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| Bulletin 5 | HOTEL CARLTON, WASHINGTON, D. C. | 23 April, 1930 |
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March 2, 1930 TO MY BROTHER EARLY BIRDS; Aviation, particularly schedule air transportation, is right now on trial before the bar of public opinion. The rate of progress which aviation will take during the next ten years will largely be determined within the present year of 1930 and the coming year of 1931 Is schedule air transportation safe? That is what the public wishes to know; and the question must be answered within the next two years. Schedule air transportation rates have been reduced to practically those of rail transportation. This eliminates the element of cost. Air transportation is far faster and more comfortable than the older methods--acknowledged advantages in favor of air transportation. It's primarily a question of relative safety; upon that rests the future of the industry. We Early Birds know that the airplane, operated within its capabilities, is safe as compared with other high speed |
vehicles. But we also know that a departure has been made from this sphere as proved by the far too numerous major accidents on schedule air lines during the past year. We know, too, that a majority of these accidents were due to "errors of the pilot." Going still deeper, we know that in many cases "heroics" are at the bottom of the difficulty; too much of the spirit "I'll bring her through just to show them I'm not yellow." We Early Birds are the daddys of aviation and, like other daddys, must set the example; those of us who are still flying by our direct example, and the rest of us by our influence upon the younger generation of pilots. We must subserve self and ever keep the good of aviation uppermost. In passenger air transportation particularly, we must adopt and consistently support the motto; "Safety First, and Always." This, Brother Early Birds, is my message to you--and my please. President, The Early Birds |
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THE ANNUAL MEETING. The postponed annual meeting and election--it's certainly difficult to get the gang together--was held at the Hotel Lexington, New York, on February 12, 1930 The following officers were elected:
trustees be added to by one member, the retiring president becoming trustee for one year. The board of governors, therefore, consists of the above officers and the following trustees; whose terms expire as noted:
appointed the following committees to serve the current year and until the next annual meeting, ratified by the Governors at their meetings on April 4 and 18, 1930 Membership Major T. D. Milling, Chairman; J. Lansing Callan, Vice-Chairman; Frank T. Coffyn, Charles R. Witte- mann, Edward R. Armstrong, Robert G. Fowler, Oscar A. Solbrig, Dr. J. F. Freund; President and First Vice-President members ex-officio. Resolutions. Floyd Smith, Chairman; Waldo Waterman, Ralph C. Diggins, Thomas F. Hamilton. Welfare B. Russell Shaw, Chairman; Edward A. Stinson, Clyde V. Cessna, Wm. G. Schauffler, Allan Loughead, Clar- ence O. Prest, Charles F. Willard Reunion (Program, Dinner, and Entertainment). P. G. B. Morriss, Chairman; John T. H. Whitaker, Louis Gertson, E. M. Laird, Stewart F. Auer. |
Reunion (Attendance). John M. H. Nichols, Chairman; Howard F. Wehrle, William D. Parker, A. M. Reid, Horace B. Wild, Harvey A. Beilgard, Edward A. Bellande. Historical Waldo Waterman, Chairman; Harvey Craw- ford, Major Millard F. Harmon, Greely S. Curtis, Wm. W. Christmas, Marjorie Stinson, Israel Ludlow, George Gray, Auditing Augustus Post, Chairman; Dean Lamb, Stanley I. Vaughn. Trophy Glenn H. Curtiss, Chairman; William T. Thomas, Igor I. Sikorsky, A. H. G. Fokker, Giuseppe M. Bellanca. Finance John R. Sutton, Chairman; Harold E. Hartney, Richard H. Depew, Jr., Charles F. Day, L. A. Vilas, A. H. G. Fokker. THE NEW YORK EB DINNER. The Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis nests held more or less simultaneous blowouts in their respective cities on February 12 and 22, during the two air shows. After guarantees that acrobatics from chandeliers and other disastrous stunts would be quelled at inception, the Hotel Commodore lighted up the grand ball room for the 400 odd EB's and guests. Colonel Peter J. Brady, President of the Federation Bank and Chairman of the Mayor's Aeronautic Committee, co-author of the Doolittle-Brady bill for the improvement in the situation respecting wayward girls, was toastmaster. The role of Leonardo da Vinci was taken by Dr. Christmas who called attention to the fact that after all, Len had the right idea. Otto Lilienthal was present in the spirit of Carl Dienstbach, friend of Lilienthal, who went with major Hildebrandt to Dayton in 1907 when the French and German governments were wondering whether the Wrights really flew. Greely S. Curtis, Lilienthal glider pupil and one time a member of the firm of Burgess Co. and Curtis which in- troduced the inherently stable Dunne to this country, told of the real inception of the glider movement. Other guests were Rex Gilmartin, commander of Aviators Post, American |
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