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Show I AERO CLUB OF AMERICA I MAKES APPEAL FOR SIM H To cnablo the Aviation Detach- B mcnt of tho Now York National H Guard, which wob started with funds H supplied through tho National Aero- H plane Fund of tho Aero Club of Am- H erica, to extend Its work and train BL twelve men, Instead of two, as orlg- V&9 Inally planned,, tho Exccutlvo Board U( of tho Aero Club of America appeals 9 for public contributions; tho sum IB needed is $10,000. B This decision to appeal for contrl- H buttons was reached after consldora- H tion of tho olBclal monthly report of H Raynal C. Boiling, Commanding the H Aviation Detachment of tho Nation- H al Guard of Now York, to his super- H lor ofllcers which shows that rapid H progress has been mado In tho or- H ganlzlng of tho Aviation Detachment Hj and training of mon. H Mayor General John F. O'Ryan H states that tho National Guard Is vl- H tally Interested in tho subject of H military aviation and that tho Avia- H tton Detachment can bo dovelopcd H substantially It additional funds can H bo obtained, "Tho main thing," says General B OTtyan, "Is monoy, cooperation to fl provide us with tho material things B needed by an organization of thin B character.. B "Wo have tho men in training and B their training is qulto exacting; but B we need material things; wo need B funds for tho training of the person- B nel, is well as for more aeroplanes." B Lieutenant Raynal C. Boiling's lat- B est roport follows: I "During December, 1915, tho Avia- I tion Detachment continued Us work I with regularity, interrupted only by I two or thrco sovcro storms and mado slxty-threo lllghts, somo of which I were of a half hour's duration. I "At a conservative estimate, tho aeroplanes of tho Dotachmcnt havo I flown upwards of 1230 miles slnco I training begun on November 1, 19115. I Thcso two Gallaudet machines which wo havo been flying havo proved B satisfactory. Ono of tho members B of tho Detachment has now mado fl four flights alone, and several othcra fl aro now about ready to begin flying fl alone. Somo dangers to tho landing fl chassis of tho 50 ho;so power mach-K mach-K lne has prevented Its uso during most f"V of December, so that thcso men who tjtiw pro ready to begin flying alono havo V had to wait Until this slower, roach- jfl lne could bo repaired. Repairs will H to completed within the next fow HJ days. H "I consider that tho work of tho H Detachment during tho month of H December proves thnt actual work In fl tho field can bo carried on through' out tho winter, as weather conditions condi-tions havo been unusually bad and tho flying Held has been covered with snow a largo part of tho time. "Tho Dotachment could already havo been recruited to its full strength without any difficulty; but instead of accepting nil or a majority major-ity of tho men who havo mado appli. cations, I have placed n majority of their names upon a waiting list from which I am making tho most careful selection. Tho facilities at our dls posal nro very meager, so that the number of men who can bo given ne tual Instruction In flying Is limited. This makes it Important to select tho men on n comparative basis, so that tho man who Is merely accept nblo may not fill a vacancy for which nn especially qualified, man may lat er bo secured. For example, by tno application of this principle 1 have been ablo to recently recruit thrco men who aro mechanical engineers connected with two of the largo nil-tomobllo nil-tomobllo companies. Ono of theno men is tho Chief Engineer of hi company. Both, by reason of their professional training and their present pres-ent occupation, havo expert and theoretical the-oretical knowledge of gas engines, ni well as practical knowledge This in tho way In which I expect to obtain tho necessary expert mechanical members of tho Detachment. "I am taking up with the reputablo aeroplane manufacturers tho possibility possi-bility of. obtaining somo cooperation from them In this National Guard work. "I encloso a statement of tho rog u'nr expenses of tho Detachment up-portlonablc up-portlonablc to tho month of December, Decem-ber, which aro Bomewhat greater than ordinary by reason of repairs to the 50 horso power machine. "Our experience during the past two months bIiowb that from two to four aeroplanes aro absolutely essential es-sential to the training of nn aviation detachment. Minor repairs and main tenanco to tho aeroplanes must Ijb kept up constantly In order to minimize mini-mize tho danger of serious accident. This keeps ono or moro of tho ma chines out of commission a good deal of tho time and seriously limits tho number of men who can bo train cd to fly nnd tho amount of Hying they can do. Merely reducing tho number of men )y nro being traliu ed does not relievo the situation bo-causo bo-causo tho overhead expenses of the professional pilot nnd export mechanic mechan-ic nnd other fixed Items, remain tho same whether six men nro under Instruction, In-struction, or twelvo or fifteen." Signed UAYNAL C. BOLLlNG. |