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The Motor Hostlers of the Air Mail by Jack Bell

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TRIBUNE MAGAZINE FEBRUARY it Hare for the first lime is told the of the modest brigade of workers are bone ami fibre of the flying service of Uncle the in whose charge He tin ships anil the accessories of the aerial PUBLIC interest and many dents of hazardous flying by United States air mail pilots arc matters of daily discussion and stories Uut how many people of the reading classes know or have even heard of that loyal skilled hand of men that make up the of the terminals at all of the United air The motor arc a class by themselves These are the artisans make safe flying possible These are technical men commonly known in the service as officially part of the great system of air mail Visiting the hangar shops and maintenance departments of the flying field at Reno the first im- pression is that there is an over- burden of men employed in the building repair and overhaul tions of the terminal These men are the picked mechanics riggers and motor men of the country men that have had service over- under stress educated men from technical schools with years cf actual experience Lovable kindly Americans all WATCH SHITS The Interest displayed by each man connected with the work is absolutely personal a personal In- terest involved that obtains in no other line of mechanics To watch the inspection of a it ar- rives from or San Francisco ia a revelation in the manner of detailed examination There is not a wire rivet bolt or one single inch of the entire construction of wonderfully built planes that is passed over each and every part minutely examined for any that may have occurred ing the passage over the hump Each pilot as he steps from the ship reports to the chief mechanic of the hangar any little detail of flight thousand and one min- ate functions of the when not healthy are immediately known to the trained ear of the experienced driver The motor the heart of tire plane may miss loose sometimes going into the air A the rigging may become there may be a weak place in a wing the multiplex carburetor may not spark nil of these known and many unknown troubles may Tmr trained crew all disappears Xot satisfied with the overhaul luid inspection when the same detailed careful in- is made when the same is services and tuned up in morning for its flight When the chief of servicing takes the cock pit he gives the motor the wings and every si trear a careful as the ship rests on blocks ready for takes ship watched 1 at etew until the wireless Cashes the safe landing on the Saii Francisco field across the Wild unbroken hills Their interest the the pilot in rough weather rather friendship pride and knowledge from long sociation with the hazards of the mountain flying stand in groups long after the I day's work is done awaiting some word from a long overdue flyer and even at night take up the vigil hangar In the air mail service is equipped with a machine shop and the personnel includes makers fusilage builders motor experts etc The manner of administration can be best told by giving the names and their spoke in the wheel of the perfectly balanced perfect working personnel of the Reno field Manager O A has charge of the entire personnel and station administration This in- cludes the construction ing repairing and overhauling of planes and motors despatching of planes and direction of flying iof supplies and handling of the mail and i supervision of the radio service MAJOR HAS GREAT Major Tomlinson served six years in the United States army during the war and the Philippine Insurrection as an enlisted man fourteen years as a commissioned officer in the Philippine constabulary the last two years of constabulary service as adjutant general of that famous organization During his service as a constabulary of ficer he was appointed as governor of the inces of Ifugao and Nueve cays Islands Jor six and a half years He was pointed field manager at Reno on September 1 1920 when the tion wag established and the trans- continental air mail route It is needless that the of this station are the of military discipline and achievement RESCUE STRANDED SHIP It is a matter of but a few ago that a pilot grounded out on the desert miles from for the of the plane he found a traveler in a Ford ting across the great alkali basin waste He rode into Gs e railroad of the ln a moment everything was ordered most military snappy manner A ship was rolled out to the blocks inspected minute care Trouble Shooter Davis was called and a out to tho field The pOot of the disabled ship not ing to fly back for plane an- accompanied the The mechanics were to unloaded and began the task of new rod the pilot returning to the Reno the mechanics out on the desert and s- from any night ship mechanic started v bile with his and or water Chief Mechanic reached the men in the after- noon fed them and returned to the field leaving the ship to be brought back by the pilot who 1 drives the During the blizzard last winter a in the storm set down his plane on Mt Rose some 20 miles from field There five or six feet of enow Chief Chief An- derson Mechanic Case and son supplied with pack carrying food the heavy skees used to replace the wheels on a ship so it- cart take the air The country up in the high foothills at the base of this towering mountain is ged and cut with deep hard country to negotiate weather but very dangerous snow to any depth which covers the spaces between the rod's and deep canyons The men arrived at the crack up late in ii the evening worn out Just a few minutes arrival a zard with all the fury and driving power of the elements broke over these intrepid men The wind was and the fine snow into their faces so that it broke the skin The Quartet began digging in They scratched out a pit that was 15 feet to the frozen ground Here they made camp -one man on guard while the others slept for guard Interval The next day they looked for the ship which had been settled down and covered with there was no plane to be seen Later after the storm broke the ship was found over a half a mile away where the mile gale had carried it lifting it and turning it on its back The ship wag a wreck The detail dismantled the plane and taking all of the skied back to the arriving late at night later this plane was salvaged and brought to the station These two incidents are merely of the work done the chances taken and the great alty to service given thV motor macks of the air mail Chief Mechanic B well oversees all the mechanical work of the mechanics of the tion He directs the rebuilding repairing overhauling cleaning of all planes trucks etc the servicing of the planes filling willi gas and oil and water and served ior two ana half years in the United States army lit the air service during the World War Two years of this time was Germany and Belgium wag appointed this is the of shin from gravity was made chief mechanic at tbe Reno station otf September 18 1920 Chief eon has Just completed a standard H work fast June We a ihi pof the typa used tSe K United States Invention at Si m v the actual cost of ships built by the government Itself This is an achievement that shows the cf the chief rigger Anderson has charge cf the ging department and personally attends to the rigging of all planes This means points of stress leveling wings stream lines perfection etc He has charge of the building of wings and He served in the United States air service for two- and a half during the Two years was in the dangerous zones in France He re- His appointment as chanie helper at the Reno field in 1920 and to mechanic in May and again advanced to chief engineer in September The technical and practical of chief of servicing and trouble is held by David C It is his job correct all to adjust A 10 oe in work have uncanny have a knowledge of every of these two most portant of propulsion Then there are the ments to out the oil and gas the shatters propeller of It is wonderful see Davis to the f He helper i at Above C Eu- gene Johnson In ter the aerial mail at Rene at right cial of one of the ai ihc Marina The other photo is a of ilie Marina field Here as at Reno Motor perform that seem so prosaic to those see them moving abouL Yet they are in more respects than one the heart iff aerial ef i of mechanics The man must qualified to work and put together In the darkness the hundred and one parts of uis master motor He must be able to pick out from the the machine sions to sift and separate from each their trouble to cor- to say when Its life Is gone The rate of the life of these aerial engines has been longed from 10 to 20 hours time up to hours flying that aien of caliber of and his this the government they Henne served the air service of the United States marines ing tile World War Six months were spent in France Belgium ana England He was appointed at the St air 3921 when the St Louis field was discontinued M Case mechanic doea rigging and minor repairing on ships wings His duties inspection and flying con- dition of the planes handled by the service crew in tins army air service for two years ing the World War Sixteen months were put In on the la France He was appointed helper at tbe Reno In- September 1920 and promoted to mechanic and rigger in ber 1921 Burton W dees repairing of He four yearr in the Matio national ana appointed aa at f Jse City January 17 to Reno and assists on motor repairing Ht was appointed mechanics helper Reno field in September 1920 AnU promoted to mechanic Birgard has of tlie sheet work In the shops -Tie assists on motor ing and repair Ha was mechanics helper lield in 1920 nnd to in 1022 ASSISTS A Johnson on motor ing and assists the chief on motors on the service crew Johnson was appointed helper at Chicago field in January 1921 transferred to the Reno field in 1921 and promoted to mechanic In July 1922 Mechanics Helper Glenn O in planes repair work and does general ing for the various appointed to tho Reno field 1 1922 Field Cleric and Stock Clerk An- drew C has charge Of all tbe work at the station the stock room and records Chauffeur Raymond J McGuire lias charge ot all the trucks has dangerous job of handling all the a drive of a of two part of the distance through vacant Is the type of that pays strict attRi to his his multitudinous jobs that of all from the city and transporting tho crews and pilots to and from tho also hns and takes care of all the repair on the trucks and cars in ilia service in the World War in for over a year IIo was an ambulance er and saw real service during tho great scenes that Beared his very being Watchman C Connor guards the hangar and office building from 5 o'clock p in un- til 1 o'clock a m dally Appointed watchman In Watchman Charted Nr guards the hangar and premises from 1 a re to 6 a m whun the service crew arrives after which he works as mechanics helper sisting the service crew until a in SERVICE GREW The service crew consists of men that gas water and oil the big ships run the planes out on tho blocks carefully inspect each and every little detail of instruments start the motor and go over all the ning instruments The first ship leaves for Uio aast at a m and when the mail pHot the ship ffl ready to take air Radio Operator Dante H Cor- aano has charge of the air mail radio station which is located on at the University Nevada attends to the ing of all radio messages Jn con- the despatching ol ships gives the weather and bulletins to all er for each jump division He takes care of the pointed assistant operator in ary 1920 and promoted to to rin in 1921 Operator Hadley 8 the air mail radio lie He was an operator Jn or IS hours of 24 They re- and send the re- ports to the other Stations of air mail for the information of and in addition handle re- ports from the various bureau station They deliver eastern market reports Ior of local Copyright Jack V