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New York Chicago AERIAL TRANSPORT CORPORATION 2638 EUCLID AVE. CLEVELAND, OHIO June 5, 1920 Mr. George E. Weaver, Chairman, Associated Aviation Clubs of Ohio, 543-5 Hotel Statler, C i t y Dear Sir: - In compliance with your request to make any suggestions which I may have in reference to maintenance of prices for flying. Under passenger carrying, Paragraph 1, you mention straight flying $15.00. but one in the Associated Clubs knows my attitude toward stunt flying under any and all conditions. That is, expect when used as foot work for boxing, which is criminal. What I mean by that, if the aviator is practicing for battle, for aerial combat he is justified in learning all the tricks he can but where used for commercial purposes it becomes a criminal liability and if I had my way when they pass the National laws I would make both the owner of the plane and the pilot who pilots the plane subject to trial for manslaughter should the stunting result in the death of either pilot or passenger and in case it was a successful night I would then make them subject to trial by civil court for attempted manslaughter. In your paragraph 2 your rates seem to be reasonable enough, especially as you state they do not cover exhibits at fairs, carnivals, etc. and as far as your remark "For instance, plan changing, wing walking" is concerned, they come under my classification for stunts and I would like to classify them further and that is, if the young aviators of this country continue doing these stunts they are absolutely digging their own grave, as well as that of aviation, as the people will not stand for it much longer nor will the courts, and when they have ceased to stand for it, aviators will then try to say that aviation is safe and sane and the public will laugh when it is said, because it will have been demonstrated that it is murder and that men connected with the flying end of it are lunatics and cannot be trusted. In reference to the foregoing remarks, we are not about to put on an exhibit in this city which we are advertising as an educational feature. How can we expect to educate the public if between now and the time of the show, stunt flying is carried on. How can we preach during the time of the show that stunt flying should not be permitted and will not be permitted by the Aviation Clubs and then immediately after the show have members of the clubs say that they are permitting it. One thing we must do and that is be consistent. Either flying is an insane proposition or it is a sane proposition and I would like to suggest to the Board on maintenance of prices that if they include stunting at all it be in the million dollar mark and not a few cents; in other words, if a man is insane enough to pay for being murdered a stunt pilot ought at least to be sane enough to collect enough money for murdering him to protect himself from the electric chair afterward. Yours very truly, [signature] Col. R.S. Hartz Vice President, Associated Clubs of Ohio