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Six THE AIR LINE PILOT August, 1947 'HI YA, THERE, MISTER PRESIDENT' [[image]] -Acme Photo President Harry S. Truman smilingly holds Hedgman Smith, age three, who captured the Chief Executive's fancy at Independence Day observance in Charlottesville, Va., by dashing up with a "Hi ya, there, Mister President." As part of the observance, President Truman visited the home of Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States. More Anti-Fire Recommendations Fire in the air and the almost inevitable flash fire of crash landings caused by integral fuel tanks was primarily responsible for the loss of lives in the PAA Constellation crackup near Mayadine, Syria, on June 19, 1947, all evidence seems to indicate. In a statement of causes and recommendations at the hearing into the crash held in New York on August 5, 6 and 7, ALPA maintained that the cause of the accident itself was engine failure with the resultant fire while the loss of life in the crash landing was largely attributed to the flash fire which ensued when the plane's integral fuel tanks burst due to the impact. "The cause of the accident," ALPA's representatives pointed out, "was the unforeseeable failure and resultant fire in a number two engine necessitating a possible control-boost-off landing at night in open country with an airplane on fire and in a generally unflyable condition due to the physical loss of number two engine and nacelle." "The cause of much of the loss of life in this accident was un-doubtedly due to the flash fire after landing caused by the breaking open of the integral fuel tanks in the left wing. Had this plane been equipped with the type of fuel tanks used in combat aircraft during the war, all of those killed in this accident might have survived." 11 Recommendations Pointing out that "this accident" has proved that engine fires and lack of ability to control them, are not a remote possibility," ALPA has submitted the following list of recommendations, strongly stressing the fire hazard, to the Civil Aeronautics Board: (1) Investigation be conducted to: (a) Obtain a more effective fire extinguisher with sufficient fire fighting material to put out all nacelle fires; (b) Design all fire walls and nacelle cowlings so they are fire proof in accordance with CAA definition of fire proofing for nacelle structures; and (c) Obtain a non-inflammable hydraulic fluid. (2) All inflammable fluid tanks be kept out of engine nacelles. (Note: Lockheed L-479 oil tank is now in the nacelle.) (3) That all inflammable fluids be provided with manual shut-off valves that are outside of engine nacelles. (4) That self-sealing characteristics and other desirable features of gasoline tanks developed for combat airplanes in the war should be incorporated in all air line aircraft. (5) That the development of a non-volatile fuel as the ideal goal should be pressed to the utmost. (6) All crew members' seats should be equipped with emergency overhead lights in the cabin and cockpit. (7) An emergency dry cell battery be installed in the rear of the cabin to light emergency overhead lights in the cabin and cockpit. (8) An emergency axe and machete be available in the cabin. (9) An investigation and perfection of a design for an emergency escape chute on the rear exit door be made as soon as possible. (10) A full size emergency exit, operatable from the inside or outside, be installed as far aft as possible on the opposite side from the main rear exit door. (11) A dump valve should be provided to expel all oxygen from the pressurized bottles before crash landing to eliminate possible spontaneous fires after crash landing or intensifying a fire by feeding it oxygen. IN THE RECORDS OF THE CONGRESS Year in and year out the AIR LINE PILOT is one of the most often quoted publications in the Congressional Record, chronicle of our nation's lawmakers. It is a rare session of Congress, indeed, when articles or excerpts from ALPA's official publication are not entered into the Record to become part of our government's archives. The 80th session of Congress, just adjourned, was no exception. The June editorial of ALPA President David L. Behncke, "No Better Reasons," which was an indictment of CAB investigation of the AOA Stephenville, Newfoundland, crash, was inserted in the Congressional Record on July 1, 1947, by Hon. Hugh A. Meade (R., Ad.) and appeared on Page A3472. More Refinements [[italicized]] (Continued from Page 5, Col. 5)[[/italicized]] who have not replied to Headquarters to many letters sent them offering any extenuating circumstances or requests for leniency. In the future, the Bookkeeping Department will continue to expel members when they reach the delinquent level established in the By-Laws. At the beginning of the collection program, there was an outstanding balance due from delinquents of over $100,000.00. Already this has been cut to less than $40, 000.00, and is being reduced further daily. A further refinement of our Bookkeeping Department procedure will take place with the advent of the fourth quarter. Heretofore, all of our bookkeeping records have been kept on an over-all A through Z alphabetical list. Consequently in a collection program we have had to work with this over-all breakdown necessitating in many instances sending scolding letters to council chairmen whose council members are 100 per cent paid up-to-date. The system, as it was set up, necessitated these all-inclusive sweeps through the entire membership in order to catch the delinquents. The new set-up will find the members' account cards broken down and filed by council and airline rather than on an A though Z basis. This means our collection efforts in the future can be directed where they are needed. In other words, the paid-up councils will not receive the collection letters they received in the past. All of our efforts can be concentrated on the councils where delinquencies exist. Insures Efficiency It is felt that this new method will further insure a more efficient handling of our incoming dues bookkeeping problem, as well as materially assist in forthcoming collection drives. Special efforts are being made to eliminate another bugahood in the Bookkeeping Department. This is correspondence. With insufficient personnel in the past, letters went unanswered for too long a period. This situation has been practically eliminated. The new dues method based on a percentage of earnings has been well received in the field, although there have been a few customary gripes directed at Headquarters, many of the pilots still do not realize that it was placed into effect by Convention mandate, as a result of a spirited last-minute dramatic effort on the part of a copilot representative on the floor of the Convention. Yet our critics try to say copilots are denied representation in ALPA-Tish! Tish! TWA strike benefits have all gone forward to the TWA pilots, a goodly portion of the money covering these checks had to come from the central treasury in that 100 per cent payment of the strike assessment has not yet been forthcoming from the members. Many chairmen apparently have not yet informed their members that the assessment should have been paid as billed and not on a pro rata basis determined by the nineteen-day period of the strike. Nears Current Status The response to E & O assessment has been extremely encouraging and only a comparatively few members have failed to respond on this item. The Bookkeeping Department is now well on its way towards achieving a 100 per cent current status. Contributing to the general overall delay in accomplishing this end has been the uncertain, rapidly changing industry picture. Pilots have been shifted from base to base, faster than our records could be changed and consequently dues billings went to improper addresses thus further delaying their receipt. A general overhauling of our membership addresses now in progress, will further aid in bringing up to date our bookkeeping procedure. In line with our new set-up to keep all Headquaters' bookkeeping records on an air line and council basis rather than an over-all A through Z alphabetical basis, comes the realization that a large portion of the dues collection program rest local councils. Local council officials can easily take care of what might be a difficult collection problem from Headquarters. It has been noted that many chairmen have appointed Dues Collection. Commitees to assist Headquarters in collecting delinquent amounts outstanding, and also to acquaint the council members more fully with the need of paying current dues promptly. This is a step in the right direction and such committees should be activated by all councils on a permanent basis to assist Headquarters. For AA's Ardmore Shotgun --- A Blank [[italicized]](Continued from Page 1, Col. 3)[[/italicized]] had passed their CAA check for an ATR or a CAA recheck within a year of the time of their dismissal. Cross-Country Hearings The Adjustment Board hearings, which wound up in Memphis on August 1, began in Ft. Worth, Texas, on July 17, switched to New York on July 22, and reached the scene of its grand finale in Memphis on July 29, after a series of initial company hearings in which the company refused thus far to reinstate the dismissed pilots with the exception of one. The case of J. W. Crumby, of Local Council No. 19, AA-Southern; was held in Fort Worth on July 17; those of W. B. Moody, of Local Council No. 39, AA-Chicago; R. R. Parrish, of Local Council No. 22, AA-New York; were held in New York on July 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26; and finally those of H. M. Morgan and A. V. Lynch, of Local Council No. 35, AA-Memphis; and J. F. Bell, of Local Council No. 40, AA-Cleveland; coupled with two group grievances, one filed by Local Council No. 35, AA-Memphis; and the other by Local Council No. 40, AA-Cleveland; were held in Memphis on July 29, 30, and 31, and August 1. The two group grievances, which were basically identical, were combined for hearing and heard simultaneously after consolidation. The Board of Adjustment consisted of G. R. Shoemaker and Wayne Allison, both of Local Council No. 62, AA-Tusla; the pilot members, and R. W. Knight and T. L. Boyd, of American Airlines, representing the company. MEC Is Present The seriousness with which the pilots view the gross injustices heaped upon the victims of the Ardmore fiasco was indicated by the presence of the American Airlines Pilots Master Executive Council at the final hearings in Memphis. American Airlines MEC members present at these hearings were: J. H. Burns, of Local Council No. 40, AA-Cleveland; H. W. Sussott of Local Council No. 62, AA-Tusla; D. S. Shipley, of Local Council No. 22, AA-New York; L. W. Yager, of Local Council No. 35, AA-Memphis; K. P. Sisk, of Local Council No. 50, AA-Nashville; S. C. Buchanan, also of Local Council No. 50, AA-Nashville; F. J. Schwartz, of Local Council No. 39, AA-Chicago; and S. E. Pangburn, of Local Council No. 6, AA-Boston. Pilot reaction to the Ardmore Screening Program has been strong and militant ever since its inception. One of them described it: "The most vicious shotgun method of pilot elimination that has been resorted to in the history of the airline piloting profession." Another commented: "Never before in the history of American Airlines has a pilot's job been absolutely dependent on a two or three day check without any flight training. It is pilot harassment in its worst form. Company Arguments Weak Despite vehement and persistent company attempts to justify the program, which have been weak, and to justify the dismissal of the eight pilots involved, which have been weaker, the reasons for the program in the first place and the dismissal of the pilots in the second place still remain obscure. None of the pilots fall within the probationary provisions of the AA contract, while at the same time it has been officially admitted by W. W. Braznell director of Flight operations for AA, on the stand and in the record, that none of the men had been released for anything they had done on the air line. The AA Ardmore Grievance cases, which because of the far-reaching implications they contain have developed into the largest and most important grievances and adjustment board hearings ever participated in by ALPA. [[image]] -Acme Photo [[caption]] YOUNGEST AND OLDEST Unlike the lyrics of that popular song, "They're Either Too Young or Too Old," they're neither too young nor too old-these air travelers of 1947. Looking as though they had just come from their cradle and favorite rocking chair, eight-moth-old "Kit" Croft and 86-year-old Rachel Henry represented both ends of the age ladder on the passenger list of National Airlines inaugural four-hour nonstop flight from Miami to Newark. Captain Ed Taaffe, of Local Council No. 73, National-Miami; the pilot of the plane, holds the baby who made the trip with his mother, Mrs. Ruth Croft. Yes, traveling by air is no longer for the adventuresome, and nobody keeps their feet on terra firma very long these days. [[/caption]] [[boxed]] FOR SEA-AIR BILL A $1,000,000 LOBBY In executive session, the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee took a sounding on H. R. 939, the so-called Sea-Air Bill, shortly before adjournment of the First Session of the 80th Congress. The result was 15 to 6 against amendments to the Civil Aeronautics Act which would permit steamship companies' entrance into the air transportation field, contrary to the present separation of land, sea and air transportation interests. By a bit of chairmanship maneuvering, this vote was thrown out and the Sea-Air, Chosen Instrument bills placed in the unfinished business drawer for action next session. An indication of the power behind the interests pushing this bill is seen in the monetary backing it has received. It is estimated by some reliable Capitol Hill sources that the lobbying on the Sea-Air Bill has approached the million dollar mark the session... or approximately $166,666.66 for lobbying for each of the six votes. [[/boxed]] August, 1947 THE AIR LINE PILOT Seven From Washington Slipstream After a month and a half as your Washington representative and in lobbying for air safety, I feel that my job is perhaps the easiest of that of any of the 800 or so registered lobbyists that pound the halls of the Nation's Capitol. I can find no one who is against air safety. Independent Air Safety Board Of main concern to pilots in whose hands rests the responsibility of success of our domestic and international air transportation system is the independent Air Safety Board. The major crusade of the Washington, as well as the Chicago ALPA office, is the re-establishedment of the independent Air Safety Board. The ending of the first session [[image]] Larry Cates Washington Representative Larry Cates, ALPA’s new Washington Representative, brings a rare Combination of aviation and legislative background to the Capitol Hill Post of the Air Line Pilots Association which he recently took over. An AAF World War II pilot with 4,000 plus logged hours and a commercial Instructor’s rating, Mr. Cates Held various governmental and air Line posts prior to coming to work For ALPA including the of Librarian Of the House of Representatives, Assistant to the vice-president in Charge of foreign projects on TWA, Senior staff assistant to the chairman Of the board on the same air line, And most recently on the staff of National Democratic Headquarters. One of the highlights of his Washington Career was the considerable Portion of time he spent working With the Select Committee to Investigate Air Accidents prior to the war. Mr. Cates’ column, Washington Slipstream, the first of which Appears in this issue, will henceforth Be a regular monthly feature of the AIR LINE PILOT. Of the 80th Congress, just completed, saw aviation leaders in the House and Senate leave behind unfinished this all important aviation legislation: in the Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee S. 269, by Senator McCarran (Nev.) and in the House sister committee, H. R. 1540, by Hon. Hinshaw (Calif.) and H. R. 3944 by Hon. King (Calif.). These measures remain unreported to the floors of the respective Houses of Congress. In spite of an all-out vigorous campaign by the Air Line Pilots Association, this legislation was sidestepped in the prevailing confusion during this last session and left on the unfinished business list in these committees. Regardless of this dangling situation, there is still a great deal of encouragement to be had in the fact that reactivation of the independent Air Safety Board is gaining supporters in both Houses of the Congress. In almost every issue of the Congressional Record and in any report concerning aviation, there is continuously increasing mention of the re-establishment of the independent Air Safety Board. Congress can rest assured that this will be one of the first items that will be presented to them on returning to Washington in January, and will, no doubt, be in a receptive mood after listening to their constituents, the public back home, where feeling is running high over the national disgrace of our air safety record. Safety Experts Even though personal plane manufacturers are going to great expense to provide personal planes for the members of Congress and their secretaries to use in learning to fly, very few members of our national legislature take advantage of this opportunity to learn the basic fundamentals of flying. Most of them would rather, in fact, jump in at the top and become experts on big transport operation and traffic-an old American custom of trying to walk before learning to crawl. The Chosen Instrument As Congress in general folded its main tent this season (session) and eased back into the collective home bailiwicks, leaving in Washington only the “Hughes - Brewster side show,” there remains on the House and Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committees’ slates, seven bills advocating the overthrow of the American way of competitive development of our international air operations; the so-called Chosen Instrument theory. [[image]] PATTERN OF DANGER An Air France Constellation rests in the calm, snowy-white, billowy pattern of potential disaster, with the white foam of fire fighting chemicals vividly outlining the area of potential fire from high-test gasoline spewed from ruptured integral fuel tanks, after the most minor of crashes or accidents. One of ALPA’s most persistent recommendations-which had been made repeatedly to Congress, the Civil Aeronautics Board, and aircraft manufacturers-is the replacement of all integral fuel tanks with cell type tanks as the first step toward whipping of the fire hazard with its needless loss of life and equipment. Integral wing tanks are apparently the offspring of the big plane mania, being standard equipment in Douglas DC-4, the Douglas DC-6, the Lockheed Constellation, and Convair 240. Notable exceptions in the proponents of “built in disaster” is Boeing which has shied away from the integral fuel tanks in both its Stratoliner and Stratocruiser, a step which will pay vast dividends in air line safety in the long run. There are five of these bills in the House and two in the Senate. These bills, advocating monopoly in the face of traditional American standards of regulated competition, are the aftermath of ten years of high pressure, big stake, back-door tactics by one of the best organized wrecking crews in the history of Washington lobbying, with the exception of the ever present railway group extending into every county in the country. Well directed, adroit maneuvering and a keen sense of evaluation of the majority opinion of Congress brought about the reprieve of the American Flag Line proposition for another try in the next session of the House and Senate. By pulling political strings, the backers of Chosen Instrument Policy avoided a vote on the measure and placed this proposed public swindle on the unfinished business list, where it will remain until they have sniffed the wind and found all elements to their liking for another try. A decade of boring, pounding, preaching, pushing at every opportunity has succeeded only in advancing the “Chosen Few” policy to the meager point but not at a meager cost to the American public. Had the money that has been dumped down this rat hole been invested in air safety over this period, there would be a lot of people alive today who left this world via an inferno of fire against some bleak mountain side or on dark approach to an airport. "I" Category Temperature From coast to coast our annual summer heat waves are breaking records and making the runways shorter and shorter as well as adding pounds and pounds to the gross loads, while the new regulation providing for temperature effect in the ”T” Category fails to make its appearance in spite of President Truman's ”command” that the findings of the Presidential Board of Inquiry on Air Safety shall be ”put into effect as soon as possible.” At this rate the CAA-CAB is going to look pretty silly coming out with a new regulation based on the effect of heat on takeoffs and climbs with the runways and ground covered with snow and ice and with the Christmas lights in the small communities making the airways look like a continuous string of big broad runways from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Who is responsible for this delay that is endangering hundreds of lives this summer? THE NON-POLITICAL PACHYDERM Although there are no “Handle With Care” or “Fragile” tags in evidence, this piece of seem to be getting plenty of attention. And why not? It's undoubtedly the first time in history an elephant took an airplane ride, so it's a momentous occasion for the pachyderm kingdom as well as the air lines. Who are we to say, but with rumor flying fast and furious and everyone trying to get into the act, it's anybody's guess as to whos name will grace those 1948 ballot... and could it be that the GOP is caught in the act of smuggling in a new candidate, or, maybe the Taft-Hartley Bill has stunted its growth. [[image]] But Robert Bean (center with hand on elephant's back), who is director of Chicago's famed Brookfield zoo, says it isn't so, and as a matter of fact he isn't at all sure of “Baby's” political affiliations or if she even has any. “Baby's” full name is “Baby Brookfield” and she is slated to join other members of her clan who roam the suburban zoological gardens. In the above photo, “Baby” is shown just prior to alighting from the plane at Chicago Municipal Airport. The young man who is holding the chain attached to “Baby's” foot is John Royola, who brought the small elephant from Siam. It's truly a remarkable innovation in air transportation when the inhabitants of Siam's steaming jungles can be transplanted in few hours to Chicago's man-made jungles where, incidentally, the climate hasn't been much different lately unless it's been a little bit hotter... and we wouldn't take any bets on that either way. THIS WAY OUT Sign at Oak Ridge Tenn.: “If you must smoke, do so. Then leave by the exit that will suddenly appear in the roof.” PURE CORN Marriage: Advice to maidens: Don't marry a man to reform him. The rites never right him and the altar won't altar him. A playboy is a man consisting of top hat, white lies and tales. It's all right to tell a girl she has pretty ankles, but don't compliment her too highly. A girl doesn't have to worry very much about her family tree if she has the right kind of limbs. THREE STRIKES AND OUT The sports editor of the Toonerville Tribune is still wondering why he got fired for his story of the Sunday school girls' baseball game which said: “Everything was going fine for the local girls until the fifth inning when the bags got loaded.” NOTHING IS NEW [[image]] LA916-7/6-LOs ANGELES: R.Dewitt Miller, recognized investigator of psychic and natural phenomena and author of "Forgotten Mysteries, revealed that at least 100 cases in which “flying saucers” were sighted have been reported during last 150 years. On March 22, 1870., a flat light colored disc was observed by the ship, “Lady of the Lake”, in mid-atlantic. Disc appeared large and intelligently controlled. Report of site made in journal of Meteorological Society and sketch included. Sketch is similar to sketches made by observers of flying saucers. CREDIT ((ACME TELEPHOTO)) Just in case you're wondering about the above caption, here's what is says: R.Dewitt Miller, recognized investigator of psychic and natural phenomena and author of “Forgotten Mysteries,” revealed that at least 100 cases in which “flying saucers” were sighted have been reported during last 150 years. On March 22, 1870, a flat light colored disc was observed by the ship “Lady of the Lake” in mid-Atlantic. Disc appeared large and intelligently controlled. Report of sight made in journal of Royal Meteorological Society and sketch included. Sketch is similar to sketches made by observers of flying saucers.
Transcription Notes:
Start transcript on page seven under “T” Category Temperature beginning of first paragraph
