Flights & Flyers

MacCracken Angry. William Patterson MacCracken, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, after two months in Europe, was lunching on the Leviathan in New York Harbor last week. A stupid flyer, to welcome some one aboard the ship, capered and stunted so close to her that passengers fearfully ran below decks. Mr. MacCracken was angry at the foolish flyer. The incident contained irony. The Assistant Secretary had prepared a speech on flying safety to deliver over the radio. Later he did speak, declaring that the U. S. Government takes more pains to protect the flying public than any other nation in the world--by establishing airways, inspecting aircraft, licensing pilots, rating flying schools. He warned passengers to make their pilot produce his Department of Commerce license.

Land of the Soviets, Russian round-the-world plane, was forced down and damaged in an uninhabited Siberian region, 170 miles from Irkutsk. The tour was canceled.

Cross-country Refueling. A most practical solution of refueling flight was undertaken last week -- an attempt to fly from Spokane to New York and back (7,200 miles) refueling on the way. The Spokane Sun God, a Buhl biplane with Wright whirlwind motor, carried Lieut. Nick B. Mamer and Pilot Art Walker. At first they had trouble in making their refueling contacts on their way to New York. More fortunate were they on their way back, had reached St. Paul without mishap as the new week began. Texas Co. (gas & oil) announced that it would establish refueling stations over the country to accommodate such flights in the future.