LIFE OF THRILLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 91, 17 April 1936, Page 7

LIFE OF THRILLS.

AMERICAN VISITOR.

AIRCRAFT TEST PILOT.

«CATERPILLAR CLUB."

There are not many thrills in life that have. not been experienced by Major V. E. Bertyrandias, who passed through Auckland to-day by the Mariposa on his way to Australia. He has been a racing motorist, "barnstorming" airman, war pilot and chief inspector and aircraft test pilot for the American Government. Now he is export sales manager for Douglas Aircraft, Ltd., but most important of all he is one of the 500 members of the most exclusive aviators' club in America, the Caterpillar Club.

This honour is reserved, in his own words, for the "worms and sooks" who at one time or another have been forced to make an emergency landing from their 'planes by parachute. He earned it when testing a 'plane for the Air Force. The engine dropped out of the machine and the wings dropped off it. He jumped, and when he landed he was a genuine "Caterpillar," entitled to wear the little gold emblem that now adorns his lapel.

In his position as export sales manager for the Douglas Company Major Bertrandias is now on his way to Australia, where he will assist in the assembling and testing of the new 14-passen-ger Douglas DC2 machine which is being put on the Melbourne-Tasmanian service by Holyman Airways. Major Bertrandias will also train Australian pilots in the technique of flying this type of air liner, and will give advice, where necessary, from his experience of air transport organisation.

Barnstorming Days. In conversation this morning the major let his mind wander back to the days before 1916, when for a time he was a mechanical engineer and racing motorist. At the San Francisco World Fair in 1916 he joined Art Smith in one of the original flying circuses. It was under Smith that he became a pilot, and with him he "barnstormed" all over America and in the Orient, racing baby cars and doing stunt flying at a time when looping the loop was a major thrill.

America came into the war and he joined the American Engineers as "a buck private," but when he got to France it was learned that he was a pilot and he was transferred to the Air Force. He was in Captain Rickenbacker's squadron, but he admits Us fame was not added to by any daring feats of his. His attention was given more to the engineering side and to the ground organisation. He was in the Army of Occupation and on his return to America he was appointed chief inspector and test pilot for the American Government. This position he resigned in 1929 to go into commercial aviation.

"I am one of those who believe that we have been making aviation too heroic rather than a stable profession," he said. "Men of note in the profession were too valuable to waste their time and risk their lives in stunt flying." In this regard he referred with regret to the deaths of both Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. C. T. P. Ulm, both of whom, he said, were very well regarded in the United States. Australia could not afford to lose men of their type. Value of Ground Organisation. In the States, he said, commercial aviators were selected from the best men available, and were given a course of training before tliev took up their positions. Then they were well disciplined. The ground organisation was regarded as being just as important as piloting, and the aviation companies were gradually building the industry to a stage where it was just an ordinary transport service running to schedule, and with no question of risk. Major Bertrandias has just returned after a business visit to Japan and China, and he records that in both those countries aviation is making rapid strides. Both have regular airline transport services.

Mrs. Bertrandias, who accompanies her husband, was a movie actress until six years ago, appearing under the name of Marguerite Clayton.