Fewer Planes, More Pilots

Everyone knew that the year 1930 would prove a sorry one for U. S. civil aviation. Clarence Marshall Young, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, forecast it "the worst that commercial aeronautics has ever experienced." But he added gratefully, "the gold paint has at last been erased" (TIME, Aug. 18). Last week the first official proofs of his statement were given out by the Department of Commerce in a preliminary report of 1930 production. From the 1929 overproduction of 5,357 civil aircraft, the 1930 output fell to less than half--2,514. Military planes, practically all built to contract-order, upped from 677 to 710. The number of airplanes licensed and identified remained practically static at 9,818 on Jan. 1--22 less than a year ago. In other words, 25.6% of all U. S. civil aircraft went out of service during the year. Of the planes produced last year (exclusive of those exported), monoplanes forged ahead of biplanes (1,143 to 1,092) although biplanes were ahead at mid-year Most conspicuous change was in the ranks of licensed pilots--an increase of 33% from 10,215 to 15,280. Of these, 385 are women of whom 35 have transport licenses. As it did last year California leads the pilot list with 2,852; New York is second, 1,641; Nevada last, 13. Of 1,088 gliders and 178 glider pilots, California had most--235 craft, 80 pilots. New York passed California with total aircraft of 1,193 to California's 1,175. Nevada was last with eleven; but has 25 airports. The total number of airports and landing fields in the U. S. was increased to 1,782--125 more than six months ago. California leads this list with 165; Texas is second with 119; Delaware and District of Columbia are last with two each.

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