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Doolittle. Short and compact is the Army's best flyer, Lieut. James Harold Doolittle. Able was he, in a college boxing tournament at the University of California some years ago, to hold his own-and a little more than his own-against strapping Eric Pedley, eight-goal California poloist (see p. 64). At the Cleveland Air Show last month. Flyer Doolittle flew the wings off a ship, diving at 200 m.p.h. Floating down in his parachute he laughed at the episode and took up another stunting ship immediately. The Army Air Corps has a questionnaire which flyers must fill out after accidents. Last week, newspapers had fun printing Flyer Doolittle's report on his Cleveland mishap. The phrases were as short and compact as their author. His "description of method of leaving plane" was two words:
"Thrown out."
His "complete and accurate account of the causes for the jump," was two more words:
"Wing broke."
Air Traffic Conference
An aviator man, one in the industry, will tell you, after he has blown the booster thoughts out of his mind, that very, very few of the manufacturing or transport concerns have been making money. However, he will instantly add, if they do this and that, profits will ensue after a few years. To uncover some of the thises and thats in respect to transport problems, air traffic managers met at Kansas City last week.
Transport Industry's Size. Three-quarters of a billion dollars are now invested in the entire aviation industry. Forty-five companies are transporting mail, express and passengers over 75,000 miles daily. Last year they carried 52,934 passengers. This year the number will approximate 150,000. Only between San Francisco and Los Angeles and between New York and Boston do ships frequently have all passenger seats sold. Passenger traffic does not yet pay its way. Mail contracts, which represents the U. S. government's way of furnishing the transport companies their essential subsidies, almost pay the operating expenses of most of the air mail carriers. But not all the expenses. Said Universal Air Lines' Halsey Dunwoody, referring to this financial situation: "We cannot continue to pay operating expenses from capital reserve. In order to produce dividends, air transport lines must pay. We operators face certain definite needs which may be enumerated as public confidence, increased patronage, constantly improving service and better practical organization."
Air Mail. Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown sent word to the air mail operators that they must appear at Washington Sept. 30 to revise their contract rates. He must have revision because his air mail appropriation is $13,300,000 for this year and his expenses are mounting towards $15,000,000. He wants not only to get within his appropriations but to get below it. Dismaying was this call to the carriers who have been hoping to get all first class mail. However, Mr. Brown did not block that prospect specifically. Indeed his second assistant, Warren Irving Glover, volunteered that air mail routes would be extended.