of thought doing a Tennyson, From somewhere up in the domain of the eagle and carrier pigeon there came the soft, staccatic purr of a plane. Once in awhile the folk below could eatch the guttural, tuberculous ecugh ef a second air boat, as the two sped on almost neck and neck. The wheer- ing plane's pilot started stunting directly over the centre of the city and the four or five out of the half million on the street just below him who bothered to look up gasped. The following plane went into an Immel- man turn and brought up almost nose to nose with the careening one. Down to within a couple hundred feet glided both planes and from the struts of the follower those who were looking could gee the Police Department flag starched out by the breeze, We had seen our first pinch made by an air traffic cop. Being interest- ed, we looked the matter up. Tt was easy to learn who the driver ef the police plane was. Major C. Anderson Wright, resplendent in a uniform of dirty, greasy unionalle; Ris face smudged with eylinder oll, but shining forth on his left breast ® copper’s golden badge. And it was from Major Wright, me of the mainstays of the police air force, that we learned who and whet the unit is—and why. “Most folks don't know what the N.Y. C P. A. R. ts,” mused the Major, now dolled up in the natty navy blue regalia of the air cop, “Im fact, most folks think we're a Paid force who drive planes up and down the main streets and into alley- ways in search of sneak thieves, Well, we are not. We never have received one cent for our labor, and never will, In fact, we find it neces- wary to Day dues in order to take care of some of the petty expenses. “It's rather hard to understand just what the real duties of air police are. But did you ever stop to think that if a bank robber should succeed in robbing a bank of many thousands nd successfully reached a big liner ®t the moment’ of sailing and was well owt to sea just how much a "Ready for a day in the arr, “Sky Cops,’’ Praised by U.S. Navy, Now Ready for Any Job That Comes Along From Patrolling Airways to Catching, Criminals Escaping on Outbound Ships —First Job Regulating ‘“‘Air Traffic’’ Police plane could do in the way of overtaking the liner and bringing the man back? Few even think of this simple little trick “ewer still seem to realize just hat it means to have some foolhardy aviator stunting over their heads. And it is just this foolish, and many times dendly flying, that we are out to stop. We don't especially care what happens to the aviator who stunts over a crowd, but we most certainly do care what happens to the crowd, and we're out to clear the skies of reckless flyers, Just as the traffic cop is out to rid the streets of reckless automobilists. “Deputy Commissioner Rodman Wanamaker, who 1s now in Paris, Is the man who is responsible for our unit's being. It is his idea; he has sponsored it and helped us in every way. Just before he sailed away he gave us a heart-to-heart talk, the gist of which was to “keep New York's alr clean,'’ And we're out to do it, even if we have to open fire on all fool aviators who break the low-flying and stunting-over crowds ordinance, “We have been « unit for about four years and were overjoyed when the Navy Committee gave us such a wonderful recommendation to thelr chief. But, even if I do say it my- self, every mun in the unit, from In spector James Dwyer, in command, right down to the rawest mechanician. recruit, deserves all the credit they can get. We all work hard; we all work earnestly, and the Sky Police {s our fetish. Wo are all in it from an- —s NY Police Aircrome . Yort Hamilton Special Police Commissioner Rodman i. WANAMAKER Major C.Anderso’ WRIGHT . ©umoerwood € unvewwoon + chovies to demi-tasse and ready for recruits and either drilled as pilots or, Cer—he is one of the foremot en any emergency. if they want to keep one foot on the neers in the countey and is can a ‘‘We have a wonderful ground ground, are moulded into aviation me- With the Harbor Division of he school on Greenwich Street, where chanics. One is just as necessary os of New York; and Col, Chries young men between the ages of sev- the other. If any one has any doubts Glidden, Chief of Staff, faaous enteen and twenty-one are taken inas as to the value of the work of the one of the pioneers in Lhe non-flyers in our unit, let him gaze @8 the organizer of the wold's upon that portion of the Navy's re- ™ous Aerial Tour Board, aswell port anent the condition of our two the famous automobile toun, planes. These planes came to us as Glidden served with distinctin as Pure junk, as the term Is used by officer in the Army Air wee fyers, and now see what the Navy holds @ commission in the Amy experts think of them. We have Sérve Then Sonia i zane, taken the junk and made real planes Hinton, Fits Fiore of them, And, just mull this over in See ua Bg aa La hie eee your mind: The pilots of this unit oe “the alo Of the NO-4 co have been In the alr more than 5,000 W&® | flying hours without a single crash. transatlantic Mgnt, and late on § We have flown with messages; Wo TD io one of the airmen bet in have slow: down the bax te: eet th: Savy balloon ly the wilae lof ened coming notables or bid the city's Mi a guests Godspeed; we have chased air- Pasig aiaily a meper dees Ba ordinance violators; we have demon- COTa tit the countes ed cold strated in hundreds of ways Just what oe ny nan who now dente service a police air force can be—and ¢..1, nuginess practically ever day. in 6,000 hours of actual flying time We ““sryen comes Capt. Claude Jolin have never had a crash. Flight Commander, a former Arg “Our flying field at Fort Hamilton pjijot; founder and President of is one of the best in the country, and Aviation Club of Philadelphia and © we have a landing place for seaplanes ganizer of the Philadelphia At Po at the foot of West 82d Street and the Jast, but not least, is Major North River. We have trained more Van De Water, Chief Pilot of than 200 men to fly and they a#re Aviation Division Reserve ani for ready to take to the air at @ mo- naval flyer, as fine a pilot as ment's notice. That wouldn't be ® handled a stick, bad asset in case of any serious trou- ==‘*With such men ag the ble, now, would it? stick of the N. ¥.C, P. ALR, ® “Our pilots, that ts, our training UP to & single soul to ask, WHAT pilots, are all men with war records can do.’ But ust let ‘em vateh’ they and the country are proud of— Bo verily! After weching men of nerve and innards that aro NeW York sky cops cleantig up ready for any duty, no matter how traffic and after talking with M. hazardous, they may be called on to Anderson Wright, we ae forced perform. give out this warning: “And the men at the head of our shina shy cop'lt ott yer sf yer don't t . 2 es—the blg- watch out MEAT TLOGe Se en Der rcar ams Wisidantallysdteaner, the lathe Ai 4 doubting Thomases are still asking: #tory ever written about the Aerial OFFICERED PERSONNEL Aviation Diviston Reserves, Poltce Department, City of New York. OFFICIALS OF REGULAR POLICE DEPARTMENT. Special Police Commissioner Rodman Wanamaker, in oharge of Police Reserves. Inepeotor John F. Dwyer, Aid to the Commissioner. Major John F. Brennan, Attache from Police Department. AVIATION DIVISION OFFICERS. STAFF. Col, Frank O'Keefe, Commanding Officer. Col. Charles J. Glidden, Chief ef Staff. Major C. Anderson Wright, Exeoutive Officer. Lieut. Frederick Starr, Adjutant. DEPARTMENTAL OFFICERS. Major John Gane Jr. Chief Engineering Officer Major Donald Van de Water, Commander, Heavier Than Air Unit. Major Augustus Post, Commander, Lighter Than Alr Unit. Major Horace Keane, Chief of Design and Construction. Capt. Theodore H. Bridgman. Capt. Herbert Sohiff. Capt. Claude R. Collins. Capt. Bernard Sandler. Capt. Oscar H. Berthold. Capt. Sidney Clark. Capt. Frederick Klein. Capt. James J. Horeau. Capt. John W. Semler. Capt. Livingston Allan. Capt. Arthur C. Werther. Capt. Paul Mitohelli. Capt. Herbert R. Gani Capt. Walter Hinton. PILOTS, ENGINEERS, INSTRUCTORS. Lieut. Thomas F. Quirk. Lieut. Eugene H. Caplan. Lieut. Arthur L, Grode. Lieut. James K. Dobbs. Lieut. Leigh J. Bair. Lieut. A. 8. Dennes Lieut William G, Brewer. Lieut. Austin Les Carboura. Lieut. Edward F, Frost. Lieut. Edward H. Acree. Lieut. William L, Purcell, Lieut. R. J. Hef a Cadeis overhauling plane at Police Airdrome Sf Ww a ie? Police that hasn't referrd to ‘em Lieut. Thomas B, Belsjoe. . Louis Hefti. ‘Well, what has the sky cop don: P 2 it Lieut. L. R. Eastm, Cleat F. Gerber. And what can he do?’ There's Col, ‘fly cops,’ which, im itelf, is q Frank O'Keefe, our commanding offi- BOME rgopd.