Reliability Tour

Winging out of the edge of a storm that had buffeted and bounced them all the way from Grand Rapids, 13 commercial airplanes of 14 that had started three weeks before, snored down across the finish line of the third National Reliability Tour into Ford Airport, Detroit. First to cross the line was a Pitcairn Mailwing. Four seconds later came Pilot Eddie Stinson of Detroit, with seven passengers in a cabined monoplane of his own design. Of the merit points awarded for keeping to schedule, not having accidents, fuel economy, etc.--he had 2,000 more than any other contestant. The ships had traveled 4,200 miles, from Detroit to New England, down the coast to Baltimore, cross country via Pittsburgh and Cleveland into Michigan again, back south to Dayton, Louisville, Dallas, Tulsa and thence up the continent to Detroit. Henry Ford, watching the pilots jockey their controls to keep even keels in the rain and gale at the finish, said: "This shows the reliability of the airplane, if anything does." Edsel Ford met with the Tour pilots at a hotel banquet and presented the Ford trophy to "Dean of Pilots" Eddie Stinson. Detroit cherished a rumor that businessmen were going to send Pilot Stinson and his ship on a world tour.

During the 4,200-mile excursion: P:The contestants flew 57,526 plane miles and 2,776,300 passenger miles.

P:There were only about a dozen forced landings.

P:Only two engines failed, one of which was ten years old. P:There were 16 Wright Whirlwind engines, on 12 ships. Of these, only two developed serious trouble in the 65,744 engine-miles flown.

P:A radio salesman who made the trip alleged that he had done $200,000 worth of business in the 16 days.

The air tourists discussed next year's tour and recommended: P:That the planes remain a full day at each stop so that the public

can learn to distinguish, say, a

Crosley from a Buhl as handily

as it tells a Packard from a

Lincoln.

P:That the scoring be made more sporting and competitive.