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26
U.S. Air Services
August, 1931

which will be badly needed before our factories can produce new equipment. A continuation of the policy of placing fewer reserves on active duty than the number authorized is the only way that a balance can be maintained, yet it is recognized that every reserve officer should have experience with an operating unit of the regular Army, that his training is incomplete without it. It has been estimated that 4,000 highly trained pilots would be immediately required at the outset of the war. There are now some 5,700 officers on the reserve roll, but not more than 600 of them are ready to perform wartime duties as pilots. A recent report made by Assistant Secretary of War for Aeronautics F. Trubee Davison shows that the enlisted strength of the Air Corps is about what it should be at the present time, and indicates that the full allotment will be obtained by the end of the five-year period. On May 31, 1931, there were 12,668 enlisted men in the Air Corps as compared with 8,725 in 1926. The problem of promotion exists with regard to the enlisted personnel too. The number of grades and rating provided is insufficient. The Army has accomplished a great deal since the start of the five-year procurement program. The progress that has been made can be illustrated by a review of Air Corps activities in the last 18 months, culminating in the maneuvers in which 672 planes participated. In April, 1930, the combat units joined forces to form the First Provisional Wing, conducting exercises in the vicinity of Sacramento, California. These maneuvers were featured by the flight of an Army bomber, with a "robot" at the control, from the East to the West Coast and return, and its participation in a simulated bombing attack on surface vessels at sea; the exercises of the 95th Pursuit Squadron performed at the altitude of 28,000 feet, during which constant radio communication with the ground was maintained; the transportation of 150,000 pounds of supplies, including pursuit plane wings and engines, by air from San Diego to Sacramento, a distance of 1,000 miles. Other noteworthy accomplishments include the Artic Patrol Flight of the First Pursuit Group, made to test the behavior of personnel, planes and equipment under the most severe winter conditions. The flight from Selfridge Field at Mt. Clemens, Mich., to Spokane, Wash., was made by 18 pursuit planes, three cargo ships, and an observation plane. Photographing Mt. Ranier from a distance of 270 miles should be mentioned also, as well as the nonstop flight of a trimotored Army transport from Miami to France Field, Canal Zone. The latter has been described by Air Corps officials as "a routine ferrying flight." The 1,200 miles between the two points were covered in 11 hours and 25 minutes. Army Air Corps planes flew a total of 32,500,000 miles in 1930 as compared with 27,405,790 miles in 1929. While there was one fatality for every 430,000 miles of flying in 1929, only one person was killed for every 625,000 miles of flying last year. Records for the first six months of this year are not available, but it is known that about 4,000,000 miles were flown alone by the planes engaged in the maneuvers of the First Provisional Air Division in May. The total number of hours flown by the 672 planes was approximately 38,000. Three planes were damaged beyond economical repair, and seven were comparatively slightly damage. Only three pilots were injured, and these injuries were inconsequential. That the Air Corps has reached a high state of efficiency as a result of the progress made in carrying out the five-year program cannot be denied. It is without question as efficient for its size as any other similar organization in the world, but, it is too small for our needs, too small to provide adequate defense for the nation. The Air Corps needed its full complement of officers and men, and it needs more planes for them to fly. Mr. Davison has recommended that sufficient planes be procured to replace those render temporarily unserviceable and to effect a balance with the personnel authorized. In this connection, he wants to replace two-thirds of the training planes now in the hands of the National Guard and Reserve units with service type ships. He points out that flying a training plane is of little value to the trained military pilot. He has also recommended the passage of an amendment to the Air Corps Act, which will permit the Secretary of War to order as many reserve officers to extended active duty as possible. As one acquainted with the aircraft industry I may be warranted in parenthetically commenting here that if flying a training plane is of little value to the trained military pilot, this pilot is consequently of little value to the nation unless he is properly equipped. The recommendations of the Assistant Secretary of War for Aeronautics should be followed in spirit as well as in the letter. Balancing the equipment to the personnel authorized by the five-year program is of vital importance. Aside from providing an air force adequate for national defense, such a policy would insure a continuing program of aircrafy procurement, allowing the industry intelligently to plan its production and to carry on its research and engineering work. Commercial aviation has not advanced to the stage where it can support the industry, and definite assurance of government aid for a number of years to come is essential.
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