Evening Star Newspaper, September 22, 1929, Page 64

AVIATION BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON. HE United States Weather Bureau has established at Bolling Field an upper-air weather station which ranks among the country’s best. It-is another outpost in the war between the aviator and the ele- ments, upon the outcome of which depends the future safety of flying. Thye B’omng Field station, while lunctlcnlnfi as an airway unit on the Atlantic Coastal airway, was established primarily as an off- the-line station for the trans- continental line from New York to San Francisco. It is one of 49 new upper-air stations and 110 additional airways ° weather-re- porting stations which have been set up this Summer by the Fed- eral Government. The station is equipped to handle every phase of aviation weather service. Established un- der direction of W. R. Gregg, chief or_the aerological division of the Weather Bureau, it will function as a part of the Nation- wide system of upper-air stations. Day and Night Service. Four metecrologists have been detailed to duty by the Weather Bureau at the Bolling Field sta- tion, under direct supervision of Paul A. Miller, meteorologist in charge, and 24-hour service will be maintained. Not only will the station participate in the newly created Weather Bureau “three- hour” aviation forecast system, but up-to-the-minute weather in- formation will be available at any hour of the day and night for all aviators, governmental or civilian. The station's telephone number is Atlantic 4693 and, it is stated by Eugene M. Barto, assistant aerologist at the Weather Bureau, pilots are invited to call there at any time for information regard- ing flying conditions. The station is connected to the central office of the Weather Bureau, to the airways communi- cation station in the headquarters of the Bureau of Lighthouses and to the Naval Air Station, Anacos- tia, by local teletype apparatus. All airports in the vicinity of the National Capital may make con- nection with this teletype circuit and so receive directly all reports sent out by the station. . The local station will function as a unit in the secondary net sys- tem of reports established by the Weather Bureau July 1. By means of this system weather reports are collected at three major airways weather control stations at Cleve- land, Omaha and Salt Lake City. “Three-Hour” System Scheduled. Reports will be received at these control stations every three hours from numbers of stations located 75 to 150 miles on either side of the transcontinental airway. From these reports a resume of condi- tions within the broad band along the airway is made for the benefit of all pilots flying the line. The Bolling Field station, to- gether with other stations in the secondary network, will compile a statement of weather conditions affecting flying every three hours at 20 minutes before the hour. The statement will be sent to Cleveland by commercial tele- graph on a preferred service equipment which guarantees de- livery within a period of from two te six minutes after the statement is filed. This information, when received at Cleveland, will be used in the compilation of general and local aviation weather forecasts, which will be broadcast by radio and telegraphed to all airways weather stations on the hour. Not only will the Bolling Field station function in this manner as a unit in the secondary network of the transcontinental system, but it also will be operated as an airways control weather station on the New York-Atlanta airway. In this capacity the local station will act as the central station for a:s own network of secondary sta- ons. Local Weather Network. Secondary stations in the Boll- ing Field network will include Cleveland, Bellefonte, Pa.; Hadley, N. J.; Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Frostburg, Md.; Charlottesville, Richmond and Wytheville, Va.; Greenshoro, N. C.; Cape Henry, Va.; Delaware Breakwater and Co- lumbus, Ohio. The stations at Frostburg, Md., and Charlottes- ville, Va., are projected. The others are in operation. The establishment of a first- class station at Bolling Field long has been recognized as a matter of prime importance. Weather conditions along the Atlantic sea- board and over the Alleghenies are subject to more rapid and probably are more severe changes than in any other part of the United States. This is true especially of the weather over the mountains be- tween New York and Cleveland. While the Bolling Field station serves only as a part of the sec- ondary network for this portion of the transcontinental route, it also is a station on the main Army airway across the mountains from g'Ahe’ National Capital to Dayton, 0. “Jumping Off” Place for Pilots. Bolling Field is the “jumping off” place for Army pilots crossing the mountains to the great ma- teriel division base at Wright Field, Dayton, and accurate weather information prior to their departure from the local fleld is essential to their safety. Through its secondary network of stations the Bolling Field station will have an accurate check on weather con- ditions along the mountain route and many miles to either side. The Bignal Corps weather sta- tion, which has been operated at Bolling Field since it was estab- lished during the World War, has been taken over by the Weather Bureau. To properly house the new station the War Department is planning the construction of _weather and radio rooms above the present field operations office. The “three-hour” system of re- ports from off-the-line weather stations guarantees against any major weather disturbance ap- proaching the main airways with- out ample warning. For detailed weather information along the airways the aeronautics branch of the Department of Commerce and the Weather Bureau now are giv- ing practically continuous service to_pilots. In addition to hourly broadcasts of weather information from 18 “terminal” stations along the transcontinentsl airway, broad- cast on the half hour from inter- mediate stations on the airway. This results in practically con- tinuous flying weather service along the transcontinental line, Pilots may obtain concise weather information at least every half hour at nn{ point along the trans- continental line. Owing to' the fact that some of the hourly or half-hourly reports are too Yonz for broadcasting in the period al- lowed, information often is broad- cast on the quarter hours, when the broadcasting stations call out the course as laid by the directive radio beacon. The weather information and forecasts are broadcast from a chain of airways radio stations established by the airways division of the Department of Commerce. There now are approximately 30 of these stations handling either radio-telephone broadcasts to air- craft and ground stations or radio- telegraph broadcasts. The larger stations handle both telephone and telegraph broadcasts. In ad- dition, the department operates seven radio beacon stations and eight marker beacon stations. Shortage of Men a Handicap. The Weather Bureau is experi- encing difficulty in obtaining the services of sufficient trained mete- orologists to man the scores of new stations necessary to properly serve the airways of the Nation. The practice has been followed of selecting and assigning to airport stations younger Weather Bureau employes who show promise. Many of them have met the test and are giving excellent service, according to Mr. Gregg. The demands, how- ever, are increasing out of all pro- portion to the supply and, in this field, there are no outside sources on which to draw for new ma- terial. In commercial life there has been until recently no demand for the meteorologist. There are in- dications now, however, that this condition is changing and some of the colleges, notably the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology.- are organizing courses in meteoro- logy, which will prévide a supply of trained men so much needed for aviation weather service. For aviation weather purposes a somewhat specialized form of observation is required. The wea- ther elements of most vital con- cern to the pilot are general con- dition of sky and weather, ceiling, visibility, wind direction and veloc- ity, temperature, dewpoint, baro- metric pressure, miscellaneous such as thunderstorms, squalls, conditions of field as affected by rain and snow, and the character and velocity of the upper winds. Certain of these factors, though of vital importance to the flyer, play small part in conventional weather forecasting and must be made especially for the purpose of avia- tion forecasts. Other Stations Operated. In addition to the great chain of regular Weather Bureau sta- tions and the new aviation sta- tions there are a number of other federally operated or private avia- tion weather stations in operation in the United States. The Army Signal Corps has aviation weather stations at fields where the Weather Bureau has no establish- ments. The Navy has eight com- plete weather stations at sea and 14 shore stations. Transconti- nental Air Transport established 72 weather stations or observation points in a broad band along its transcontinental route and other large air transport companies also operate their own systems, all in co-operation with the Weather Bureau. The fight against the pilot’s worst enemy, bad weather, is be- ing fought along a broad front and, while the enemy is yet far from beaten, he is losing one of his greatest factors of attack—the element of surprise. It soon will be possible for any pilot to be so well posted on weather conditions that for him to be caught un- warned by any major weather dis- turbance will constitute inexcus- able negligence BUSIEST AIR LINE IN U. S. IS ONLY 15 MILES LONG Seattle-Bremerton Planes Make 834 Round Trips in Two- Month Period. SEATTLE, Wash., (#).—Probably the busiest air passenger line in the world also is likely the shortest. It is operated by Gorst Air Trans- port, Inc., 15 miles across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bremerton, Wash. In the two months ending August 15 planes of the line made 834 round trips and carried 9,458 passengers, an average of six a trip. Loening lmgmbl.ln planes carrying seven and eight passengers are used. Boats operate between the two citles, but require two and a half hours, where- as the planes make the trip in 12 minutes. The airplane fare is $2.50. VAN ORMAN SCHOOL HEAD Will Direct Ground Work for Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation. ‘Ward T. Van Orman, five times win- ner in the national balloon races and twice victor in the international com- petition, has been named director of e Z = Corporation, = He year ep] direct the training of students in bal- loonings, handling, meteorology, radio and navi n, Van has been a balloon pilot since 1917 and an airship pilot since 1918. He was lighter-than-air~school instructor for student naval officers at Wingfoot Lake during the World War. Following the armistice he turned to aeronautical design and produced the bullet proof fuel tank for aircraft which is standard Army equipment today. He also has perfected a lightning arrester for balloons. Airport to Be Lighted. ‘The airport of the Kreider Mlhnz THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SEPTEMBER 22, 0 FLYERS ENTER FORD PLANE TOUR Women Are Among Pilots for Event Starting From De- troit October 5. By the Associated Press. ETROIT.—Some twoscore planes will leave Ford Airport here October & on a 4,800-mile journey which will take 1929—PART 4. FORTY PLANES TO CROSS CITY IN FORD TOUR them to 31 citles in 16 flying days to |. complete the fifth annual national air tour. ‘The winner will receive the Edsel B. Ford trophy and a substantial amount of cash. Points will awarded on & basis of reliability and efficiency. This year's tour has drawn the largest entry lst of the five years the event has been conducted. Eddie Stinson Entered. Eddie Stinson, George Haldeman, Harold_Piteairn, Amelia Earhart and Mrs. Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie are among noted pilots who will compete. ‘W. 8. MacCracken, reti head of the Bureau of Aeronautics of the De- partment of Commerce, and Clarence Young, his succesgr, have been invited to go along. Among planes entered by manufac- turers and owners are two au 08, & Ford tri-motor, & single-motored Ford monoplane and a Curtiss condor, Virtually every important manufacturer will be represented. Collins Is Tour Manager. Capt. Ray Collins, referee for the four previous tours, is manager this year. Capt. Frank Hawks will be referee. These two flyers have made path- finding flights cver the entire course. ‘The itinerary takes the flyers thmugh Canada and down the East Coast of the United States for the first time. They will pause at Wausau, Wis., home of the late Maj. John P, Wood, winner of thé 1928 tour, who was killed on his attempted non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland. At Chicago their arrival will mark the dedication of the new Curtiss-Reynolds Airport. CLEVELAND-D.ETRO|T LINE RECEIVES DORNIER PLANE First of Two Big Craft Tested at Philadelphia Before Enter- ing Service. CLEVELAND, Ohio (#).—The first of two huge Dornier super-wahl four-en- gined flying boats which will be put into service on the Stout Detoit-Cleve- land Line has arrived in the United States, It is the first of the famous Dornier planes to be brought to this country. The flying boat, carrying 20 passen- gers, was sent to the Philadelphia Navy ;‘I‘n.rhd! for assembly, inspection and test s. he second of the planes will be shipped to the United States shortly from the Dornier gll:nt at Priedrichs- h“en’. Germany. e Stout ’I:ldne. fi' carrying passengers across Like Erie between De!rolt‘l.nd Cleveland, soon 18 to be extended to Buffalo. — CALIFORNIA AIRPORT IS PLANNED AS MODEL “Dustless” Station, Held Long a Dream, to Become & Reality. LOS ANGELES.—A dustless afrport, long a dream, will be a reality when the United Airport of Los Angeles and Burbank, now being_completed by the Boeing System at Burbank, Los An- geles County, California, is opened. ‘This 240-acre terminal, to represent an investment of a million and a half dollars, is being developed as a model airport and will be a six-way fleld. Average runway lengths will be 3,500 feet. The asphalt on the runways will be 300 feet wide. There will be concrete aprons around all buildings, and at points where people congregate, to do away with dust. airport, which will be improved with buildings of Spanish architecture, so common to Southern California, will be adjacent _to a 40-acre park which the city of Burbank will develop in har- mony with the airport development, ARMY TRAINING PLANES . TO BE LIGHTER TYPE 0-32 Is Powered by Radial Air- Cooled Motor Instead of 02-K Liberty. SAN ANTONIO, Tex. (#),— lighter plane for basic training of y aviators has been adopted at Brooks and March Fields here. ‘The new type known as the O-32, will be powered by a radial air-cooled motor instead of the Liberty motor of the O2-K model, which has been em- ployed in the past. The radial motor, which will develop 425 horsepower, is much lighter. ‘Thirty of the new planes have been orgzl;el'd, 15 for each field’s basic training sel e STUDIES AIRCRAFT RADIO. Gross Touring European Countries, Learning Installation Methods. ‘Thorough study of the aircraft radio installations on European airways is being made by Gerald C. Gross, tech- nical engineer of the Federal Radio Commission who now is engaged in & tour of all thé larger European air- ways. He will make an especial study of the radio facilities at the great Paris, Berlin and London airports. Mr. Gross was technical assistant to the American delegation attending the International Radio Technical Consult~ lgg cml‘?m:f.be l::n!eunu at The ague. He accompanied on his tour by H. C. Leuteritz, chiet radio engineer of Pan-American Airways. MAIL TRUCK SIGNS. ‘The roofs of thousands of moter trucks used by the Post Offiee Departe ment will be used for advertising the air mail service to those who watch from office windows. The department has instructed masters at cities on he airmail d school of the Good- % e will which may suggest themselves as means of bringing the air mail to the attention of business and social correspondents. Opportunity nEELpe g s automotive man the be glve Fans s c o ce, own men o i Star Office The Ford Airport at l!urbor%"MIch . tober 5. national air tour, beginning Ocf 'h e Capital without stopping. Capt. Ray Collins (right) is tour manager and Capt. nburb of Detroit, which again will be the starting and finishing point for the map shows the route to be followed, the planes passing over the National Frank Hawks (left) referee of the event. U. S. PLANE PLANTS EMPLOY OVER 25,000 ‘There are now 25,000 persons em- ployed in the United States in the man- ufacturing of airplanes and airplane motors, according to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the De- partment of Labor. In addition to these 25,000 who are directly employed, the seronautical industry gives employment to many thousands of workers both di- rectly and indirectly, it was announced. “Factories and hangars must be bullt; pllots, both for mail and commercial work, must be employed; schools of in- struction are coming into existence, and many mechanics and other ground em- ployes are needed at air fields,” the bu- reau said in announcing the results of the survey. “Employment also is given to persons engaged in the manufacture of mate- ial (metal, wood, cloth, rubber, etc.) used in planes. Airplanes also have their effect on the production, distribu- tion and consumption of gasoline.” Plants manufacturing_ariplanes are found in 29 States, New York being the most important with 4,396 employes, and California second with 1,605 em- ployes. Other States with more than 1,000 persons employed in the manu- | facture of airplanes are Michigan, | Washington, Kansas and Ohio. STUDY FLYING WEATHER. | SOUTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. (#).— A complete weather intelligence station for the benefit of aviators ultimately may be established on the estate of Col. E. H. R. Green at Round Hill, in co- operation with the Massachusetts In- stitute of Technology. Research workers already are study- ing fog, the possibilities of penetration by light and other forms of energy, in- cluding electric and elastic waves. BUFFALO IS BUILDING GIGANTIC FLYING SHIP BUFFALO, N. Y. ().—A flying boat, “ said to be the largest ever bullt in this country, will be tested cver Lake Erie | in September before being turned over to an aerial transportation company for use between New York and Buenos Alres by way of Rio de Janeiro. ‘The craft will have a wing spread of 100 feet and will be equipped with two 575-horsepower motors. The plane originally was designed to carry 32 pas- sengers, but was remodeled to carry mail and 22 passengers, for whom luxurious accommodations have been provided. According to the manufacturers, the plane is the first of a fleet of 12 ships ordered by ‘the serial transportation company at $150,000 each, with delivery at,the rate of one each month, NEW FOKKER PLANE PASSES INITIAL TEST 32-Passenger Craft Listed for Exhibition in Capital Next Week. ‘The National Capital will be one of the first cities fo see the new Fokker 32-passenger monoplane, the largest transport plane so far built in the United States, according to plans of the builders. The huge plane, which is wered with four engines totaling 2,100 rsepower, has passed its initial tests with flying colors, and it is expected here_this week. ‘The F-32, as it has been designated, will be produced either for day trans- port service or as an aerial night Pull- man, sleeping 16 passengers. Five of the planes have been ordered by Uni- versal Aviation Corporation for use on its transcontinental lines. Shows Speed of 150 Miles an Hour. In tests during the past week at Fokker Field, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J. with Lieut. Harry Johnson, chief of the Armdy engineering test branch at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, as pilot, the big gLnne made a top speed of 157 miles per ur, running at full throttle. This is 17 miles an hour more than was ex- pected by the designers. ‘The landing speed, with Lieut. John- son at the controls, was 47 miles per hour, 13 miles per hour slower than the designers had hoped to obtain, Fokker officials have announced. The ship cruised at 120 to 125 miles per hour and maintained flying speed on two front motors. On the two rear motors, driv- ing pusher propellers, it is reported to have climbed. ‘There are controls for two pilots, so arranged that in event of very bad weather one pilot can control direction and the co-pilot, alttude, as in the case of dirigibles. With a wing spread of 99 feet the F-32 has a total wing area of 1,350 square feet. The over-all Jength is 69 feet 10 inches and the height 16 feet 6 inches. Four 525-horsepower Pratt & Whitney “Hornet” engines are used and are carried in tandem, two in each nacelle, under the wings. The front engines drive two-bladed adjustable propellers and the rear engines three- | bladed adjustable propellers. Empty Plane Weighs 13,800 Pounds. Empty, the plane weighs 13,800 pounds. Its useful load of 8,700 pounds gives a gross weight of 22,500 pounds, or more than 11 tons. It carries 400 gallons of fuel, 40 gallons of oil and 560 pounds of baggage in day opera- tions, with 30 passengers and a crew of 4. As a night plane it will carry 700 gallons of fuel, 60 gallons of oil, 820 pounds of baggage, 16 passengers and a crew of 5, Its range as a day plane is 480 miles, as a night plane 850 miles. ‘The F-32 is of standard Fokker de- sign, with an all-wood veneer-covered wing of full cantilever l}'r’. as in the smaller Fokkers. The fuselage, tail sur- Graham-Pai - Has H. C. Flemin, Motor Co. Hysttsvi Md. Always Had WIND INDICATOR 10 BE EXHIBITED New Device for Airports Will Be a Feature of Airway Relief Exposition. Demonstrations of a new t; of wind-direction indicator for nlz%!t”uuf. to be operated in connection with air- way and airport rotating beacon lights, will be a feature of the Army Relief Ex- position at the Washington Barracks m”l"%: month. e indicator, invention of Maj. Francis Boyle, Army Reserve, wn’s tested in operation by Army pilots at Bolling Field recently and several minor changes will be made before its exhi- bition at the War College. The indicator, which is expected to eliminate one of the greatest elements of uncertainty confronting the pilot who flies the airways at night, is very simple in design. A colored glass screen the size of the beacon lens is supported in the path of the lens and is attached to a wind vane so as always to be on the downwind side of the beacon. As the beacon rotates, its rays are intercepted by the colored screen and & peneil of colored light points the di- rection of the wind. The indication is sald to be clearly visible.from any di- rection or altitude for a distance of many miles. In hazy weather, when other forms of wind-direction indicators are at their lowest visibility, the col- ored light ray, shining on the mist, is | even more distant than in clear weather, it is claimed. — faces and landing gear are of tubular steel construckion. The cabin is divided into four sec- tions, the interiors finished in mahog- any and light pile fabric. Each sec- tion has four glass windows. There are 30 armchairs with deep cushions, ad- justable backs and head rests for the passengers. There are two fully equip- ped washrooms, two gallies or serving pantries, located amidships, and a bag- gage compartment forward. Pilots’ Quarters Inciosed. ‘The pilots’ compartment is in the nose and is of the inclosed type with doors into the passenger cabin and in the bottom. The radio compartment is located below the pilots’ cockpit. There are two metal instrument boards in front of the pilots, containing the usual equipment and motor controls. In back of the pilots is a mechanic's instrument board containing four ofl pressure gauges, four oil thermometers, four gasoline pressure gauges, a booster magneto selector switch and the fuel- cock system. Consolidated air ticket offices are operated in Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York and . They supply tickets over all air lines, travel information and trans- on to and from airports. e | The first Graham-Paige ever - built offered the great advan- tage of four speeds forward with standard gear shift--now time- proved in the hands of thousands of owners. A 25 %reduction in engine speeds at all road speeds adds a new thrill to motoring... silent smoothness with flashing acceleration and greater economy: This outstanding feature,and the many important body and chassis improvements,are reasons why you should see and drive 21930 Graham-Paige before buying any motor car... i SEMMES MOTOR CO,, Inc. E. B. Frazier Motor Co. 518 10th St. N.E. 1526 14th St. N.W. Phone Number: Potomac 0772 ASSOCIATED DEALERS Logan 1812 E St. N.W. Motor Co. Model 615 Four Door Sedan af Factory, Special Equipment Extra. Nations] Auto Sales Co. 33 New York Ave. N.E.