Show air mail completes year without A single fatality 0 the air mail service is jubilant over having finished a whole year s record without a single fatality planes flying on the various divi between new york and sau san francisco had covered more than 1 miles and carried more than 49 letters weighing 1 pounds last year when the first through shipment from coast to coast was made 17 lives were lost including those of three pilots the e record from july 16 1921 to july 16 this year Is by tar far the most wonderful performance in the history of practical flying the percentage of trips completed was 92 5 per cent as compared with 83 per cent of the previous year this Is comparable with the best railroad records officials of the air mall mail service attribute the new record to the tact fact that the pilots have become better accustomed to their routes several of which contain some of the most perilous flying country in the world there are stretches of more than thin miles over the where a stopped engine means calling it a day every day not less than 21 pilots are in the air flying approximately 6 miles or more than twice the number of miles from new york to california the total number of miles flown last year equalled equal led 70 times the distance around the world mall mail sent through new york to san francisco Is taken across in three days beating the railroad railroads by more than a day pilots fly by div alons their speed averaging about miles an hour sometimes when the wind Is to with them taster faster than three miles a minute |