UJflR 'SWINGS faRTIFICffl PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Central British Colun ^ Vol. 24; No. 17 Prince George, B.C. Thursday, April 24, 1941 #2.00 a Year Weather Forecast Fair, warm, dry. Beware of Forest Fires 1 I Marvel of Navigation Throughout the Skies Safety of Passengers First Consideration�"Riding the Beam" You May See Nothing But Always Know Where You Are � Whole Flight Charted Prior to Take-Off. By JACK MEEK, Vancouver Sun Financial Editor. It is probably but a very small percentage of passengers travelling by plane who have any knowledge of the measures taken by airline companies to ensure the greatest degree of safety, comfort, and high level of efficiency of personnel. The writer has travelled many thousands of miles by plane in the course of newspaper work, but it wasn't until a recent trip north to Port Nelson, acting asy� first officer on a Yukon Southern Air Transport plane, witti special permission of the company, that he fullv realized the thorough planning and painstaking efforts for safety which take place even before passengers reach the airport. � It must be said for the record that, glamour has been completely taken out of the business of flying, at least as far as the popular conception of aviation a few years ago Over a Hundred Instruments to Be Watched While Flying ,. concerned when open cockpit planes were the rule rather than the exception and weather and navigation facilities were limited. There are no dare-devil tricks. All pilots are thoroughly trained at their jobs and most of them are married, with families. It is comforting for passengers to know that Canadian airline pilots hold a special license known as a public transport license and it, is the highest standard in the British Empire. Only slightly over 200 such licenses are Issued, and when it is figured that it costs in the neighborhood of $5,000 for a young man to get a transport license today, some idea is afforded of the thorough training given. WHOLE FLIGHT PLANNED My senior officer and pilot of the plane on the trip north was Captain Sheldon Luck, chief pilot for Yukon Southern company, which operates mail and passenger services from Vancouver to Whitehorse. We, the flight crew, were on deck at the airport half an hour before the plane left and here, roughly, is what happened. Weather was checked with the meterological department and, according to prevailing winds, a flight plan determined and filed with the Department of Transport. Copies were also sent to other companies so that flight crews of planes flying in and out of the field would know where and how we were going to fly. Five to ten minutes before passengers board the plane, Captain Luck and myself go into the cockpit. Here is were you get a real impression of the training necessary .for a pilot. In front of you, on this (See AIR TRAVEL, Page 5) Donations to the War Services #694.48 Collected at Noon Wednesday, Says Treasurer �Lists 5>till Remain Open. Up to noon yesterday Mayor A. M. Patterson, treasurer of the local War Services Fund campaign, had received a total of $694.48. There are several additional contributions ex-Pected in the- next few days which trill swell the total to well over the $700 mark. Mrs. w. G. Fraser, committee secretary, states that any who may have been unintentionally overlook-^ by the canvassers can, if they desire, still help in this cause by turning in their donations to Mayor A. M. Patterson. Additional names of contributors fSee WAR SERVICES, Page 4) BasebaES Players! Fans! Play Bail! With the bright warm days of the Past ten days drying up the diamond Athletic Park and encouraging of summer, baseball fans ^d players are getting feverish, and Jne smack of the ball on the old favorite glove can be heard on the ^n lots and in the odd alley. AH this has led to the calling of a Meeting of Prince George Baseball ^ub at the Shasta Cafe for Friday evening (tomorrow) at 8 o'clock to Local Logging Superintendent Back From East Ambrose J. Trick of S. B. Trick Lumber Co., Wife and Relative Motor From East. Returning from attendance at the funeral of his father, the late S. sl Uio maples Interspersed with the evergreens of .spruce, cedar and ferns, and all proof positive of northern British Columbia's natural scenic bornuty. Other scenes .screened by Mr. Corlcss were of the local airflold with Major-Genera] Arnold, head of U.S. army-air force, and his plane; and �the eitrhL United Slates bombers and their orows which Landed hero on route U) Anchorage last month. Today's News --------------- BY BRITISH UNITED PRESS WIRE --------------- The nnws ltcmn undf;r this Jicud nro received by upcclnl wire to this Citizen from nrltlBh Unlti.'d I'resn and will uppi-nr ench wo-k. Them! bulletin* arrlviil Jusl before this pafte went to prj-ss thin moraine and provide our rcudcro with authentic up-to-thc-mlnute news an (fathered by this world-wide organization. GERMAN REPORTS GREATLY EXAGGERATED LONDON, April 24 (BUP)�British troops "are in their defensive posi-ions in Greece" it was said authoritatively today in answer to German lalements that British-Greek resistance all but collapsed. It was said pecifically that reports that tin; British left flank cither turned or pierced ire untrue. Informants said also they doubted the reports thai Germans coupled the Greek island of Lcmnog dominating the western entrance t<> lie Dardanelles. Difficult as the situation admittedly is in Green:, reliable tartemenls indicated Nazi reports were greatly exaggerated. Anzoc and Jrilish troops arc fi�rlititi/f hand to hand with tlie Germans In a stubborn tlcmpt to main their shrinking line intact. Work Started on Airport Surveys On Ills last visit here on March "0, !�'. Procter, construction engineer for the Department of Transport, si-Hied lit- expeolcd work on the new airport lit Pincview to he in full swing1 hy M;iy 1. Since Unit limr a considerable tonnage of ^electrical equipment for the airport hits arrived, and yesterday E. Lcmarquc, D.L.s., who ni:ule preliminary surveys of tho new site during the early part of February, returned to Prinee George ami on Instruction from the Transport Department li.-us taken up the survey work where lie left off last winter. It is understood plans are being completed at Ottawa in laying out the field and runways preparatory to starting construction work as speedily as possible. GERMAN AND ITALIAN STATEMENTS DIFFER BERLIN, April 24 (BUP)�The High Command said today that Gcr-ian forces had "broken into" positions held by the British rearguard at Thermopylae Pass, Yesterday authorized sources asserted German armored forces had smashed the entire rearjjurad and broken through the Pass to stream on toward Athens. In a recapitulation of the surrender of the Greek army of Epirus and Macedonia, the High Command differed somewhat from Italian claims that the entire surrender was made to Italy's Eleventh Army. After German forces thrust deep Into the flank of the northern Greek army, it was said here, local capitulation and armistice offers U> the Twelfth German Army were started on April 20 (last Sunday) and the capitulation concluded al Salonika. NEW BRITISH BATTLESHIP IN SERVICE LONDON, April 24 (BLIP)�It is officially announced thai the 35,000-ton battleship "Prince of Wales" is now in service. Canada-U.S. Pact To Aid Britain President Roosevelt and Prime Minister w. L. Mackenzie Kliif; of Canada Sunday night agreed on a mulual-benefll; program for the u.s. and Canada to co-ordinate defence production, Tho nations will share materials (?ach is JX.-.SL null; to produce�u program under which Canada would supply the United States with up to $300,000,000 worth or defence within the next 12 months. On ills return to Victoria last Sunday from inspecting the provincial government's oil well at Commotion Creek, Pcjcc River district, Hen. W. J. Asselatlne, minister of mines, stated the lost tools had been recovered from the well and drilling would again proceed.