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Show DECLARES PILOT IS NOT A SUPERBEING S. A. Morehouse Objects to This Romantic Idea. New Tork. Sllaa A. Morehouse ob-Jecta ob-Jecta strenuously to the Idea that a pilot Is a superbelng. The romonce-lovlng romonce-lovlng part of the public, be declares, has built up a tradition about the man who flies an airplane that would have him thought of aa a combination of a Caesar, Magellan, Mussolini and Robin Hood. "It's all wrong, the Idolization by the public," said Morehouse, who Is chief pilot of a big air transport company. com-pany. "A pilot la an ordinary man, filled with normal ambitions, who does his work as It comes, occasionally doing do-ing something outstanding because the opportunity comes bis way. 8ound Judgment Strewed. "Common sense la a Jewel of a phrase. It associates directly with good judgment, and In hiring pilots for my line I strive to determine the amount of good Judgment a pilot has. Of course, this comes only after we are satisfied that he knows perfectly the mechanical part of piloting." The age at which a pilot Is best fitted fit-ted to start flying big transport planes Is, In most cases, between 23 and 32, Morehouse said. By that time he has learned his profession, thoroughly, thor-oughly, and moreover, lias satisfied bis desire for experimenting with planes in the air and Is content with safe flight Transport line pilots heretofore have come from the ranks of army and navy pilots almost exclusively. His company, according to Morehouse, has only one pilot who has had no military mili-tary or naval experience. For the futi're. however, the air transport lines must look to the commercial schools for their new men. "The average course for this instruction in-struction necessitates an outlay of about $7,000," be pointed out, "$5,000 for the course and the rest for expenses. ex-penses. Then the graduate must flg- ure on working as copilot for several months or yeara until he makes more than living costs. "A training course for an air transport trans-port license can be likened to that of the education of a physician. While the time required la not so long, the qualifications are great, and money expended as much. Constant Service Valued. "It is very nnusual when we tnke a man who has left aviation for a while and wants to return to his old love. We believe that a pilot should have constantly associated himself with planes from the time be learned to nantiie tne controls. "Personally, I would rather a pilot that I employed bad not been In a crack-up, although others argue that such an incident makes an airman more careful. But I believe that if a man erred once, there is a possibility it may occur again. We know tbe record of every man we employ. A similar procedure is taken by steamship steam-ship companies In selecting their navigators." |
