FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996

1927, announced the award of the Chicago-New York route to the newly formed National Air Transport. (See Aug 31, 1927.) Nov 16, 1926: Dr. Louis Hopewell Bauer became the first Medical Director of the Aeronautics Branch. A major in the Medical Corps at the time of his appointment, Dr. Bauer had spent more than half of his 13- year Army career in the Air Service. (See Feb 28, 1927.) Dec 7, 1926: The first airway light beacon erected by the Aeronautics Branch began operation. The beacon was located 15 miles northeast of Moline, Ill., on the Chicago-Dallas air mail route. By Jun 30, 1927, there were 4,121 miles of lighted airways, including 2,041 miles on the transcontinental airway that had been previously lighted by the Post Office Department. (See Apr 1973.) Dec 7, 1926: The Aeronautics Branch made its first official airworthiness inspection of an American aircraft when Inspector Ralph Lockwood tested a Stinson Detroiter before its delivery to Canadian Air Express. Dec 18, 1926: The first issue of Domestic Air News, the Aeronautics Branch official publication, appeared. (See Jul 1, 1929.) Dec 31, 1926: The first Air Commerce Regulations of the Aeronautics Branch, Department of Commerce, became effective. Promulgated under provisions of the Air Commerce Act of 1926, these regulations resulted from many conferences between the Aeronautics Branch and pilots, operators, manufacturers, the Army, the Navy, and the Post Office Department. The regulations required all aircraft engaged in interstate or foreign commerce to be licensed and marked with an assigned identification number. Pilots of licensed aircraft were required to hold private or commercial licenses. Commercial pilots were classed as either transport or industrial. Mechanics repairing aircraft engaged in air commerce were required to secure either engine or airplane mechanic licenses, or both. Owners, pilots, and mechanics affected had until Mar 1 (later extended to May 1), 1927, to place their applications on file. Pending action on these applications by the Aeronautics Branch, those applying by the specified date could continue operating as previously until Jul 1, 1927. Failure to apply as required was punishable by a $500 fine. The regulations also prescribed operational and air traffic safety rules. (See Mar 22, 1927.) *1927 Feb 28, 1927: Domestic Air News published a list of 57 physicians qualified to give medical examinations for pilot licenses. Scattered over the United States, these physicians (soon to be known as aviation medical examiners) had been selected and qualified by Aeronautics Branch Medical Director Louis H. Bauer. By Oct 1, 1927, the number of qualified physicians had grown to 188, and additional appointees were added from time to time. Besides these civilian medical examiners, all Army and Navy flight surgeons were qualified ex officio to give airman medical examinations. (See Jun 1, 1945.) Mar 22, 1927: The first general amendments to the Air Commerce Regulations took effect (see Dec 31, 1926). Among the many mandated changes were the addition of a limited commercial pilot license classification to the existing categories of transport, industrial, and private. The new category permitted pilots to carry passengers within a ten mile radius of their base while building up flight time for a transport license. The amendments altered the original system under which the identification numbers for licensed aircraft would be preceded by the letter "C" (commercial), “S” (state), or "P" (private). The “P” designation was now dropped and “X” (experimental) was added. The regulations also required the identification number of an aircraft engaged in foreign air commerce be preceded by the letter "N" (denoting U.S. registry in accordance with a 1919 international convention). The “N” was optional at this time for other licensed aircraft. Later, the identification numbers of all U.S. licensed aircraft began with "N", followed by numbers and/or letters under systems that varied as the registration process evolved. Mar 29, 1927: The Aeronautics Branch issued Aircraft Type Certificate No. 1 to the Buhl Airster C-A3, a three-place open biplane. The plane had an empty weight of 1,686 pounds and its engine had a horsepower rating of 200. By the end of fiscal year 1927, the total of aircraft type certificates issued had reached nine. The rate of type certification then progressively increased. By the end of fiscal year 1928, the total had reached 47; by the end of fiscal 1929, 170; by Jan 15, 1930, 287. Apr 6, 1927: William P. MacCracken, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, received Pilot License No. 1, a private pilot license, from the Aeronautics Branch. MacCracken thus became the first person to obtain a pilot license from a civilian agency of the U.S. Government. (During World War I, the Joint Army and Navy Board on Aeronautic Cognizance had issued flying licenses to civilian individuals and companies. The Board acted under the authority of a Presidential proclamation, issued on Feb 28, 1918, which described the program as a wartime security measure; however, the proclamation remained in effect until Jul 31, 1919, more than eight months after the Armistice.) Before accepting License No. 1, MacCracken had offered this honor to Orville Wright, promising to waive the fee and examination. Wright declined because he no longer flew and did not think he needed a Federal license to show that he had been the first man to fly. Like Secretary Hoover, Wright believed MacCracken should receive License No. 1. (See Aug 19, 1940.) Apr 30, 1927: The Aeronautics Branch announced that it had recently acquired three aircraft: two Buhl Airsters (open cockpit) and one Stinson-Detroiter (cabin plane). The Branch planned to add one Wright Travel Air (open cockpit) and one Fairchild FC-1A (cabin plane). May 20-21, 1927: Charles A. Lindbergh, a former air mail pilot, made the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic in an airplane, a Ryan monoplane dubbed the Spirit of St. Louis. He flew the 3,610 miles from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, N.Y., to Le Bourget Field, Paris, France, in 33 hours 29 minutes. Lindbergh's feat provided a strong stimulus to U.S. aviation, and made him a world hero whose fame overshadowed earlier Atlantic crossings by air. The first transatlantic flight had been made in stages on May 16-27, 1919, from Newfoundland to Lisbon, via the Azores, by a U.S. Navy Curtiss NC-4 seaplane, flown by a six-man crew commanded by Albert C. Read. That same year, on Jun 14-15, Royal Air Force pilots John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown crossed the Atlantic nonstop from Newfoundland to Ireland in a Vickers Vimy. The following month, another Royal Air Force crew, commanded by G. H. Scott, flew the airship R-34 from Scotland to New York (Jul 2-6), then returned to England (Jul 9-13). Between Jul 30 and Aug 31, 1924, two U.S. Army Douglas World Cruiser seaplanes (manned by Lowell H. Smith, Leslie P. Arnold, Erik H. Nelson, and John Harding), flew from England to Labrador during the course of history's first round-the-world flight. Three other aircraft with multiple crew members had also crossed the Atlantic before Lindbergh's "Lone Eagle" flight. Jun 4-5, 1927: Charles A. Levine, a New York businessman, became the first person to cross the Atlantic by airplane as a passenger when he flew nonstop between New York and Germany in a Bellanca monoplane piloted by Clarence Chamberlin, whom he had sponsored. Jun 25, 1927: Construction of the Propeller Research Tunnel was completed at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The largest research facility of its kind up to that time, the wind tunnel could accommodate the entire fuselage of a full- sized airplane, making it possible to conduct aerodynamic tests on full-scale fuselages, propellers, and other airplane parts. The facility, which was to make great contributions to aeronautical development (see Nov 1928), was part of a series of wind tunnels. NACA had begun operating its first wind tunnel on Jun 11, 1920. Later developments included a refrigerated tunnel, which NACA placed in operation in 1928 for study of icing on wings and propellers. In the spring of 1931, NACA began operating a Full Scale Tunnel large enough to test the performance of actual aircraft. Jun 28-29, 1927: Army lieutenants A. F. Hegenberger and L. J. Maitland made the first nonstop flight between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii, taking off from Oakland, Calif., in a Fokker three-engine monoplane. Jun 30, 1927: The Aeronautics Branch announced that its first airways strip map was available for purchase: Moline, Ill., to Kansas City, Mo. Jun 30, 1927 The Aeronautics Branch issued Transport License No. 199 to Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie, probably the first woman to obtain a pilot license from a civilian agency of the U.S. government. (Other American women had previously received pilot licenses from the Joint Army and Navy Board on Aeronautic Cognizance, which issued civilian flying licenses during 1918-19, as well as from organizations such as the Federation Aeronautique Internationale.) The Aeronautics Branch also issued one of the early aircraft and engine mechanic's licenses to Omlie. Jul 1, 1927: The transcontinental airway was transferred to the Department of Commerce from the Post Office Department. Extending from New York to San Francisco, the airway was 2,612 miles long, with 2,041 miles lighted (see Jan 29, 1929). Its facilities included 92 intermediate landing fields, 101 electric beacons, and 417 acetylene beacons. Also included were 17 radio stations (see Mar 1, 1960). Personnel involved in the transfer included 45 radio operators, 14 maintenance mechanics, and 84 caretakers. At the same time, the Post Office relinquished air mail operations along the western section--Chicago to San Francisco--of the transcontinental route to Boeing Air Transport. Jul 1, 1927: Frank Gates Gardner of Norfolk, Va., received the first Federal aircraft mechanic license. Jul 1, 1927: The Secretary of Commerce appointed Clarence M. Young as Director of Aeronautics to administer the Aeronautics Branch under the general supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Aeronautics. A lawyer from Des Moines, Iowa, Young had served as a pilot on the Italian front in World War I and was later active in civil aeronautics. (See Oct 1, 1929.) Jul 4, 1927: The Lockheed Vega first flew. The single-engine, high-wing monoplane seating up to six passengers marked an important step toward the low-drag designs with which U.S. manufacturers were to revolutionize airliners in the 1930s. The Vega went into passenger service on Sep 17, 1928, with International Airlines. Aug 31, 1927: The Post Office Department turned over operation of its last air mail route, New York to Chicago, to National Air Transport (see Nov 15, 1926). Private operators under contract to the Post Office Department now conducted the entire service, a system that promoted the growth of the airline industry. Sep 1, 1927: American Railway Express and major airlines began air cargo express operations. Referring to the importance of this event, the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote that though it was "much less spectacular than the long transoceanic flights, the beginning of real commercial aviation is, from the practical point of view, the most worthy development of all." Oct 19, 1927: Pan American Airways began its operations with an air mail flight between the United States and Cuba, accomplished with a rented plane to meet a contract deadline. The company began regular air mail service between Key West and Havana on Oct 28, and scheduled passenger service on the route on Jan 16, 1928. Oct 1927: The International Radio Convention met in Washington, D.C. During sessions that lasted into November, the conferees secured international agreements on the use of certain frequencies by aircraft and airway control stations. As a result, it was necessary to reassign frequencies to the Airways Division of the Aeronautics Branch and to other U.S. Government agencies. The Aeronautics Branch assisted the Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee in making these reassignments. *1928 Jan 15, 1928: The Aeronautics Branch published a list of newly licensed pilots that included James Herman Banning as holder of a limited commercial license. Banning was the first known African American to receive a Federal pilot license. The first Federal transport pilot license issued to an African American is believed to have been received by C. Alfred “Chief” Anderson in 1932. Black aviators had been active in the United States as early as the years preceding World War I, an era when nearly all pilots were unlicensed. The first African American to receive a pilot certificate of any type was probably Eugene Bullard, who was licensed by the French air corps in 1917 and served as a combat pilot. In 1921, Bessie Coleman became the first African American to receive a pilot's certificate from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, an international organization based in Paris. Jan 31, 1928: The Aeronautics Branch's Domestic Air News reported an early instance of airplane noise nuisance. The proprietor of the Cackle Corner Poultry Farm, Garrettsville, Ohio, complained to the Postmaster General that low-flying planes were disrupting egg production. The Postmaster General forwarded the letter to National Air Transport, Inc., the private company operating the New York-Chicago air mail route, suggesting it make a special effort to maintain altitude over Garrettsville. Mar 8, 1928: The Foreign Air Mail Act expanded the U.S. Post Office's role in international mail by giving it new authority to award contracts for periods of up to ten years for transport of mail to foreign countries and U.S. insular possessions. Mar 20, 1928: The Department of Commerce announced the award of contracts for equipment that included 12 new radio stations capable keeping pilots advised of changes in weather conditions while they were in flight. At that time, the Department was operating 17 radio stations that had been received when it assumed responsibility for the transcontinental airway (see Jul 1, 1927). Known as Airway Radio Stations under Commerce, the facilities served as gathering points for data on weather and flights for use in pre- flight briefings for pilots. The stations transmitted this information along the airways by radiotelegraphy. (Soon, however, teletypewriter communications via ground lines began to be used for this purpose: see Jul 1, 1928) During Jan 1929, the Department reported that three stations were now broadcasting hourly voice weather reports to aircraft in flight. When necessary for safety, the stations also accepted messages from operating companies and transmitted them to pilots aloft. By Jun 30, 1929, 11 new standard stations had replaced older stations with obsolete arc-type equipment, and new radio equipment was installed at nine other locations. All these stations transmitted scheduled voice broadcasts. By mid-1933, there were 68 radio communication stations, and a growing number of pilots were able to send as well as receive transmissions. At the end of the following year, radio-equipped aircraft flying the airways included 326 with two-way radio and 449 with receiving sets only. Mar 28, 1928: Assistant Secretary of Commerce MacCracken called a special conference of representatives of the Army Air Corps, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, Weather Bureau, Bureau of Standards, and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics to study the causes and prevention of ice formation on aircraft, and to discuss the possible development of an instrument to indicate when ice forms on an aircraft in flight. Apr 12-13, 1928: Hermann Koehl, a German, and James Fitzmaurice, an Irishman, accompanied by one passenger, made the first nonstop east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic by airplane, flying from Ireland to a crash landing on Greenly Island, Labrador, in the Junkers W-33L Bremen. Apr 15-21, 1928: George Hubert Wilkins, an Australian explorer, and Carl Ben Eielson, an American pilot, made the first flight across the Arctic in a heavier-than-air craft, flying from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Spitsbergen, Norway, in a Lockheed Vega. Later in the year, Wilkins and Eielson flew the same Vega along the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, earning the distinction of being the first to operate an airplane in Antarctica. May 1, 1928: Pitcairn Aviation began operations along the Atlantic seaboard as a contract mail-hauler. The airline inaugurated passenger operations between New York and Washington on Aug 18, 1930, under the name Eastern Air Transport. The growing carrier acquired New York Airways in 1931 and Luddington Air Lines in 1933, and later took the name Eastern Air Lines in 1934. Eastern subsequently absorbed Colonial Airlines in 1956 and Mackey Air Lines in 1967. May 16, 1928: Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) came into being. Backed by powerful financial groups that allied manufacturers with operating airlines, TAT was unusual for its time in giving priority to passenger service rather than mail. The airline was popularly known as the "Lindbergh Line" because of its association with the famous aviator. (See Jul 7, 1929, and July 19, 1930.) May 17, 1928: Another amendment to the Air Mail Act of 1925 (see Jun 3, 1926) provided that air carriers that had operated satisfactorily on mail routes for two years could exchange their contracts for "air mail route certificates" for a period not to exceed 10 years. The amendment protected the investment of the airlines in the equipment necessary for carrying out their original contracts since the life of that equipment was considerably longer than the life of those contracts. At this time, mail contracts provided virtually the only profitable form of airline operation. (See Apr 29, 1930.) May 31-Jun 9, 1928: Australian pilots Charles E. Kingsford-Smith and Charles T. P. Ulm, accompanied by a navigator and a radioman, both Americans, made the first transpacific crossing by air. They flew from Oakland, Calif., to Brisbane, Australia, with stopovers at Hawaii and the Fiji Islands, in a modified Fokker F.VII. Jun 11, 1928: Friedrich Stamer made the first rocket-powered piloted flight, in a tailless glider, at Wasserkuppe, Germany. Takeoff was assisted by an elastic launching rope. The craft traveled approximately one mile. Jun 17-18, 1928: Wilmer Stultz piloted a pontoon-equipped Fokker from Newfoundland to Wales on the first nonstop transatlantic flight by a seaplane. He was accompanied by a mechanic and by Amelia Earhart, the first woman transatlantic air passenger. Jun 20, 1928: Braniff Air Lines began operations. Organized by brothers Thomas and Paul Braniff, the airline carried passengers between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The brothers soon sold their airline, but later organized Braniff Airways, which began operations on Nov 13, 1930, in the same region. After expanding and acquiring Latin American routes, the company changed its name to Braniff International Airways on Jun 4, 1948. Jun 30, 1928: During the quarter that ended on this date, the Commerce Department's Aeronautics Branch established a five-member Aircraft Accident Board to investigate and analyze civil aircraft accidents with a view to determining and eliminating their causes. Jun 30, 1928 During fiscal 1928, which ended on this date, the Commerce Department succeeded in developing a practical radio navigation beacon system. Two series of flight tests were conducted on the New York-Cleveland airway between Jul 1927 and Feb 1928. During fiscal 1929, the Aeronautics Branch standardized a type of four-course radio range system in which pilots listened to aural signals to determine if they were on course. By Jun 30, 1929, the Branch was able to report that seven of these standard radio beacons were in operation, providing a continuous radio-marked course from Omaha to New York and from Key West to Havana. The Branch stepped up installation of four-course radio ranges in the early 1930s. This type of facility became the standard civil air navigation aid, and retained that status until after World War II (see Calendar year 1952 and Sep 5, 1974). Jul 1, 1928: The Commerce Department began using teletype machines to transmit aviation weather information. Among the first airport stations to receive teletypes were those at Hadley Field, N.J., Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, Ill., and Concord, Calif. Those units were all connected with the central office at Washington, D.C., from which data were exchanged for all locations. By Oct 1938, the teletype weather communications system had been extended to a total of 21,790 miles, covering all 48 states except Maine, New Hampshire, and South Dakota. Aug 1, 1928: As a first step toward promoting uniform state aeronautical legislation consistent with Federal law, the Aeronautics Branch issued Aeronautics Bulletin No. 18 reviewing the characteristics of various state statutes and setting forth suggested drafts of required laws. At this time, 20 states had no aeronautical legislation. (See Dec 16, 1930.) Sep 15, 1928: The Aeronautics Branch published civil aviation accident statistics for the first half of 1928. There was a total of 390 accidents, of which 34 occurred in scheduled flying, 69 in student instruction, 17 in experimental operations, and 270 in miscellaneous flying. Assigned causes blamed pilot error for 43.29 percent of the accidents, engine failure for 16.59 percent, weather for 10.23 percent, and airport or terrain for 8.72 percent. There was a total of 153 fatalities and 276 injuries. Only six of the fatalities occurred in scheduled flying. Sep 18, 1928: The Graf Zeppelin, the most successful rigid airship ever built, first flew. By the time it was retired in 1937, this craft had flown more than a million miles, spent 16,000 hours in the air, and carried 13,100 passengers. Sep 19, 1928: The Packard Motor Car Company flight tested the first diesel engine to power heavier- than-air craft. Diesel aircraft engines seemed promising but proved too heavy, and interest in their development waned during the 1930s. Oct 31, 1928: Statistics published by the Aeronautics Branch indicated that of the 3,659 pilots holding active licenses, nine states and the District of Columbia accounted for 2,343: California, 633; New York, 347; Illinois, 216; Michigan, 194; Ohio and Pennsylvania, 180 each; Texas, 176; District of Columbia, 161; Missouri, 150; and Virginia, 105. Of the overall total, 2,426 (66.3 percent) were transport pilots, 385 (10.5 percent) limited commercial, 63 (1.7 percent) industrial, and 785 (21.5 percent) private. One year previously, transport pilots had accounted for 85 percent of the total. The reduced percentage was due to the faster growth of private flying. Nov 1928: Fred E. Weick, an aerodynamicist at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, described in National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Technical Note No. 301 the testing of long- chord cowling that significantly reduced drag, the retarding force acting on an airplane moving in air. Unlike conventional cowlings of that period, which covered the crankcase and the lower portion of the cylinders, the NACA cowl totally enclosed the engine. In actual flight tests, a Curtiss AT-5A trainer equipped with NACA's cowling increased its maximum speed from 118 to 137 mph--the equivalent of providing the aircraft with 83 additional horsepower without an added expenditure in fuel. The NACA cowl had a very positive effect on airline economics when its appeared on the modern transports of the early 1930s. Dec 4, 1928: The Aeronautics Branch issued regulations covering the entry and clearance of aircraft carrying foreign cargo and passengers into the United States. The rules became effective Feb 1, 1929. Dec 12-14, 1928: The International Civil Aeronautics Conference held sessions in Washington, D.C. The President had suggested the conference, and Congress had authorized it by a joint resolution. The 441 participants included 77 official and 39 unofficial delegates from foreign countries. The conference provided an opportunity to exchange views on problems pertaining to aircraft in international commerce, and the program included presentations on a variety of aviation topics. Another purpose was to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the Wright brothers. Orville Wright was guest of honor, and the membership of the conference attended ceremonies at Kitty Hawk, N.C., on the Dec 17 anniversary. Dec 19, 1928: Harold F. Pitcairn made the first autogiro flight in the United States at Willow Grove, Pa. Designed by Spain's Juan de la Cierva, the rotary-wing aircraft obtained its support in flight from a rotor turned by the air forces resulting from its motion. Propulsion came from a conventional engine and airscrew. On Feb 12, 1931, the Detroit News placed the first order for a commercial autogiro in the United States, the Pitcairn PC A-2. The Aeronautics Branch type-certificated the plane on Apr 2, 1931, and Pitcairn's Autogiro Company of America built 51 autogiros in 1931. *1929 Jan 14, 1929: The Commerce Department's Aeronautics Branch received the Aero Club of America Trophy for 1928 for its outstanding development of airways and air navigation facilities. Robert J. Collier had established the award, first presented in 1912, to honor the previous year's most outstanding contribution to U.S. aeronautics or astronautics. In 1922, the Aero Club of America was incorporated as the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), which assumed administration of the award and renamed it the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 1944. Jan 29, 1929: The Airways Division of the Department of Commerce turned on Beacon #25 at Miriam, Nevada, on the San Francisco-Salt Lake City Airway, completing the lighting of the transcontinental airway by closing the final twenty mile unlighted gap. (See Jul 1, 1927.) Feb 4, 1929: The Aeronautics Branch established a Field Service Section which assumed certain duties performed by the former Airport Section, including assistance to municipalities and other organizations desiring to establish or improve airports. Five airport specialists, including the section chief, toured the U.S. to inspect sites, confer with officials, and address civic groups. The creation of the Field Service Section was part of a general reorganization of the Division of Airports and Aeronautic Information, formerly known as the Information Division, during fiscal 1929. (See Nov 1929.) Feb 21, 1929: Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh was appointed Technical Adviser to the Aeronautics Branch, Department of Commerce. Feb 28, 1929: The Air Commerce Act was amended to provide for Federal licensing of flying schools. Instructors were divided into two classes, flying and ground, each of which was rated separately. Regulations were promulgated in April and went into effect in June 1929. Mar 2, 1929: Domestic Air News reported that Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) successfully bid to carry air mail three times weekly from Cristobal, C.Z., to Santiago, Chile, the longest designated air mail route in the world. Created on Jan 25, 1929, Panagra was jointly controlled by Pan American Airway's holding company and the W.R. Grace shipping company of New York. Its bid of $1.80 per mile, plus $0.90 per pound per thousand miles, was not the lowest submitted. Postmaster General Harry S. New explained, however, that the lowest bidder was not equipped to carry out the contract, and failure in the project would harm the prestige of U.S. aeronautical enterprise. Mar 4, 1929: Herbert C. Hoover became President, succeeding Calvin Coolidge. May 9, 1929: An Interdepartmental Committee on Airways was established to study and pass on applications for extension of civil airways in the United States. Totaling six members, the committee consisted of three representatives each from the Post Office and Commerce Departments. Jun 17, 1929: Delta Air Service made its first passenger flight, with a six-passenger Travel Air, from Dallas, Tex., to Monroe, La. As it broadened its passenger operations, the company (which originated as an aerial crop dusting operation, the Huff Daland Dusters) changed its name to Delta Air Corporation and then, in 1945, to Delta Air Lines. On May 1, 1953, Chicago and Southern Airlines merged into Delta. Jun 30, 1929: During the fiscal year that ended on this date, the Airways Division of the Commerce Department's Bureau of Lighhouses established an office at Fort Worth, Tex., under an airways engineer, for maintenance of aeronautical aids on certain specified airways. A similar office had previously been established at Salt Lake City during fiscal 1927. These were the only two organizations concerned exclusively with the maintenance of aeronautical aides. For the remainder of the nation's airways, maintenance of facilities was apportioned among the Third, Sixth, Tenth, Twelfth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth Lighthouse Districts. Although part of the Bureau of Lighthouses, these organizations received pertinent directions from the Aeronautics Branch (see Aug 11, 1926, and Jul 1, 1933). Also during this fiscal year, the field organization of the Inspection Service of the Aeronautics Branch was reduced from eleven to nine districts, each under the direction of a supervising aeronautical inspector. The headquarters of the numbered districts were located at Garden City, N.Y.; Camden, N.J.; Atlanta, Ga.; Detroit, Mich.; Chicago, Ill.; Kansas City, Mo.; Dallas, Tex.; Oakland, Calif.; and Los Angeles, Calif. Jul 1, 1929: The first issue of the Air Commerce Bulletin, the official journal of the Aeronautics Branch, was published, superseding the Domestic Air News. (See Dec 18, 1926, and Jan 15, 1940.) Jul 7, 1929: Transcontinental Air Transport inaugurated 48-hour coast-to-coast passenger transportation service, with air travel by day and rail travel by night. Charles A. Lindbergh flew the first plane over the route. (See May 16, 1928, and Oct 25, 1930.) Aug 8-29, 1929: The Graf Zeppelin made the first round-the-world flight by a rigid airship, leaving from and returning to Lakehurst, N.J., in 21 days 7 hours 34 minutes. This was the second round-the-world flight; two U.S. Army Douglas World Cruisers had first performed the feat during Apr 6-Sep 28, 1924. (See Jun 23-Jul 1, 1931.) Sep 1, 1929: New regulations affecting transport pilots became effective, stating that a pilot "may operate any type licensed aircraft but shall not carry persons or property for hire in licensed aircraft other than those specified on his license." A later amendment, effective Feb 8, 1930, required transport and limited commercial pilots carrying passengers to have special authority from the Department of Commerce. Sep 24, 1929: At Mitchel Field, N.Y., Army Lt. James H. Doolittle became the first pilot to use only instrument guidance to take off, fly a set course, and land. Doolittle received directional guidance from a radio range course aligned with the airport runway, while radio marker beacons indicated his distance from the runway. He relied on a sensitive altimeter to determine his altitude, and controlled the attitude of his aircraft with guidance from a directional gyro and an artificial horizon. Doolittle made the flight as part of research he conducted for the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, with cooperation from the Bureau of Standards, the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce, and other organizations. He flew in a hooded cockpit, but was accompanied by a check pilot who could have intervened in an emergency. On May 9, 1932, Capt. A. F. Hegenberger flew without a check pilot to make the first blind solo flight on instruments only, at Dayton, Ohio. Oct 1, 1929: William P. MacCracken, Jr., resigned as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics and was succeeded by Clarence M. Young (see Jul 1, 1927), who had been serving as Director of Aeronautics. (See May 23, 1933.) Oct 1, 1929: Allocation of radio frequencies by the Federal Radio Commission cleared the way for air transport companies to develop a communications network supplementing Federal facilities. At the close of the year some major transport lines were maintaining two-way voice communication with their planes in flight. (See Dec 2, 1929.) Oct 1, 1929: The Aeronautics Branch issued a set of "Uniform Field Rules" for air traffic control that were recommended for adoption by states, counties, cities, and other agencies operating airports. Oct 10, 1929: The Aeronautics Branch inaugurated position-reporting service for planes flying the Federal airways. Oct 21, 1929: Colonial Flying Service and the Scully Walton Ambulance Company of New York, N.Y., inaugurated an Air Ambulance Service. Oct 24, 1929: A stock market convulsion gripped Wall Street. The initial crash was followed by another severe break on Oct 29, and by a continuing slide that heralded the onset of the Great Depression. Aviation stocks, as others, were strongly affected. The Depression's impact on the budget of the Aeronautics Branch was not immediate. To get underway in fiscal 1927, the Branch had received $550,000, and this was increased to $3,791,500 in fiscal 1928 and $5,575,400 in fiscal 1929. The increases continued after the Depression began: fiscal 1930, $6,676,320; fiscal 1931, $9,208,030; and fiscal 1932, $10,362,300. The economizing ax fell in fiscal 1933, when Congress reduced the Aeronautics Branch allocation to $8,533,500. For fiscal 1934, the Branch received only $7,660,780., and this was cut still further by the Bureau of the Budget, which limited actual expenditures to $5,172,500--the smallest of the Depression budgets for aeronautic activities. The nation had passed the lowest point of the Depression in March 1933, however, and the budgets of Bureau of Air Commerce--as the Aeronautics Branch was renamed on Jul 1, 1934--began a rising trend that lasted into World War II. (See Jul 1, 1937). Nov 1929: As a result of increased activities, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics Clarence Young reorganized the Aeronautics Branch. He abolished the position of Director of Aeronautics and divided the principal functions of the Branch among three executives who reported directly to the Assistant Secretary and, under his chairmanship, constituted the executive board of the Branch. These three officials were: the Director of Air Regulation, whose responsibilities included the Inspection Service and the Licensing Division, as well as the Engine Testing Section; the Chief Engineer of the Airways Division; and the Director Aeronautic Development, whose responsibilities included the Aeronautic Information Division and the Aeronautics Research Division. The Director of Aeronautic Development also gave direction to special research committees, the Airways Mapping Section, and the Airport Section, which on Dec 2, 1929, took over the duties of the Field Service Section established ten months earlier. (See Feb 4, 1929.) Nov 28-29, 1929: Richard E. Byrd, with pilot Bernt Balchen and two other crew members, became the first to fly over the South Pole, operating a Ford Trimotor from the U.S. base at Little America. Earlier, on May 9, 1926, Byrd and Floyd Bennett had made a flight credited as the first over the North Pole, in a Fokker F.VII. Dec 2, 1929: Fifteen air carriers pooled $100,000.00 to set up the not-for-profit organization, Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC), to serve as the single coordinator of aeronautical communications for the air transport industry, using a common network of ground stations. Dec 20, 1929: Pan American Airways placed orders for the Sikorsky S-40, a large four-engined flying boat. These were the first airplanes that Pan American christened "Clipper," the subsequent trade mark name of the airline's planes. *1930 Jan 16, 1930: Frank Whittle, a British Royal Air Force officer and engineer, received a patent for his design of a turbojet aircraft engine. Manufacture of an experimental version of the engine began in 1936. On May 15, 1941, the Gloster E28/39, a British turbojet powered by a Whittle W/X jet engine, made its first official flight, at Cranwell, England. However, this first Allied jet flight came nearly two years after Germany had accomplished the feat. On Aug 27, 1939, the first air-breathing jet flight of an aircraft had occurred, accomplished by a German Heinkel He 178 aircraft with a jet engine by designed by Hans von Ohain. Jan 25, 1930: An amendment to the Air Commerce Regulations set 500 feet as the minimum altitude at which aircraft might fly, except when landing and taking off. Jan 25, 1930: American Airways was formed out of a group of carriers that had operated separately under the Aviation Corporation (AVCO), a holding company chartered on Mar 3, 1929. American Airways changed its name to American Airlines on Apr 11, 1934. Feb 1, 1930: The Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics terminated its activities. Established in Jan 1926 to support the development of American aviation in its formative years, the fund had promoted aeronautical education, subsidized research projects, and assisted efforts to develop commercial aircraft. Daniel Guggenheim intended that the fund be closed when private enterprise would find it "practicable and profitable to carry on." Feb 15, 1930: The Aeronautics Branch announced that it had issued the first rating under the Airport Rating Regulations to the municipal airport at Pontiac, Mich. The airport received the highest possible rating, A-1-A. The designation system enabled pilots to know at a glance what facilities to expect at any of the rated airports, which the Branch inspected in response to voluntary applications by airport operators. The program was part of the Aeronautics Branch's efforts to encourage airport development through promotional activites, disseminating technical and statistical information, and giving expert advice to municipalities. Mar 26, 1930: The Aeronautics Branch issued the first two approved repair station certificates to Boeing Air Transport of Oakland, Calif., and National Air Transport of Chicago, Ill. The certificate entitled a station to repair only aircraft of types for which it was adequately equipped. Previously, anyone making repairs on licensed aircraft had been obliged to submit to the Branch detailed drawings of the repairs made and, in some cases, a stress analysis. By mid-1931, the Aeronautics Branch had certificated forty-eight repair stations. Apr 29, 1930: The Watres Act further amended the Air Mail Act of 1925 (see May 17, 1928), replacing the weight basis for computing compensation to air carriers with a space-mile formula. The new act gave the Postmaster General very broad regulatory control over route locations, route consolidations and extensions, contract bidding conditions, service conditions, equipment and personnel accounts, and compensation. (See May 19, 1930.) May 5, 1930: The Post Office Department, hoping to stimulate air passenger traffic, issued an order calling for the installation of at least two passenger seats in each mail plane operated by day. May 15, 1930: Boeing Air Transport inaugurated the first airline stewardess service. The first stewardess was a registered nurse, Ellen E. Church, who has been described as the first female crew member aboard a commercial airliner. May 15, 1930: In regulations effective on this date, the Department of Commerce required airlines to obtain a certificate of authority to operate if they engaged in interstate passenger service. To qualify, an airline was required to demonstrate that it possessed aircraft that were properly equipped and maintained, a sufficient number of qualified airmen, and an adequate ground organization for the services provided. The routes served were required to possess such air navigation facilities as the Department deemed necessary for safe and reliable operations. Airlines were required to apply for the certificate by Jul 15, a deadline later extended to Aug 15, 1930. May 19, 1930: Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown held the first of a series of meetings with representatives of the large commercial airlines to discuss air mail routes to be awarded under the Watres Act (see Apr 29, 1930). All but two of the twenty-two air mail contracts awarded under the act went to airlines in attendance at the meetings, which were subsequently attacked as "spoils conferences." (See Feb 9, 1934.) Jun 20, 1930: Aeronautics Branch certificated its first glider, the Detroit Gull, Model G-1. Jul 1, 1930: Rules governing the use of intermediate landing fields and a parachute supplement to the Air Commerce Regulations went into effect. Jul 19, 1930: Incorporation action took place as a first step in the merger of Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express to form Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA), which later changed its name to Trans World Airlines on May 17, 1950. Western Air Express, meanwhile, had retained its corporate identity on some routes and evolved into Western Airlines, a name it adopted in 1941. Sep 10, 1930: The Taylor E-2 Cub made its first flight. This design evolved into the famous Piper Cub, which was introduced in 1938 and became one of the world's most popular general aviation airplanes. Oct 25, 1930: The first all-air transcontinental through passenger service to link coastal cities began. Aircraft of Transcontinental and Western Air took off simultaneously from Newark Airport, serving New York, and from Los Angeles. On Oct 15, the American Airways system had begun to offer all-air service between Atlanta and Los Angeles. Dec 16, 1930: The Aeronautics Branch opened the National Conference on Uniform Aeronautic Regulatory Laws. Representatives from 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands attended the two-day meeting to discuss uniformity of air regulations. (See Aug 1, 1928, and Mar 23, 1933.) Dec 31, 1930: Airworthiness regulations for aircraft components and accessories became effective. Calendar year, 1930: By this year, Cleveland Municipal Airport had established radio control of airport traffic. In the next five years approximately 20 cities followed Cleveland's lead. *1931 Feb 12, 1931: An amendment to existing regulations covering interstate airline operations required a copilot on all aircraft flying a schedule of five or more hours with eight or more passengers. (See Oct 1, 1931.) Feb 12, 1931: The Department of Commerce placed the radio range beacon at Medicine Bow, Wyo., into continuous operation, completing the directional radio marking of the entire route from San Francisco to New York. Feb 20, 1931: The Senate ratified the Havana Convention in which 21 Western Hemisphere nations guaranteed the right of innocent passage of aircraft without discrimination. The Convention formulated the rules for international air navigation between the contracting states relating to the marking of aircraft, landing facilities, prohibited transport, competency of airmen, and the right of each country to prescribe the route to be flown over its territory. The Convention had been prepared at the Pan American Convention on Civil Aviation at Havana, Cuba, in February 1928. Mar 31, 1931: A Fokker F-10A operated by Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) crashed near Bazaar, Kans. The accident killed all eight persons aboard, including Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. After an investigation disclosed defective wing construction, the Aeronautics Branch took the F- 10A out of passenger service on May 4. Although most of the grounded planes eventually returned to service, the loss of public confidence and the costly periodic inspection required by the Aeronautics Branch led to the demise of the once popular airplane. Jun 23-Jul 1, 1931: With Harold Gatty as navigator, Wiley Post piloted a Lockhead Vega dubbed Winnie Mae around the world, flying from Roosevelt Field, N.Y., and back with eight stopovers. Post's course took him near the Arctic Circle, and his distance of 15,447 miles was too short to qualify as a round- the-world flight as defined by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. His time of 8 days 15 hours 51 minutes was nevertheless far below the record set by the Graf Zepplin (see Aug 8-29, 1929), and he received great popular acclaim. During Jul 15-22, 1933, Post flew Winnie Mae in what is often regarded as the first solo flight around the world. He traveled from Floyd Bennett Field, N.Y. and back in 7 days 18 hours 49 minutes, following a course similar to his 1931 trip. (See Jul 10-14, 1938.) Jun 30, 1931: During the fiscal year that ended on this date, the Aeronautics Branch established an Engineering Section branch office at Los Angeles to expedite the examination and approval of aircraft types. The office was created to allow owners and manufacturers in the West the same opportunity for contact with engineering officials as the main office in Washington provided east of the Rockies. Jul 1, 1931: United Air Lines was formally established as a management company coordinating four component air carriers that had already begun operating as a single entity. United was one of domestic aviation's "Big Four," which also included Eastern Air Transport, American Airways, and Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA). Jul 27, 1931: A convention of "Key Men" involved in organizing the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) voted for affiliation with the American Federation of Labor. On Aug 10, the AF of L formally granted affiliation to ALPA, which became the largest union representing airline pilots. ALPA's presidents and the dates of their election were: David L. Behncke, 1931; Clarence N. Sayen, 1952; Charles H. Ruby, 1962; John J. O'Donnell, 1970; Henry A. Duffy, 1982; and J. Randolph Babbitt, 1990. Aug 29, 1931: Tests begun this day and continued through Apr 8, 1932, showed that transmission of weather maps over the teletypewriter circuits of the Federal Airways System was practicable. Using an experimental circuit, the Aeronautics Branch tested equipment and procedures by sending maps three times daily from compilers in Cleveland and Kansas City to facilities in New York, Washington, and Chicago. Map transmission required equipment that printed on pages rather than on the usual tape, but page-type and tape-type machines could operate on the same circuits. On Dec 1, 1932, the Aeronautics Branch inaugurated regular transmission of U.S. Weather Bureau weather maps via teletypewriter circuits to 78 U.S. air terminals. Six times daily, the service provided a complete weather map of the United States, divided into three sections. Sep 5, 1931: The first instrument landing by a system incorporating a glide path was made at College Park, Md. The glide path was achieved by aligning an inclined radio beam with the runway, providing a path approximating the gliding angle of an airplane. (See Sep 24, 1929.) Oct 1, 1931: The Department of Commerce promulgated a regulation prescribing a cockpit crew complement of two, a pilot and copilot, on all scheduled air transports capable of carrying fifteen or more passengers or having a gross takeoff weight of 15,000 pounds or more. (See Feb 12, 1931, and Nov 1, 1937.) Oct 3-5, 1931: Clyde E. Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, Jr., made the first nonstop transpacific flight, as well as the first nonstop flight between Japan and the United States, in a Bellanca Pacemaker. The two men took off from Samushiro Beach, 300 miles north of Tokyo, and landed at Wenatchee, Wash., covering 4,448 miles in 41 hours 13 minutes. Nov 1931: The Aeronautics Branch established a branch office of its medical section at Kansas City, Mo., to keep medical examiners of the Middle Western states in close touch with Commerce Department policies on medical requirements and examinations. *1932 Jan 1, 1932: The first Air Commerce Regulations governing gliders and gliding became effective. May 16, 1932 The official Air Commerce Bulletin published a rule providing for a new scheduled air transport pilot rating. Those receiving the rating had to demonstrate their ability to use airway navigation aids and to fly specified manuevers guided entirely by instruments. Effective Jan 1, 1933, the Aeronautics Branch required the new rating for all pilots on scheduled interstate passenger service. To meet this deadline, 330 pilots obtained the rating by the end of 1932. Fifty years later, on Dec 31, 1982, the estimated number of certificated airline transport pilots was 73,741. May 21-22, 1932: Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic by airplane, flying from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in a Lockheed Vega. Jun 30, 1932: During the fiscal year that ended this date, the first two installations of a new type of radio marker beacon were completed and placed in experimental operation --one at Archbold, Ohio, and one at Sidney, Neb. Sixteen others were ready for installation. Known as class B radio markers, or as radio landing ranges, these new radio marker beacons had 50-watt transmitters equipped with loop antennas, which permitted operation as short-range radio range beacons. They were also equipped for telephone as well as for automatic code transmission. In contrast to the Class A, 7.5-watt sets, which had a voice range of 5 to 10 miles, the 50-watt sets had a range of 30 to 40 miles. Class B marker beacons serve primarily to mark intermediate landing fields and to furnish, upon request, information on landing and weather conditions. Jul 2, 1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. presidential candidate to fly when he chartered a Ford Trimotor from Albany to Chicago to address the Democratic National Convention. (See Jan 14, 1943.) Calendar Year 1932: The Aeronautics Branch created the first formal system for the flight inspection of U.S. airway navigation aids by assigning six pilots to regular airway patrol duty. Operating from Airway Patrol Headquarters offices in six widely dispersed cities, the pilots were each responsible for 3,000-3,500 miles of airway. The early flight inspection fleet is believed to have included five Bellanca Pacemakers, a Curtiss-Wright Sedan-15, several Stearman C-3Bs, and three Stinson SM-8As. Beginning in 1937, the remaining five aircraft of this original fleet were replaced by Stinson SR-8B Reliants and some SR-9E Reliants. (See Calendar Year 1940.) *1933 Feb 8, 1933: The Boeing 247 first flew. Often considered the first modern airliner, this single-wing airplane of all-metal construction was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp air-cooled radial engines. It had a gross takeoff weight of 12,650 points and accommodated 10 passengers. The Aeronautics Branch type-certificated the plane on Mar 16, 1933, and it entered scheduled airline service on Mar 30, 1933. Mar 1, 1933: At the Newark Municipal Airport, N.J., the Aeronautics Branch demonstrated a radio system that it had developed for the blind landing of aircraft. The Branch made the system available for service testing by aircraft equipped with the necessary radio receivers. Later that month, Aeronautics Branch pilot James L. Kinney completed the first cross-country test of an all instrument flight and landing when he arrived at Newark from College Park, Md. Kinney was accompanied by Harry Diamond, a Bureau of Standards scientist who helped develop the instrument landing system, and William LaViolette, a radio technician. (See Sep 13, 1934.) Mar 2, 1933: A regulatory amendment announced on this date increased the solo flying time required for a private pilot's license from 10 to 50 hours. Holders of private pilot licenses had until Jun 1, 1933, to meet the new requirement. The amendment also abolished grade of industrial pilot and created the new grade of solo pilot. Students with 10 hours of flying time who passed specified tests could qualify for this grade. (See Aug 15, 1933). Mar 4, 1933: Franklin D. Roosevelt became President, succeeding Herbert C. Hoover. Mar 23, 1933: Enactment of legislation by the State of Georgia meant that all of the 48 States had laws dealing with aeronautics (see Aug 1, 1928, and Mar 1946). Georgia's new law included a requirement that all airmen and aircraft operating within the state have Federal licenses. This provision was included in most, but not all, of the other state aeronautical laws (see Dec 1, 1941). Mar 28, 1933: The Aeronautics Branch gave permission to aircraft engine manufacturers to conduct endurance tests on their own equipment. Before this date, manufacturers seeking a type certificate for new engines had to ship them to the Bureau of Standards, in Washington, D.C., for endurance testing. Mar 30, 1933: The Sikorsky S-42, a four-engine flying boat designed for Pan American Airways, made its first flight. The S-42, which entered scheduled service on Aug 16, 1934, weighed over 20 tons, and could carry 32 passengers and a full load for a distance of 750 miles. (See Apr 28, 1937.) May 23, 1933: Clarence M. Young resigned as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, effective Jun 15. (See Jun 10, 1933.) Jun 10, 1933: President Roosevelt issued an order changing the designation and broadening the duties of the Commerce Department's Assistant Secretary for Aeronautics, effective 61 days from this date. The position was given the simpler title of Assistant Secretary of Commerce and made responsible for bureaus dealing with surface transportation as well as air transportation. A second Assistant Secretary had charge of bureaus dealing with trade and industry. On Jun 15, the position of Director of Aeronautics became head of the Aeronautics Branch. (For earlier use of this same title, see entries for Jul 1, 1927, and Nov 1929.) The Director was to be assisted by three new Assistant Directors in charge of the divisions of Air Regulation, Airways, and Aeronautic Development. On Jun 16, the President announced the appointment of Ewing Y. Mitchell to be the Assistant Secretary of Commerce responsible for transportation, and also named the three Assistant Directors of Aeronautics. The Director of Aeronautics position remained vacant until Sep 19, 1933 (see that date). Jun 30, 1933: During the fiscal year that ended this date, substitution began of a new T-L antenna for the old loop antenna used to transmit radio range beacon signals to guide airmen flying through conditions of poor visibility. The new antenna satisfactorily disposed of the problem of night errors associated with the loop antenna. By the fiscal year's end, six of the T-L antennas were in operation, 38 were about to be placed in service, and equipment was available for installation at six additional sites. Remote control of radio aids to air navigation also began during the fiscal year. Heretofore, operators of such aids were located on the premises of each radio facility. Since the facilities were far removed from the air terminals, owing to the hazard radio towers posed to aircraft, the operators seldom came into personal contact with the people they served. Installation of remote control enabled them to be located in the teletypewriter station, operating airways radio broadcasting stations and the radio beacon transmitters by means of a dial switch and leased telephone lines. This centralization of control and close contact with the flying public promoted efficiency and reduced operating and maintenance costs. By the end of Jun 1933, three remote control installations had been completed. The equipment for 63 additional stations had been purchased and delivered for installation. Jul 1, 1933: The Commerce Department's Aeronautics Branch assumed sole responsibility for constructing and maintaining airways, ending the arrangement under which the Airways Division was structurally part of the Bureau of Lighthouses. Under the Aeronautics Branch, the number of districts in which this function was organized was reduced from eight to six. Jul 1, 1933: The Douglas DC-1, a forerunner of the famed DC-3, made its first flight. Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) purchased the only one of these monoplanes built by Douglas. The DC-2, an improved version of the DC-1, made its maiden flight on May 11, 1934, and promptly went into service with TWA. CAA type-certificated the plane on Jun 29, 1934. Aug 15, 1933: The Aeronautics Branch announced the abolition of solo pilot licenses and gave the solo flying privileges of that license to student pilots. The change was part of the Branch's response to curtailed appropriations. (See Sep 15, 1933.) The Aeronautics Branch also announced that it now required airlines to make detailed reports of all forced landings experienced on interstate scheduled passenger flights. Previously airlines had been requested only to report the number of forced landings. Aug 1933: The first practical variable-pitch propeller, developed by Frank W. Caldwell of Hamilton Standard Propeller Company in 1930, was introduced into airline service, on a Curtiss Condor biplane. The new propeller improved the propulsive efficiency of modern aircraft with highly supercharged engines, giving them more thrust than a fixed-pitch propeller when taking off and permitting adjustment to a more efficient setting for flight at different altitudes and speeds. Sep 15, 1933: The Aeronautics Branch announced in the Air Commerce Bulletin a streamlining plan for the Air Regulation Service aimed at saving $500,000. in the current fiscal year. The plan: reduced the number of inspection districts from nine to eight; cut personnel in the Service by fifteen percent; generally required applicants to travel to inspection locations as opposed to inspectors travelling from airport to airport; placed fourteen Department of Commerce aircraft in storage; closed an aircraft maintenance base; and completely segregated airline inspection, licensing, and regulation services. The Aeronautics Branch also announced that the wattage of rotating beacon lights would be cut in half for an annual savings of about $75,000. Sep 19, 1933: President Roosevelt appointed Eugene L. Vidal head of the Aeronautics Branch with the title of Director of Aeronautics (see Jun 10, 1933). Vidal was educated at the University of South Dakota and at West Point. Graduating from the latter institution in 1918, he served in the Army Corps of Engineers for two years before transferring to the Air Service and becoming a pilot. In 1926 he resigned his commission to take a position with a commercial aviation company. He continued in commercial aviation until he joined the Aeronautics Branch as Assistant Director of Aeronautics for Air Regulation in June 1933 (see Feb 28, 1937). With Vidal's appointment as Director, the post of Assistant Director for Aeronautic Development was abolished and the number of Assistant Directors was reduced to two: the Assistant Director for Air Navigation and the Assistant Director for Air Regulation. All the principal functions of the Branch were divided between these two officials. Only the Administrative Section and the Aeronautic Information Section reported directly to the Director. Oct 24, 1933: In an unprecedented feat for air transports, a Douglas DC-2 and a Boeing 247D finished second and third in a field of twenty in the MacRobertson International Air Race. The 18,500 pound DC-2 negotiated the course from Mildenhall, England, to Melbourne, Australia, in 90 hours 13 minutes. It finished 19 hours 41 minutes behind the first place finisher, a de Havilland DH-88 Comet, a long-range twin-engine racer designed expressly for the competition. Even more remarkable, the Douglas carried three revenue passengers and 900 pounds of mail and made 18 stops along a doglegged course approximately 1,000 miles longer than that flown by the Comet. The superiority of American transports over those of British or European manufacture was demonstrated by advanced design features such as NACA cowls, all-metal stressed-skin construction, light-alloy fuselage, a single low wing, retractable landing gear, and variable pitch propellers. Nov 8, 1933: Director of Aeronautics Vidal announced a plan to make low-priced aircraft available for widespread private ownership. Vidal followed his announcement with a survey that indicated strong consumer interest in a plane priced at about $700. On Dec 28, the Public Works Administration (PWA) announced that $500,000 had been set aside for the development of such an airplane. U.S. aircraft