| Show r GENERAL HUGH S. S JOHNSON i J Jour Jr J Sw PILOT TRAINING WASHINGTON Five Five weeks ago I questioned the value and efficiency of the civilian pilot training pro pro- program program program gram which is a plan to train pilots for military and naval servo service servIce ice by farming the students out to civilian chilian pilots in groups of from 10 to 40 to be trained at so much a n head I said that It was not prop prop- properly properly erly enly supervised was dangerous and unlikely to produce many military and naval pilots who would not have to start all over again In the primary training of the armed services I wrote that after seeing the plan in process and talking with experienced experienced and impartial training experts upon whose judgment I rely From other such men that column re re- received received rc- rc indorsement but by some in in- interested interested in that program I was told I with various degrees of indignation that I did not know what I was talking about I Wayne Parrish editor of Amer Amen American American ican lean Aviation has watched this development closely has recently made a study of it and has not as asa asa asa a recent gossip column implied the remotest political Interest In an editorial in the September 15 issue he goes a lot further than did my column and even hints at the very odorous condition which may result in a congressional Investigation Assistant Secretary of Commerce Hinckley wangled a total appropriation appropriation apprOpriation of to finance thin thi program It was presented as a defense move to train pilots pilots- perhaps for Mr Roosevelt's phantom planes The record is not clear as tc to whether congress was told that noth noth- ing-in ing the plan commits any trainee to any kind of military service but Mr Parrish reports r ports that pros prospects are assured that there Is no such obligation and told just to for for- forget forget forget get that part of it Out of 77 graduates graduates graduates ates of the secondary course 76 didn't seek seck military training S S S SNo No military or naval authority is very clearly cle on record but private private- privately ly neither branch believes that a satisfactory substitute for the service service service ice primary courses can be given g ven in this haphazard fashion Those who doubted the wisdom of the transfer of the independent CAA to the political department of com com- commerce commerce commerce merce do not feel much encouraged encouraged encouraged aged by these developments nor by bythe bythe bythe the increasing sabotage of the in inspection in in- inspection service of the old CAA which hung up so remarkable a record of air safety on on the transport l s v t Veteran inspectors are being sub sub- submerged submerged merged d weeded out or resign in disgust to make places for less ex experienced experienced men It is hard enough to understand how military and naval pilots can be trained by a slapped together hay crate organization of civilian pilots but harder still to see how a safe and uniform course of instruction instruction instruction tion can be given in so many inde inde- independent independent independent pendent schools by instructors themselves of a wide variety of ex ex- experience experience and training without an in inspection service rating almost per per- perfect perfect feet efficiency Many of the so- so called private flying specialists who are directing this loose joint joint- jointed ed organization for training mili mill military military tary tory and naval pilots were examined and failed to qualify under the old inspection service as inspectors In this new specialist rating they receive higher pay than ex ex- experienced experienced inspectors inspectors a year as compared with or the latter figure being the highest rate in the old inspection service This and similar policies are stripping that service of compe compe- competent competent competent tent men Much worse faults of carelessness and monkey business have been re re- reported reported ne- ne ported but I have been unable to confirm them What this situation needs is a congressional tion Maybe it will get it but It-but but not until after the election S SS DEFENDING BRITAIN While I was In Chicago recently the Defend America by Defending Britain committee staged a mass meeting meeting largely largely of Gold Coast in intellectuals in- in in In the Coliseum It was harangued by several eminent breast beating war criers All they ask now is to strip our inadequate army air force of 50 of 01 its flying fortresses and detach from our navy the mos mos- mosquito mosquito mosquito quito torpedo boats which congress recently prevented the President from sending to Britain How this kind of thing could be bedone bedone bedone done lawfully lawfully even even under the at at- attorney attorney attorney torney generals general's phoney opinion by which the destroyers were detached without even consulting congress congress- doesn't appear These people dont don't care They dont don't even worry about that because they know the Pres President i- i dent dart doesn't care either S S S After the terrible rolling we got for lor listening to our Anglophiles In 1917 I never expected to live to see seethe seethe seethe the day when anybody would be dumb enough on the one hand and have nerve enough on the other to defy the great weight of American public opinion and try to push us in in- into into Into to another world war to make the world safe for anything but our own country This Eastern Seaboard propaganda apparently lul y fi financed fi fi- financed by somebody is threatening to get away with it |
