Roper's Rules

Almost since the first scheduled airliner roared off U. S. runways and especially since traffic lanes were established in the sky, civilian pilots have contested the right of transport companies and airports to restrict their flying. This week, however, a set of re-codified and revised Civil Air Regulations, signed by Secretary of Commerce Roper, takes effect.

Months of conferences held by the Bureau of Air Commerce with military officials, airline operators, private flyers, airport operators and experts made a tedious job of the revision of hundreds of rules. Under the Federal law which provides that all regulations must be published immediately in the Federal register, the new air rules must, of necessity, appear piecemeal, while proofreading is progressing on a complete separate booklet of air commerce regulations. The rules effective this week cover eleven chapters dealing with rating of pilots, instructors, mechanics, equipment, repairs and general operating.

By the new regulations pilots will receive "certificates of competency" instead of licenses, have their private flying divided into two parts--"contact and flying," when the ground is visible at all times and flying conditions are good; and instrument flying, when weather conditions are foggy, stormy and ceilings are low. For solo rating, pilots must have five hours alone in the air; private pilots, 35 hours; limited commercial pilots, 60 hours; commercial pilots, 200 hours; airline pilots, 1,200 hours. Other rules:

P:Federal airways (totaling 22,000 miles in length) are arbitrarily fixed at 50 miles wide. On air maps they are designated as green, amber and red airways with prescribed altitude and altitude crossing levels. Green has the right-of-way, amber next, red gives way to both amber and green.

P:Contact flights by private flyers may be carried out in good weather with no other restrictions than that they keep 500 ft. above ground, 300 ft. below clouds and have forward visibility of three miles.

P:Bad weather flying for private flyers is restricted to instruments. Pilots must have instrument rating and equipment, two-way radio, complete flight plans from which they may not deviate without giving ample notice.

P: Only commercial pilots with instructor rating may give lessons for hire. Pilots who fail in flight tests must accumulate 15 additional hours flying time before presenting themselves for reexamination. No private pilot may ply for hire. Stunting near airways, airports or built-up areas is forbidden.

General effect of the new rules is that the privileges of the U. S.'s 380 transport airliners and 8,849 private planes during fine weather are better equalized than before; when weather conditions are unfavorable Federal airways are reserved for scheduled airlines. All others, unless equipped for instrument flying and with approved flight plans, must keep off the airways.

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