Evening Star Newspaper, July 13, 1930, Page 48

AVIA TION BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON. ESPITE plaintive cries from private pilots and embryo private pilots of the coun- try for cheaper airplanes in which buzzing around on busi~ ness and pleasure may be accom- plished without the necessity of mortgaging all the family prop- erty, the average price of the American-built airplane today hovers around the $9,000 mark. There are on the market single- seaters of the type designated as “sport planes” for which the man- ufacturers ask as much as $18,000 without even blushing. And many of them continue to ask but do not receive. The story is told among aviation people of a for- mer military pilot who went out into the world to make his way as a civilian and who was doing quite well as his own commanding offi- cer. He set his heart on having a certain type of plane to which he had become accustomed in the service, and which was being pro- duced as a sport plane. This pilot went to the company manufacturing the plane and asked for a price on one of their ships, new or used. He was told he could have one of a model three K ars old for $24,000! To himself e laughed a laugh and went his way. The situation is not all that bad, however. There are on the market several types of light lanes selling for around $2,000 or ess, and some of them, even though not put before the public by any aggressive sales force, seem to be doing fairly well. Prices, however, still are far too high to be considered by the average citi- zen who might take to flying if he could afford the price. Sport Plane Adopted. Among the wealthy the airplane is beginning to take its place for sport and business uses. There are in the vicinity of New York some 250 private pilots, many of whom belong to the newly formed Long Island Aviation Country Club. Others fly as independents, among them such widely known private pilots as Roger Wolfe Kahn, who owns a whole hangar- ful of planes at Roosevelt Field; Eric Wood, and Reginald Brooks, neohew of Lady Astor. The airways of this and other countries know the American pri- pilot. The FoXkker tri-mo- to:cd transport plant bearing the cc.or of Van Lear Black, publisher of the Baltimore Sun, is known in four continents. J. M. Patterson and his daughter, Mrs. Alicia Pat- terson Simpgon, have found ro- mance among the hundreds of islands of the Spanish Main in their Sikorsky amphibian, which also is known at many of the air- ports along the Atlantic Coast. A. P. Seversky has made two round trips from New York to Florida and has cruised among the West Indies. Col. Edward A. Deeds, war-time chief of aircraft production, has his own airport at his estate, near Dayton, Ohio, ranking with the private du Pont airport in Dela- ware. Col. Deeds has just pur- chased an amphibian plane to be used as an aerial “tender” aboard his new steam yacht. Flying Vacationists. Last Winter more than 200 pri- vately owned airplanes were checked in at the Florida fields on vacation tours. Spring and Fall seem to be the favored seasons for the flying vacationists. The local airports, which during the past Spring and the Fall before were stopping places for many privately owned planes on vacation trips, report that such trips are much more infrequent now. In the Middle West, however, it 1s said, there is a brisk chartered plane business for the benefit of tired business men who want to get off into the Canadian wilder- ness in a hurry for fishing. Sea- planes or amphibians are used. and trips which formerly required days of difficult going by canoe and portage now are made in hours. The pilot lands his pas- sengers on a wood-bound lake and leaves them with their camping equipment, having arranged to re- turn for them when the time comes for them to scrape off the growth of beard attained by re- turn to the primeval. Last Summer the chief of the Army Air Corps, Maj. Gén. James E. Fechet, led such a trip into the Canadian wilds during period of annual leave. He took his fam- ily and a party which filled two amphibian planes loaned him for rurnpose by friends in the avia- " inAdustry. An Embarrassing Moment. Many pilots have used airplanes on hunting and fishing e edi- tions. None perhaps has used with more embarrassing mults than a brace of doughty Army combat pilots, then on duty at one of the Florida fields. This twain took advantage of the Army cross- country flying time requirements to get in a little fishing. They did their prescribed cross-country fly- ing between the home field and one wonderful fishing hole some gistance removed from civiliza- on. Landing in an open meadow near the fishing hole, they would set about the serious part of the cross-country mission. Having NO FLYING NEAR YACHTS flavy Prescribes Limit for Vicinity of Contests. Pilots of naval have been jr., commander of Hebron Airport Closed. mluuntmbmn located x mmflm cxoud until hm.h-r been issued by the Navy 3 Is still a caught what fish they thought the circumstances warranted, they would peel off and go for a xwlm ‘Then, all dripping, tney. would climb’ into the plane, wearing no more clothing than did Adam be- fore he learned that leaves could be worn by others than trees. Flying along, they would dry off, and, landing upon the ordmarfly deserted flying field along in the shank of the afternoon, they would taxi into a hangar and put on their clothes in comfort. This they did until one memorable afternoon. One Memorable Day. On this day they were flying back, wearing no more than a hel- met and ?oggles apiece. In the rear cockpit with one of the pilots were piled clothes, fish, fishing tackle, and like odds and ends reminiscent of the afternoon’s outing. Blithely and gayly they flew home and landed at the field. They taxied toward the hangar, the man in the rear standing up and beginning to collect the scat- tered gear. Suddenly they saw drawn up near the hangar several automo- biles filled with specimens galore of charming femininity from a nearby girls’ school. The young | poin things sat there, all eyes, thrilled with the prospect of seeing two great heroes of the air fresh from a daring flight at close range. The hero in the rear cockpit disappeared below the cowling in nothing flat and cowered among the fishing tackle while he fished frantically for the more essential items of apparel. The hapless pi- lot up ahead, with no clothing at all in his cockpit, poured the sauce into his motor, ground-looped with more agility than dignity, and hastened off down the runway for one of the fastest take-offs ever seen on that field. As they circled around they could see that the girls were sflll sitting there patiently, determined not to be denied a possible glimpse of those wonderful Army pilots. The ensuing struggle to get into clothing in the cramped cockpits of an Army plane must have been epic. One man would struggle into a shirt and then take the controls while the other wore him- self down to a whisper. Each sep- arate item of clothing was suffi- cient to bring out a rash on the brows of the doughty aerial knights. Disheveled, They Land. Finally, more or less suitably at- tired, hot, disheveled and dis- gusted, they came in for a second landing. They taxied up to the hangar amid admiring “Ohs!” and “Ahs!” which so short a time before might have been shrieks and gurgles. Each is willing to testify that no hero, even in the movies, ever lived through such an ordeal as they endured between the time they first spotted the startling array of young and sparkling eyes and the time they landed, clothed, the cynosure of those same eyes. The private pilot is fo receive recognition for the first time in the national air races, annual American aviation classic. When the races are flown in Chicago late next month there will be events for “sportsmen pilots who fly their own planes.” The race committee has defined a sports- man pilot as one “who owns and flies his own plane, and is not con- sidered as engaged in the aviation industry.” Legion of Private Pilots. The National Aeronautic Asso- ciation now estimates that there are between 700 and 1,000 private flyers in the United States, and that the number is increasing rapidly. The files of the Aeronau- tics Branch, Department of Com- merce, show that there now are nearly 12,500 active pilot licenses, and that since January 1 nearly 7,000 student permits have been issued, which still are active. At the same time there are only 6,678 airplane licenses active and 2,828 more airplanes have been identi- fied but not licensed. Already there are more qualified pilots than there are airplanes on the license files of the Department of Commerce, and unquestionably when lane prices come down there will be an even larger im- mediately available market to be reached. With lower prices, lower land- ing speeds and safer airplanes, which will be followed by lower in- surance rates and possibly a re- laxing of the present rigid physi- cal requirements for private pilots, there.should be a decided increase in the use of privately owned air- planes for vacation trips and for every day business and pleasure. Portions of the country now in- my accessible to the average citizen will open their glories to those who come buzzing down the skyways. Not only the vacation visit but the trip to and from the spot selected will be packed with men- tal and physical stimulation. More and more people are beginning to' appreciate that, after all, there is nothing so extrnordlnnry about flying, but that there is'a great deal of real enjoyment to be de- rived that way, regardless of the season. There is no time of the year when the flyer cannot find vacation land within a day or two. LANDING GEAR UNIQUE Four Wheels and Air Brakes on T AVIATION |ARPORT BEAN | Common saruis wmmovsraars momr romrion | |NNED SUUADRONG]™ . PLAGE SELECTED Construction Under Way at Hunters Point, Va.—Use- ful for All Fields. ‘The Gordian knot, resulting from the National Capital Airport tangle, has been slashed by the Airways Division of the Department of Commerce in se- lecting a location at Hunters Point, Va., for the local radio range beacon station on the New York-Atlanta airway. Construction of buildings and towers at Hunters Point is in progress, and '.ha beacon station will be put in operation this Summer. The site is at the south end of the Gravelly Point area, which has been the center of the Alrport strug- gle. It is the second point south of the railroad bridge across the Potomac on the Virginia shore of the river and overlooks the Mount Vernon m: boulevard site. Selection of the beacon site was held up until after construction of all other stations on the line had been com- menced, in the hope that Congress might reach some decision as to the site for the National Capital’s airport. . Beacon’s Location Vital. It is essential that the range beacon be located as close as ible to the | airport it serves, so0 that pilots may fol- | low the beacon signal bad wnther ug' into the fleld, it has out by Airways Division Dflch.ll ‘When Congress refused to act on local airport legislation during the past session, however, it became necessary for the Airways Division to go ahead and select a site which would satisfy as fas as possible all the conflicting re- quirements in the local situation. The Eastern Air Transport contract air mail line, now serving the National Capital and all the important cities on the Atlantic seaboard, will be the great- est user of the system for the time being., This line now is operating from Boulnt Field, the local Army Alr Corps base. It is not known how much longer the “line will continue to operlu from the Army field. It is operatin; & temporary permit issued by the artment, which is subject to can- tion at any time. 'me mail line undoubtedly will op- erate from the National Capital's m ernmental airport if one ever is es! lished. The beacon location, therefore, had to be at a point which could be | made to serve the needs of the airmail | pilo line for the present, and in case it should be moved in the near future to any nearby location. Other Factors Enter. It also was desirable to extend some protection from the beacon station to the Army and Navy fields and also to ‘Washington Airport and Hoover Field, which now serve as the cny'l 'Krlnclpil civil aircraft terminals. time the beacon had to be 80 located that it could be used in the event Con- gress selects either the Washington Air- port-Hoover Field site for the govern- mental rt or the Gravelly Point area farther down the river. The Hunters Point site, airways en- gineers agreed presented the only rea- sonable solut!un of the -sided problem. It is the ideal location if Gravelly Point is developed, being close to the fleld and almost exactly on the alrway line from that field along the Richmond airway. Hunter's Point at the same time is almost directly across the Potomac from the Anacostia Naval Air Station and Bolling Field, both of which can be located easily by the pilot who fol- lows the beacon line to Hunter’s Point. The site is some distance from Wash- ington Afrport and Hoover Field, but, since the airports are on the same bank of the river, it is regarded as a simple matter for the pilot to find his way, even in thick weather, from the beacon station up the Virginia shore of the Potomac to the two commercial fields. Beacon Useful in Fog. ‘When completed the beacon will serve to guide the pilot to the National Capi- tal through fog or darkness. The bea- con projects & narrow pencil of radio waves along the airway, making a characteristic signal in the pilot’s ear- phones. Should he stray to one side of the course he will receive a different of signal warning him that he is off his course. If he wanders to the opposite side a third signal comes in. It is possible for the pilot to tell at all times by the signals whether he is on the course, or if off the course, to which side and by approximately how much he is in error. By following the sound of the course beacon signal he is able to keep di- rectly on the airway regardless of weather, darkness, fog or cross winds which otherwise would sweep him, with- out warning, off his course. ‘The airways division now is complet- ing the construction of a radio weather information broadcasting station on a Maryland hilltop overlooking the Po- tomac River about three miles south of the District line near Camp Springs, Md. This station, which need not be on the airway, will be used to broad- cast weather information each hour to pilots in flight within several hundred miles of the National Capital and espe- clally along the New York-Atlanta ‘Weather Forecast Soon. The weather broadcasting nearly ready for use. It will receive the weather information, which it will broadcast by a special teletype hook-up t of Commerce, inf utm stations all along the line of the airway and at ofl-th:-oo\lru stations. (éomplewon of the mt:her s‘:m&n and the range beacon station - prove the greatest contribu- mnde to t.h: safety of flying the coastal airway through this This airway, from the Natlonal Capital to New York, is the heaviest- traveled air mail line in the world, at least six planes flying over the course each 24 hours carrying the mails, On many days a double shuttle service is necessary to handle mail routed to the National Capital from the transconti- nental mail line, increasing the num- Exigencies of FLYING CHEAPEST MODE OF TRAVEL IN HAITI G- Fare by Air Less Than by Motor Between Port au Prince and Santo Domingo. PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (fl—m- well 2{"“’01 uw-::mm BRITISH SEAPLANES DEMONSTRATE “TIGHT” FORMATION Four British military by spectators of the eleunm ALERT CONTEST FLYER'S TRICK How the aerial detective ability of Maj. Luke Christopher, secretary of the contest committee of the National Aeronautic Association, foiled a ru:lnl plane pilot who used balloons in fuel tank to reduce weight is the sub- ject of a story which has just reached this city from chiu&o, Where Maj. | Christopher has established headquar- ters in preparation for the national air races next month. As in every form of competition, it was pointed out, there are “tricks of the trade” in air mln and, in accord- ance with lon‘—aublhhed traits of human nature, many pilots enjoy the sensation of “putting a fast one over” on the referee. At the competition, when Maj. Chris- topher’s ability in detecting such shrewd doflm e into play, the mmtun( lanes were reglured by race “:: oft "J.f‘.. uel tanks m}{n A V{fi, revealed gasoline to top of all tanks. On Hand to Gml Pilot. ‘When the starter’s ropped, how- ever, one plane climbed m.hely inm m air after a short run. From ence, Maj. Christopher knew f.hlt couldn't be done, even if he saw it him- self. When the frisky plane crossed the line ahead of all its competitors, Ml] chrumpher was omhand to greet the !nmflgltlnn revealed several inflated rubber balloons in the gasoline tank. These balloons had replaced large vol- umes of gasoline by air. The pilot's re- Joicing over the fast one he had pulled changed to grief. He was disqualified. Has Had 5,000 Hours Aloft. Christopher’s powers of deduction in this case were backed by more than 5,000 hours of flying experience. He trol seaplanes flying nose annual pageant of the to wingtip provided one of the features which will be remember: 1 British Royal Air Forces at Hendon Aerodrome, London, mently. —P. & A. Photo. OFFICIAL FOILS TO CUT WEIGHT has flown practically every type of air- &Ane evzflmbumm.e:d EpI:fll;.d pe'rhnpu e most divers e nce of American pilot. iy He was trained by the Army, took a his| post-graduate course with the Canadian air forces and then was detailed to the Navy for aviation duty during the World War. Since the war his experi- ence included barnstorming, stunt pi- loting, crop dusting, test piloting for one of the leading aircraft builders and test plloting for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. His present duty requires him to of- ficiate at all attempts at record-break- ing in the fleld of aeronautics in this | country. He has handled the contest arrangements for scores of air races, meets and tours. e Ford Orders Aerial Hotel. A modern hotel to accommodate pi- lots and visitors to the Ford Airport, Dearborn, Mich., has been ordered by Henry Ford. The hotel will be of American colonial design to harmonize with the Pord Museum and will con- tain 109 guest rooms. Observation spaces “will be provided on the roofs of the wings to provide an unobstructed view of the lirport Aerial Counel Offered. To meet the demand of teachers in public schools and universities for aeronautical instruction, a Summer school is to be opened by the Boeing System at Oakland, Calif,, airport, the Department of Commerce has been in- formed. The subjects to be taught were recommended by representatives of the teacher training institutions of California. ERECTION OF BEACON TOWERS IS PROGRESSING Facilities Expected to Be Available on Norfolk and Pittsburgh Routes in Fall. Construction of airways beacons and other aids to air navigation on the | prrmsu sarLanes_pemonstaate_micut_ronwamion ] IPICKED SQUADRON 10 FLY T0 CHICAGO Three Branches of Service Will Send Plane Units to National Races. Picked combat uadrons of the Army, Navy and Ml.r?nz Corps aviation services will be ordered to Chicago dur- ing the last week in August for par- ticipation in the Nmnn-l Air Races, Auxun 23 to Beptember 1, inclusive, it been announced here during the put week. Rear Admiral Joseph M. Reeves, com- mander of the Aircraft Squadrons, Bat- tle Fleet, will choose an 18-plane squad- from the squadrons of the fleet. Lieut. Col. Thomas C. Turner, com- mandant of Marine Corps avaition, is to select a Marine squadron of 12 planes. The Army Air will be represented by squadrons of pur- suit, attack and bombardment aviation. Last year the Navy sent the famous “High Hat” fighter squadron from San Diego, Calif., to Cleveland to fly in the National Alr Races. It is probable that one of the fl‘hter or light bom- bardment squadrons, both types being equij with nngle-se:ur Boelnx “’;"hzr" will be selected this y ‘Marines probably will be. ré gu- 2) sented by a umm. phne from Washington-Pittsburgh and Washing- | F0 ton-Norfolk airways now is in progress, the airways division, Department of Commerce, has announced. On the Norfolk division five beacon towers have been erected and work is in progress on the remaining sites. On ,the Washington-Cleveland airway the contractor failed to complete the work on the Washington-Pittsburgh section, and, after work had been at a complete standstill for many weeks, the con- tn‘ce'aars right to proceed was termi- The bonding company has taken over the remaining mnlu'ucuon it has been announced, and is proceeding with the work. Fifteen wwen have been com- pleted, according to the latest reports on constmctlun progress. th sections of the airway probably wm be completed this Fall fcr day and liht flying. Intermediate landing ds have been ulecud and are being conditioned and uxh Commercial Air Courses Given. Advanced courses in commercial avi- ation will be offered seniors and juniors | || in the University of Southern Califor- nia, beginning next Fall, according to a report received here. claimed, will be the most extensive avi- ation course offered in any university. Prof. Earl W. Hill, noted aviation a thority and educational director of xesum Alr Express, will conduct the urses. The course, it is The ‘Army prob-bly will send a squad- ron o Pursuit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich. a squadron of attack planes from the 3d ~ Pursuit Group, of a squadron "ot from the 2d Bombardment Group, Langley Field, Hampton, Va. The races are to be held this year at the Curtiss-Wright-Reynolds Airport, Chicago, where.an extensive construc- tion program is in progress in prepara- tion for the country’s outstanding aviation classic. Race officials claim that on the besis of advance registra- tions, approximately 1,000 visiting nlr- planes will visit the field during th P of the races. More than at the races last year in Cleveland. e Members of the Fire Department of Los Angeles, Calif., are organizing an m-wm club-of 250 members to assist | combating brush and forest fires in | & t.he vicinity of the city. MODEL AIRPLANE SUPPLIES | pAdbssives. Balsa, Bamboo. Bear- couulala Faver Pl nnz‘“}l:::' 'wum " Wire 'ana Wire i Whedls, Winders,' Wire and Wire | Capitol Model Aero Supply House 1213 Eye St. N.W., Washington, D. C. gurlun planes from the 1st |3 Fort Crockett, | & Galveston, Tex., and a squadron or part | bombardment planes | rogress hllf G this number were present at one time 3 EDUCATION EXPERTS MAY USE PLANES IN TRAVE:.. Instructors to Visit Towns by Al, in Promoting Grade and High 8chool Work. NEW YORK ().—A new e: ent, in education, the’ first m\lm!m- slon course, will he inaugurated this Fall by New York University, Educational experts, traveling in » m:l;nlllchmubemmm of & Outstanding educators will be carried to remote places, where teachers and administrative officers in public schools may consult on the latest methods of instruction. “We have made a thorough investiga- in our pro- ;l:n of thfdhll)eurdn involves am,” saj an J. W. Withers of the School of Education, “and have con- cluded that travel by air is safe.” mmh; !:hzgum for mel extension of the “flying university” mapped. g Pupils to Study Planes. AUBURN, Ala. (#).—Alabama Poly- technic Institute has added leronlgt:i- cal engineering courses to its curricu- lum. Instruction in ground work an¢ alrplane design will be offered next Fall, VI | Washington Airport | Today, Sunday Free Entertainment Including appearance in per- son of the Simons children and @ Wilton Mendelsohn from WOL. 8 The Singing “Pop Boys. Short talks by people you know. Music, @ & Brodcasting. Come, bring the @ family and spend the afternoon. Plenty of parking space where 8 you can see and hear everything. FLY —over beautiful Washington. ) Seven latest type planes, includ- ing 12-passenger Ford Tri-Motored Plane (Operated b; R etpert "licnsea Hiens. ™= WASHINGTON AIRPORT South end Highi 3 Take. trofiey of i ot 42in ond Penna. Ave Watch for Big Event Next Wednesday CHRYSLER ee 9% with the Chrysler 77" engine The Chrysler “70” now has the 93-horse- power “77” engine—and at $1345. Combined with this tremendous power- plant is the Chrysler four-speed transmis- sion with Multi-Range gear shift—also a feature of the “77”. The result is that the‘Chrvsler “70r gives greater than any here- tofore known in an automobile of such moderate price. It is first in get-away at the green lights. It takes the lead on the highway without Ezecutive Offices and Service 1612-22 You St. N.W. performance struggle. It is first to the top of the hills. It goes from 5 to beyond 75 miles in an incredibly short time. And it maintains high speeds with delightful smoothness for hours without end. Chrysler weatherproof internal hydrau- ‘134 NEW]CHRYSLER “70” PRICES — Roqgster (with rumble seat), $1345; Business Coupe, $1345; Brougham, $1345; Royal Coupe (with rumble seat), $1395; Royal Sedan, $1445; Convertible Coupe (with rumble seat), $1545. F.O.B. Factory H. B. Leary, Jr., & Bro. DISTRIBUTORS lic brakes assure utmost safety under all driving conditions. without even a this fact to you. Salesrooms—1612-22 You St. N.W. and 10th and H Sts. N.E. Skinker Motor Co., 1216 20th St. N.W. NOW ONE OTHER DEALERS ..Strasburs, Va. Lovettsville, Va. .Harrisonburs, Vs. ...Winchester, Va. OF THE LOWEST-PRICED CARS IN THE WORLD PLYMOUTH SOLD BY CHRYSL R DEALERS EVERYWHERE In everything that givesamotor carvalue, the Chrysler “70”. is close second at its price. Come in or phone. Let us demonstrate Used Car Salesrooms 1321-23 Fourteenth St. N.W.