man takes his written examination and flight test for the type of pilot or other airman certificate that he wishes to hold.

Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Harris.

Mr. HARRIS. Is your review staff composed of doctors?

Mr. STANTON. Yes, sir. Several outstanding graduates of the school of aviation medicine of the Army-Randolph Field-as well as other men expert in certain lines particularly pertaining to pilots and air work.

SAFETY REGULATION-AVIATION MEDICAL DIVISION

The functions of the Aviation Medical Division include the developing, revising, and recommending of adequate physical standards for airmen, directing the performance of physical examinations and certification of applicants for airmen certificates. To this end this Division selects qualified medical examiners, and supervisers and coordinates their activities. The present examining force of approximately 1,300 physicians is continually undergoing changes by death, induction into the services, removal and resignation necessitating continual instruction of new men in the methods of examination to determine an applicant's physical fitness in the air, as well as instruction in the requisite administrative procedure to accomplish proper certification. These functions necessitate continuous studies of aeronautical problems relating to physical factors influencing air safety and physical wellbeing of passengers and crew. Liaison with public and private agencies is also maintained with regard to the medical aspects of aviation. In the field of regulation and enforcement the Medical Division reviews accident reports and renders opinions if the question of physical fitness is involved; aids in the preparation of cases for public hearings if involving physical qualifications, and supplies expert testimony at such hearings. For this reason specialists of recognized standing are included in the professional personnel.

As further functions this Division is responsible for the examination and final professional opinion in controversial cases; performs physical examinations of the personnel of the Administration; and makes laboratory studies of aviation medical problems.

To perform these functions, personnel is organized in two sections, viz, the professional group known as the Physical Standards Section, and the clerical group, known as the Records and Service Section. The former, composed of physicians specially trained in aviation medicine, is concerned with the strictly professional, clinical, and administrative work of the Division including the dictating of correspondence with medical examiners and others relative to physical requirements.

Now, the next division is the General Inspection Division, and, as the name implies, that Division conducts examinations for pilot certificates, mechanics' certificates, and other airman certificates; investigates repair shops, flying schools, and other aeronautical agencies, to see that they qualify for their certificates of competency and to see that they continue to maintain their operations in accordance with the requirements set up by the civil air regulations.

Perhaps, to give you an idea of the field they cover, I can just read a short list here of the things they have done in the past year.

There have been 163,213 airman examinations for original certificates. This includes all grades of pilot, mechanic, parachute rigger, ground instructor, flight instructor, aircraft dispatcher, control-tower operator certificates, and so forth.

Inspection of 2,434 flying and ground schools for original certification and continued compliance with prescribed standards.

Inspection of 14 mechanic schools for compliance with minimum standards.

Inspection of 138 repair stations for original certification of competency to perform repair work on various classes of aircraft engines or appliances.

Investigation of 4,658 accidents and records on the accidents and

causes.

Investigation of 1,459 violations of civil air regulations and filing reports thereon.

Investigating 3,042 miscellaneous complaints.

Supervising the activities of 917 aeronautical meets or public aeronautical demonstrations, which would not involve flying not in accordance with civil air regulations.

Reinstatement of airman certificates, after investigation of citizenship and loyalty, and issuance of identification cards, together with photographs and fingerprinting-140,000 of those.

Investigation of 1,175 landing areas or airports and determination as to their being suitably guarded and controlled to be safe to allow aircraft operations during this war period.

And, for the purpose of records and to prevent aircraft from being possible vehicles or instruments of sabotage or subversive activities, they have located and verified the bases of operations of 24,858 aircraft.

SAFETY REGULATION-GENERAL INSPECTION DIVISION

The principal functions of the General Inspection Division include the development, interpretation, administration and enforcement of all the Civil Air Regulations, and the prescribing of minimum standards for safety in flight effecting the certification, rating, and operations of airmen, air agencies and aircraft, common carriers conducting general and scheduled operations (other than those governed by the air carrier division), nonscheduled air carriers engaged solely in carrying freight or express, industrial operations requiring special permits, aeronautical lights, and the rating and marking of facilities and hazards to air navigation. With the advent of war certain additional functions were added which require an investigation of the citizenship and loyalty of all certificated airmen, the designation of all landing areas from which civil aircraft may operate and the investigation of all management personnel for citizenship and loyalty, and the location of all civil aircraft in the United States. In carrying out these functions during the fiscal year 1942 our field staff supervised and conducted activities which included:

A comparison of the increase in the number of valid certificates resulting from our field inspections during the past 3 years further reflects the enormous increase in all phases of the industry.

Careful and comprehensive studies carried on during the past 3 years have resulted in more progressive and efficient inspection procedures which were essential to proper handling of this accelerating increase. A great many of the detailed inspections and examinations being conducted by our inspection staff could no longer be made by the number of men available. It became necessary to develop our inspection activities along educational and supervisory lines. This was done by delegating authority for conducting certain inspections and tests to various agencies of the industry and to civilian pilot training flight supervisors to be carried out in accordance with procedures which our service has determined to be adequate for the insurance of safety. It is the responsibility of our inspection staff to closely supervise the inspection procedures of these agencies to insure efficient and effective functioning at all times. There were 600 persons on July 1, 1942, designated as flight examiners and are authorized to conduct flight tests required by the civil air regulations for private and commercial pilot certificates, which relieves our field force from conducting many complete flight tests. However, close supervision is constantly given all designees and the maintenance of standards is insured by sampling and checking their work. The provision of part 18 of the Civil Air Regulations permit certificated aircraft repair stations making extensive repairs to return aircraft to service without a formal inspection and release by our inspectors as formerly required. In addition, 180 persons have been designated as aircraft inspection representatives as of July 1, 1942. These designees are authorized to conduct certain inspections of aircraft which further relieves our men of many of the laborious and detailed aircraft inspections.

In delegating such responsibility to the industry it is mandatory that close supervision be given to such inspection activities if these streamline inspection methods are to be effective and the necessary standard of safety maintained. In order that such supervision may be carried out effectively it was necessary to establish district field offices strategically located to the concentration of activity about given

areas.

In addition to having a marked salutary effect in reducing the ratio of accidents and violations to the amount of flying activity, we are convinced that such an organization permits the handling of this increasing work load with a minimum future increase in the number of inspection personnel.

In carrying out the provisions of the regulations requiring that all air carriers and commercial air operators be certificated as such, it was

necessary to establish a new section, known as the Commercial Operations Section. Responsibility for the development of minimum standards and preparation of uniform procedures governing the inspection, certification, and rating of such air carriers and commercial operators has been given to this new section, as well as the task of handling all landing area designations for civil aircraft. The addition of these responsibilities and newly created activities will necessitate a further streamlining of our inspection methods and certification procedures. The demands of the defense program have brought forward a pressing need for lighter-than-air pilots, and in an effort to satisfy such needs a number of training schools for lighter-than-air pilots have been established throughout the country. They were considered of such importance that new regulations were promulgated, setting forth minimum standards and requirements for the certification and rating of such airmen.

Other requirements of the war effort which have added considerably to the work load of General Inspection Division are (1) the training of some 200,000 mechanics by the military services, aircraft manufacturers, civil mechanic schools, and other Government agencies which is resulting in an enormous increase in the number of mechanic applicants looking toward certification within the various categories for rating aviation mechanics, (2) the location of all civil aircraft and verification of their bases of operation, and (3) the investigation of citizenship and loyalty of all airmen and the issuance of airman identification cards.

The following is a brief summary of the functions and organization of the various sections of General Inspection Division given in order that a more accurate understanding of the separation of its responsibilities may be gained:

The Aircraft and Agencies Section supervises and directs the activities of the Aircraft Maintenance and Inspection Unit, Aircraft Agencies Unit, and the Aviation Mechanic Unit, and is charged with the development, administration, and enforcement of all the civil air regulations effecting the airworthiness certification of aircraft as to maintenance, alteration, repair, and operation; and the rating and certification of repair stations, parachute lofts, parachute riggers, mechanics and mechanic schools, is responsible for locating and verifying the base of operations or storage of all civil aircraft in the United States, and for conducting investigations necessary to determine the suitability of individuals within the industry for designation and continuance as aircraft inspection representatives.

The Airman and Agencies Section is charged with the responsibility of developing standards governing the certification and rating of airmen, flight and ground instructors, and flying schools; the preparation of uniform procedures and instructions effecting the operation certification and rating of such airmen or air agencies, and for conducting investigations to determine the suitability of individuals for designation and continuance as flight examiners.

The Commercial Operations Section is responsible for developing standards and the preparation of uniform procedures and instructions effecting the operation, certification, and rating of general air carriers and commercial air operations, the certification of lights used as air navigation facilities, and for the desgnation of all landing areas from

which civil aircraft may operate and the investigation of their management personnel for citizenship and loyalty.

AIR CARRIER INSPECTION DIVISION

Now, the personnel of the Air Carrier Inspection Division confine themselves, their work, entirely to the inspection and supervision of the work of the scheduled air transport operations. In that connection they first examine the airports which are to be used as scheduled operation points; the type of aircraft that are to be flown; check into the competency of the pilots that are intended to fly the aircraft and their degree of familiarity with the routes; the facilities which the companies have for maintenance and repair of aircraft; the dispatching and supervising personnel. If all are found in order and meet the minimum standards prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Board and civil air regulations, certificates of operation are issued, which permit the air carriers to proceed with the operation of scheduled services.

Following the institution of such service, the inspectors ride at intervals on various schedules to see that all of the requirements are being observed.

They inspect the operations in the maintenance and overhaul shops and check into the dispatching work with a view to seeing that the operation continues in accordance with standards.

SAFETY REGULATION-AIR CARRIER DIVISION

In the performance of its functions pertaining to the safety of scheduled air-carrier operations, the Air Carrier Division exercises regulatory supervision of all United States air carriers operating either within or beyond the continental limits of the United States in the following particulars:

1. Issues air-carrier operating certificates, and authorizes amendments thereto, after investigation of the air carrier's ability to con-duct an operation in accordance with the Civil Air Regulations, and with established safety standards and practices.

2. Regularly inspects all phases of scheduled air-carrier operations for the purpose of ascertaining the degree of safety of the operations, and initiates corrective action when necessary to insure such safety. 3. Certificates scheduled air-carrier aircraft and airmen after appropriate inspections and flight tests have been completed showing compliance with the minimum standards.

4. Certificates air-carrier aircraft radio equipment after appropriate examination and tests of the mechanical design and function operation of such equipment.

5. Determines the adequacy of facilities for the maintenance of aircraft, engines, and appliances used in scheduled air-carrier operations.

6. Investigations accidents, near accidents, and mechanical failures occurring in scheduled air-carrier operations to determine the cause thereof, and initiates remedial action to be taken to prevent their

reoccurrence.