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OH, YEAH - NOW WE'LL TELL ONE [[picture with caption]] - Acme Photo Officially this was the last Airlift plane before the lifting of the Berlin Blockade, but unofficially the air corridors to the former German Capitol are still as busy as an arterial highway on a holiday weekend. The Airlift still continues an adequate stockpile is available and surface transportation can meet all the requirements of Western Berlin, which day, judging by past actions and present tactics of the never-kept-a-promise Soviets, is still a long way off. For the purpose of the record, however, here is the crew of the last official Airlift plane being greeted by Col. John Barr (left), commanding officer of Templehof Airfield. In the center is Lt. Joseph Russo and at right is Lt. Henry Ward, pilot and copilot respectively. Standardization is Proposed by CAB Official action on an ALPA safety recommendation of many years standing - that regarding the need for cockpit standardization - appeared as an imminent possibility not to be overlooked following the revelation this month that such a proposed Civil Air Regulation was being reviewed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. Although the CAB announcement caused a more than average flurry of publicity in the press, recommendations for such a step were made by ALPA as far back as August 11, 1947, when the Association recommended: "Each air carrier company shall be required to standardize the relative location of flight instruments. The location of these instruments and their arrangements on instrument panels should be the same on all types of equipment operated by each of such air carriers. The reasons and advantages are obvious." Questionnaire Circulated - In May of this year, at the behest of the CAB, ALPA distributed to its councils a questionnaire in an attempt to find ALPA's majority preference for a standard cockpit flight instrument panel. Since June 16, the Engineering and Air Safety Department has been tabulating and analyzing the data contained in these questionnaires. Although the urgent need for uniformity has been greatly accentuated by the great number of interchange agreements in recent months, considerable industry opposition is still expected to develop against the CAB standardization proposal. The CAB, however, said its actions in moving toward standardization are "based on interests of both increased safety and national defense." There is not doubt but that cockpit standardization is bound to be reflected in a greater degree of air safety. As things now stand, the DC-4, the DC-6, and the Boeing Stratocruiser, each with upwards of 500 instruments, has as many different cockpit arrangements as there are individual air line users of the respective types of equipment. In Appreciation In appreciation of their services in checking out returning NAL pilots, the pilots of National Airlines have presented Captain Lee F. Cullen, of Mid-Continent Airlines and Captain George Steers, of Northeast Airlines with ALPA rings. The National pilots said they were presenting the rings in "sincere appreciation" of the two pilots' services and efforts in ch3ecking out the National pilots at the conclusion of the strike. "We realize this is only a token of the value of the services rendered," NAL Master Chairman C. H. Ruby declared, "we want you to feel that this is an indication of the appreciation of each and every National Airlines pilot." LATE NEWS Structural On June 30, the CAB issued its official report on Northwest Airlines Martin 202 accident near Winona, Minn., last Aug. 29, finding that the probable cause was "the loss of the outer panel of the left wing which separated form the aircraft as a result of a fatigue crack in the left front outer panel attachment fitting which had been induced by a faulty design of that fitting, the fatigue crack having been aggravated by severe turbulence encountered in the thunderstorm." Dangerous CAA has issued a production certificate to Boeing Aircraft Co., delegating Boeing inspection authority on Stratocruisers. The Federal agency has also certificated the first Northwest Airlines Stratocruiser. In the future, the CAA says, it will inspect only the first airplane in each customer group - a dangerous delegation of authority policy that is already beginning to take over. Stalled The five-month-old negotiations between the Port of New York Authority and the eight air lines who will use New York International Airport have again been stalled. ASSIGNED NEW POST [[picture with caption]] CAPTAIN TANEYHILL Upped Another Notch New assistant chief pilot of Continental Air Lines is Captain Harry D. Taneyhill, executive inactive ALPA member. Captain Taneyhill was employed by Continental Air Lines as a copilot in September, 1940, became a reserve captain in May, 1942, and a full captain in September, 1942. Taneyhill's duties will consist of assisting the chief pilot in pilot flight training and checking and administrative duties of the pilot division. JUNE, 1949 PAGE 7
