Professional Documents
Culture Documents
with
CLARENCE M. YOUNG
by
at
Sedona, Arizona
For the
HERBERT HOOVER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
West Branch, Iowa
and the
HOOVER INSTITUTION ON WAR, REVOLUTION AND PEACE
Stanford, California
Republican . Mason
------------
velopment of civil aviation during the time Mr. Hoover was the Secretary
Government . You and Mr. Hoover were born in Iowa and you at least
highly respected citizen of the state, and also that he was very suc-
and confidence . I did not have the pleasure of meeting him until the
COL . YOUNG : No, it was too much for me, but I made my
included it .
transportation .
MR . HENLE : Was the Ford Tri-motor nearing completion
at that time?
ready for flight testing, but, as you know, the elder Mr. Ford was
all ; that it took Bill Stout and his engineers, plus other officials
first Ford was flown . I was busy trying to keep up with the project
1926 "rings a bell" for some reason or other. It could have been
identified with the Ford test flight or the enactment of the Civil
Aeronautics Act, or both. In any case, the Ford was flown, the Civil
service?
ment it was a very helpful and encouraging addition . Also, I believe its
the Civil Aeronautics Act . He had made a study of it, of course, and
the department and taking over the operations section of it and get
this underway . I told him I would like very much to do so; that I
was much more interested in the aviation future than I was in the
might or might not be able to give up, but that I would discuss this
with the Centennial people and see what I could work out and would
ing about it and I arrived at the conclusion there was no real good
have somebody out there take it over because there were several people
directly concerned and familiar with it, and that's what I did . The
end result was that they agreed with me that the opportunity which had
been offered was really worthwhile and that they would manage somehow
to continue with the project for the Centennial and get it worked out.
thought. I told him that I could get away in about ten days if that
was agreeable to him, which it was, so in due course I went into the
Commerce .
and it was complicated and there was a large project ahead to be worked
out from the operations point of view, to say nothing about the other
of the pilots and others who had been engaged in the barnstorming with
lished for the various types of civil aircraft ; also for pilots, as to
in the area of services that were needed for scheduled aircraft opera-
tions, as, for example, the Weather Bureau for reporting and communica-
because the latter would be too expensive and just a duplication . When
that combination of assistance was put together, Bill was sort of
cerned aeronautics .
was going on abroad with this, and suggested that one of us go over
make the trip . That sort of left me with no choice, so I put one of
our small planes on the "LEVIATHAN", which was then in service, and
started out . The plane was offloaded at Southampton, the wings re-
placed, the fuel tanks were loaded, and I started for Croydon Airport
spreading too much fuel around, and found a likely looking field in
from London to fly to Croydon, another was making the first landing
without notifying London about it at the time, and the third was plug-
ging the leak and proceeding to Croydon still without permission. How-
ever, it was all forgiven when I told them a plane of the size I was
cated .
he was obliged to use his parachute, taking the mail with him.
Lindbergh was a skillful pilot and I'm sure it hurt him as much to
lose the planes as it dial the company . I had only recently taken over
plished he would come back and meet with me again . Of course, it de-
veloped that his project was the flight to Paris . Soon after he left I
for him and that it was finishing completion behind closed doors in
San Diego; also, that it would be taken out soon for test flights and
tests of other kinds . Someone in the factory reminded Charlie that under
the new regulations it would be necessary for him to have the airplane
had been too busy with _/other things to give these matter) attention .
When his plane was out of the factory and ready for flight testing,
I
was in Los Angeles and decided to go down to San Diego to see
if I could
be of any assistance to him in getting the license !natter straightened
following :
we could talk about, but I doubt that they would add to the
general out-
line or to the over-all picture . We had frequent meetings with the air-
of his responsibility .
needed was an aircraft and the ability to get it in the air ."
part, and we were on the point of grounding them because Fokker couldn't .
We missed the boat by one day in taking that action . A wing broke away
from a Fokker and it was a fatal event for the passengers aboard, includ-
and their great football prowess . It was one of those early blows to
civil aviation .
panies using them. Mr. Fokker endeavored to attend but he was unani-
concerned . However, the companies using the Fokkers felt they should
much discussion, it was finally agreed they could be used for airmail
only, provided parachutes were used by the pilots, It was but a short
time until the technical papers heretofore referred to showed up. Our
engineering staff soon determined the probable weak area in the struc-
ture .
air navigation aids which had not yet been developed . Communication
by radio between ground and air was badly needed . Its availability
would have opened up a whole new approach to both day and night flying .
overcome .
down, didn't we? What I mean is the way we sustain the avenues of air
locate the field for the pilot . The pilot was pretty much on his own
in those days .
tion that was very effective . Special forecasts were sent to weather
and all this took time . As you said earlier, there had to be rules
where and approximately what the area was when you wanted to get to
an emergency airport .
the late Jim Kinney . I went along as emergency pilot . He flew from
that had been worked out, and landed at Newark Airport without having
seen a thing.
fellow he was:
sold on the idea that aircraft would really take an important part
I am quite sure he originated the idea of the Morrow Board study and
tigating committee?
it as much as I could .
was published .
Post Office Department . There were some planes just carrying mail, I
think, but it was only a short time that mail was put on with
Farley personally .
for Farley . He broke with Roosevelt finally, and after it was all
over he had the courage to go to Mr. Hoover and tell him that any
thing he might have said or done about him was in the field of party
the two men. Many people always thought well of Farley for having
done that. He and Mr. Hoover had many long and pleasant associations
had no President like Hoover . He was the type of executive who gets
back on the ,job ." It wouldn't have done any good, because it wasn't
MR. HENLE : This has been fine and I thank you for this
CLARENCE M . YOUNG
Another outstanding personality associated
with the depart-
ment's aviation chores was Clarence M. Young,
who was at first
Head of Air Regulations and then became Director
of Aeronautics
officially on July 1, 1927 . The relationship between
MacCracken
and Young proved to be a happy one, hardly that
of boss and as-
sistant but more like a team of equals .13 Young,
born in Colfax,
Iowa, moved to Des Moines at the age of
twelve . He later at-
tended Drake University for two years before
completing his legal
training at Yale University, whereupon
he returned to Des Moines
to practice law. Receiving his ground
flight training at Urbana,
Illinois, the lawyer-aviator reached the war front
and participated
in bombing raids on Austrian railroads .
During one of these
raids, his plane was hit by antiaircraft guns, forcing
him to crash.
He was captured and remained a prisoner of
war in Austria for
five months . Following World War I, he returned
to Des Moines,
selling surplus airplanes on the side while
encouraging, local of-
ficials to build an airport. Young had become a
good friend of
Charles Lindbergh and continued his own interests
by taking up
passengers and performing as a stunt flier at local
fairs. Youth-
ful in appearance, alert, and pleasant, Young
avoided giving
speeches, while MacCracken loved them. The
two lawyers often
worked at the office from eight Ili the morning until
late at night.
The Iowan, a good friend of Secretary Hoover,
shunned politics,
though he was extremely popular around
Washington ; not solely
CHAPTER 2
30
not show
because he was a bachelor and good dancer . Young did
the
much excitement over flight for pure glory and was proud of
in
fact that he had never used a parachute (and did not intend to
flown during
the future), despite the thousands of miles he had
each year .
methodi-
Meanwhile, MacCracken planned diligently and
cally the initial regulatory functions of his organization through-
immediately after gaining
out the latter half o£ 1926 . Almost
the task of promoting avia-
appointment, he became a natural at
MacCracken predicted
tion, answering all inquiries to his office .
effect be-
at the end of August that the new -rules would go into
of the actual
fore the end of the current year, a correct estimate
Assistant Secretary
date, December 31 .7 By mid-September, the
hired
advised an inquirer that, the aircraft inspectors would not be
Hawaii was
until November or December .,' A military friend in
MacCracken
told that the days were not long enough to enable
Oc-
and his fellow workers to accomplish their goals.a As late as
tober 11, no airplanes had been authorized for use by employees
of the Aeronautics Branch .10
EARLY FUNCTIONS
rules
The very first objective in the implementation of the
rested with the hiring of experienced aviation men as inspectors
these in-
to work in the field throughout the country. The first of
when the regulations went into
dividuals were already in the field
enough men who met the
effect . It remained difficult to obtain
qualifications of above-average ability as pilots, suitable person-
ality, and a wide knowledge of the various aircraft and engines.
fiscal
Fifteen experienced inspectors were hired during the initial
year ; the goal for the next year was set at an additional thirty-five
airplanes
in order to keep up with the factory output of 100 new the thou-
per month, plus the registration and certification of
federal
sands of airmen and aircraft already in operation before
regulation ." The first official inspection of aircraft was com-
Lock-
pleted on December 7, 1926, by Supervising Inspector R. G.
wood within a day after receiving the request to inspect a plane
schedule
being delivered to Canada. He followed the Canadian
Lockwood, formerly a pilot in the Royal Air n
of inspection .12