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The Air Line Pilot Vol. 18-No.7 August 1949 Published Monthly by The Air Line Pilots Association, International, Affiliated with A.F. of L. Editorial Offices: 3145 W. 63rd St., Chicago, Ill. Telephone Grovehill 6-2200 David L. Behncke ----- President Clarence N. Sayen ---- Executive Vice-President Jerome E. Wood ------- First Vice-President F.A. Spencer --------- Secretary R.G. Strait ---------- Treasurer Vice-Presidents, Foreign W.L. Martin ---------- Panagra-Lima W.R. Everts ---------- PAA-Brazil H.G. Hoyt ------------ TWA-Cairo Vice-Presidents, Domestic H.G. Portman --------- ULA-Chicago A.F. Foster ---------- TWA-New York L.L. Caruthers ------- Delta-Atlanta W.T. Babbitt --------- EAL-Miami T.S. Bridges --------- C&S-Caribbean R.F. Render ---------- NWA-Eastern P.C. Walters --------- MCA-Kansas City T.D. George ---------- Braniff-Dallas E.A. Oliver ---------- Continental-Denver R.E. Clark ----------- WAL-Salt Lake City W.B. Wallace --------- PAA-Seattle R.W. Brady ----------- UAL-San Francisco H.B. Cox ------------- AA-Burbank S.L. Doepke ---------- PAA-Transatlantic Larry Cates ---------- Legislative Representative Entered as Second Class Matter 11, 1933, at the Post office at Chicago, Ill., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1949, by Air Line Pilots, Association, International Annual Subscription, $2.50 DAVID L. BEHNCKE, Editor EDWARD C. MODES, Associate Editor Who's Kidding Who? It's high time that the covers are stripped off certain balls being pitched around Washington and elsewhere in the air line industry...Purpose: to determine WHO'S KIDDING WHO. An examination, too, of what's beneath the horsehide to make some of them curve so strangely is deserving of attention. The principal offenders are the ex-politicians, the "has been" political beachcombers who have spun in and cracked up politically because they became absent-minded about why they were sent to Washington and forgetful of whom the represented.. Rather than return to the bush leagues from whence they came, they prefer to hand on the fringe of the "big league," affixing themselves like barnacles on the hull of air line transportation progress and development. AND AT WHAT COST TO MR. JOHN Q? THE PRICE TAGS ARE SALARIES RANGING UP TO $50,000 A YEAR! Yes, there are many balls, fast and otherwise, being pitched around Washington, that aren't being pitched by American League Washington "Senators." The editorial isn't naming names, but, if any of the shoes described herein fit, there's no rule against wearing them. If they pinch, there's always the good old American free speech remedy. But the best thing that this wiseacre clan of costly hanger-ons could do for the air line industry would be to the disappearing at-but surely that's hoping for too much. The glamour of would-be air line industry Jim Hills has worn off and what the industry needs most is men with the right stuff on the ball-the knack of staying home and getting the job done; witness Capital Airlines.. Another alarming development is that the air line industry regulatory control in Washington is becoming top-heavy with ex-air line officials-everybody trying to outsmart everybody else. Big plans, big deals, big mergers, big combines, and big spieling equipment and route interchange soothsayers are becoming thick as fleas on a tramp dog's back. And what is the ultimate? If this trend is not halted, but soon, the whole scheming Rube Goldberg intrigue of smarty-pants number one trying to outsmart everybody else. Big plans, big deals, big mergers, big combines, and big spieling equipment and route interchange soothsayers are becoming as thick as fleas on a tramp dog's back. And what is the ultimate? If this trend is not halted, but soon, the whole scheming Rube Goldberg intrigue of smarty-pants number one trying to outsmart smarty-pants number two, etc., etc., will fly up and hit whom in the face? It will be the people who, to borrow the most descriptive phrase of the 20th Century from Mr. Winston Churchill, built a great industry by their "blood, sweat and tears." On this strange whirligig, with even stranger characters perched astride each hobby horse, bobbing up and down and making like ruddy ducks trying to grab the up-to-$50,000-a-year brass ring, is the faction that has managed to imbed itself with dangerous security in Washington bureaucracy. Entwined is the element that is feverishly attempting to use the federal air regulatory agency to fashion a hangman's know around air safety regulatory control and pass the business end of the rope to the air line industry to do with as they choose. INDEED, A MOST DANGEROUS PASTIME. Bosh, they will cry, it's only the same old elephant-skinned air line pilot veterans trumpeting alarm. The truth is that these thick skinned individuals are not only trumpeting alarm they are squarely on the downwind side of the all too obvious safari of purposeful parasites and have their scent well-defined. Here's a good, healthy whiff of it: Not long ago, during the month of May, 1949, there was a meeting at which serious consideration was given to a rewrite of still another so-called Air Safety Regulation Release. This time, the Air Carrier Operations Specifications and Aircraft and Maintenance came in for certain special attention. The purpose, it was said all too naively, is to streamline this document and place more responsibility for the maintenance of aircraft upon air carriers]. OBJECTIVE REGULATIONS IS ANOTHER COMMON DESCRIPTION. But let's go on. A preliminary discussion of this subject was held in Washington in May, 1949, BY AIR LINE OFFICIALS AND CERTAIN AIR REGULATORY BUREAUCRATS. The discussions were, yes, all so cozy, "informal," with the bureaucrats agreeing with the philosophy that the air lines should have the responsibility of conducting maintenance operations in accordance with "CERTAIN COMPANY STANDARDS." And what a catch-all that word "CERTAIN" is! Yes, it was all to be approved by the bureaucrats. Soon, they said, the bureaucrats will be ready to present their final views, but only, mind you, after the plan has been submitted to the air lines for their comments. Strangely enough, the air line pilots, and their passengers, the public, were not in attendance at this "informal" conference, although the pilots must fly the planes and the public must ride in them. Small matter--both have only their lives at stake--that is all--if aircraft maintenance is not proper. WHERE DOES CONGRESS COME IN THIS STRANGE DILEMMA, THIS COZY ARRANGEMENT? The congress that specifically charges the civil air regulatory bureaucrats with: "Section 605 (b) Inspection (Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938): Maintenance of Equipment in Air Transportation: The Authority shall employ inspectors who shall be charged with the duty (1) of making such inspections of aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances designed for use in air transportation, during manufacture, and while used by an air carrier in air transportation, as may be necessary to enable the Authority to determine that such aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and appliances are in safe condition and are properly maintained for operation in air transportation; and (2) of advising and cooperating with each air carrier in the inspection and maintenance thereof by the air carrier. Whenever any inspector shall, in the performance of his duty, find that any aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller or appliance, used or intended to be used by any air carrier in air transportation, is not in condition for safe operation, he shall so notify the carrier, in such form and manner as the Authority may prescribe; and, for a period of five days thereafter, such aircraft, aircraft engineer, propeller, or appliance shall not be used in air transportation, or in such manner as to endanger air transportation, unless found by the Authority or its inspector to be in condition for safe operation." And another thing, would anyone care to come forward and say who is the real sponsor of H.R. 780 and the real purpose behind this move? Then, too, there is the won't-you-come-into-my-parlor, oh, so strangely persistent efforts to change and combine C.A.R. Parts 40, 41 and 61. One day soon the answers will all be written. Yes, strange, strange happenings indeed are these, but the thick-skinned industry watch dogs of air safety, the nation's air line pilots, have the scent of this strange safari and they intend to do something about it and good hunting is promised. In passing, we might mention that the good old political pastime of mudslinging is taboo because this quaint safari is composed of certain of several political creeds and mud, in a situation like this, isn't discreet about where is splashes. But the time is nigh for the wise men--of which there are many in the air line industry officialdom, the civil air regulatory agency of government, the financiers, the men that fly the planes, the mechanics that do the maintenance, the engineers and manufactures of the equipment and every class and craft of worker right down to the floor sweepers, all the real industry builders--to rise up in righteous indignation and drive this sorry lot of industry sappers out of the political jungles of Washington before it will be too late...much too late. THE TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE IS NOW! [[image - drawing of a diagram plane with logo AJAX AIRLINES. There are numbers signifying where the parts are. The diagram is produced by Sam Giberson and Bill McDonald MCA-MRC]] Engines...Souped-Up Dual Manifold-Full Race Camshaft - 1. Whip Antenna 2. Windshield Sun Shade 3. Fog Lights 4. Rear-view Mirror 5. Spot Light 6. "Side-Mount" Spare Tire 7. White Side-Walls 8. Buell Air Horns 9. Anemometer 10. Wind-Sock 11. Back-Up Light 12. Coon-Tail 13. Hand-Rubbed Black Lacquer 14. Mud Flaps 15. Chrome-Plated Exhausts 16. Wings Clipped-"Channelled" (Special Tail-Wind Ratios on Request) Page 2 The Air Line Pilot
Transcription Notes:
Prior to Who's Kidding Who? all text in box with graphic of planes and clouds bookending The AIR LINE PILOT
