AERONAUTICS: Slim Pickens

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The sirens on all the fire engine houses in St. Louis shrieked into a rain-streaked sky one morning last week by special order of Acting Mayor Neuman. A score of drenched employes of Curtiss-Robert-son Airplane Corp. paraded Lambert-St. Louis field, led by a small boy with a crude banner reading "Red and Obie did it again." Overhead the endurance-flying firm of "Red & Obie"—Dale Jackson and Forest O'Brine—waved from their orange-&-yellow monoplane, which had just flown past the endurance record of 553 hr. 41 min. set last month by the Hunter Broth- ers at Chicago (TIME, July 14).

As the paraders departed, the pilots settled down to the routine of securing their newly regained title by a safe margin. By note and radio they berated their promotion manager William Pickens for the lack of cash reward in sight. On learning that Pickens had rejected a $1,000 offer for endorsement of a brand of cigaret which neither flyer smokes, Pilot Jackson demanded. "Have you guys gone crazy? Get the dough and never mind whether we smoke them or not."

Four days later the Greater St. Louis unexpectedly landed after 647 hr. 28 min. 30 sec., before a desultory crowd of 800. Explained the flyers: "A cracked crank case." Observed Manager Pickens: "Not enough money. They'd have been saps to stay up." Gross rewards: possibly $30,000 in gifts, contracts for advertising and appearance at fairs. The champions might well have consoled themselves that lack of enthusiasm over their exploit would serve to forestall any early attempt to better it. But in Portland, Ore., the Stinson monoplane On to Oregon was taken aloft for just that purpose by the Brothers Tex, Dick & Bud Rankin, noted airmen of the West.

Fewer Ships, Fewer Motors

On the heels of the Department of Commerce inventory of U. S. aviation for 1930 (TIME, Aug. 18) appeared last week an analysis by Harvey L. Williams, president of Air Investors, Inc. Mr. Williams' survey, an independent effort, paralleled much of Secretary Young's but noted in addition: For the first time since Summer 1927 the number of airplanes licensed and identified has slumped (from 9,767 as of Jan. 1, to 9,524 as of July 1). As 1,500 new aircraft were licensed during that period, it means that about 1,740, or 18% of the total went out of active service. Production of aircraft engines dropped to 2,052 units for the half-year—54% of the number manufactured in the first six months of 1929.

Flights & Flyers

And Again, Hawks. By moonlight, Capt. Frank Monroe Hawks's red-&-white Travel Air Texaco 13 whizzed off the runway of Glendale Airport, Los Angeles, last week, hurdled the San Bernardino mountains, shot across the Mojave Desert to greet the rising sun, roared into Albuquerque in 3 hr. 26 min. The speed indicator clung close to 250 m.p.h. as the low-winged bullet tore eastward to Wichita. Next came a mid-afternoon stop at Indianapolis and then, three hours later, Curtiss Airport, Valley Stream L. I.—a new transcontinental record of 12 hr. 25 min. 3 sec.