| Show GENERAL GENERA V. V HUGH S 5 JOHNSON J 4 ANUs k PILOT TRAINING Five 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 serve service service ice by farming the students out to civilian pilots in groups of from 10 to 40 to be trained at so much a head I said that it was not prop prop- properly properly erly 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 experienced and impartial training experts upon whose judgment I rely From other such men that column re re- received received re- re received indorsement but by some in in- interested interested interested in that program I was told with various degrees of indignation that I did not know what I was talking about Wayne Parrish editor of Amer Amer- American American American ican 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 this 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 to whether congress was told that noth noth- nothing nothing nothing ing in the plan commits any trainee to any kind of military service but Mr Parrish reports that pros pros- prospects prospects 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 military training No military or naval authority is very clearly on record but private private- privately ly neither branch believes that a satisfactory substitute for lor the service service service ice primary courses can be given 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 inspection service of the old CAA which hung up so remarkable a record of air safety on the transport lines Veteran inspectors are being sub sub- submerged submerged submerged merged weeded out or resign in disgust to make places for less experienced ex ex- experienced experienced men It lt 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 any inde inde- independent independent independent pendent schools by instructors themselves of a wide variety of ex ex- experience experience perien e and training without an in in- inspection inspection inspection service rating almost per per- perfect perfect feet efficiency Many of the so- so called private flying specialists specialists' who are directing this loose joint joint- jointed ed cd organization for training mili mili- military military military tary and naval pilots were examined examinee and failed to qualify under the old inspection service as inspectors In this new specialist rating they receive higher pay than experienced ex ex- experienced experienced inspectors inspectors a year as compared with or the latter figure being the highest higl est rate in the old inspection service ser ice 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 reported 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 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 in- intellectuals 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 its flying fort fort- fortresses fortresses fortresses and detach from our navy the mosquito torpedo boats which con con- congress congress congress gress recently prevented the President President President dent 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 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 President President President dent doesn't care either After the terrible rolling we got for 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 oC 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 fully fi financed fl by somebody is threatening to get away with it |
