The Key West Citizen Newspaper, September 4, 1952, Page 9

: Citizen Staff Photo . WHILE STATION PERSONNEL make last minute flight checks and prepare to board passen- gers, crew members of NAL’s morning flight relax Left to right, Rubie Jo Pfister, steward- ess, “Buzz” Dyer, pilot, Mike Morse, co-pilot, Donnie Williams, reservations and ticket agent. Troubles Of Aerovias Ww " Attract Attention To NAL NAL HAS ORDERED NEW CONVAIRS AND IS STUDYING JETS FOR CIVILIAN USE By B'LL GIBB Key West is an “air-conscious” town. In February, 1951, my reg- ular column, “This Rock of Ours”, gained its first major sup- port from the public when it exposed cond'tions regarding Meacham Field and how danger- ously close we were to losing our air facilities. At the time, the column said, “If we lose this airport, we lose our air contact with the main- Jand anc Cuba, we lose perma- nent payrolls, we lose tourists, we lose any hope of growing into a larger, better city.” Civic leaders took up the fight to prevent Meacham from being closed — County Cor missioner Joe Allen courageously main- tained a one-man ~ offensive in the political arena supporting the airport — “This Rock of Ours” continued to supply per- tinent facts regarding the im- portance of air transportation for the island. As you all know, we wor the fight. Today, Aerovias Q apparently is running into difficulties and may. cease operations. Dozens of rumors circulate in town with regard to the situation. I've tried to discover if any of them are true and can honestly report that most of the talk is a product of over-active imaginations, If Aerovias Q does not contin- ue to operate between here and Cuba, there is every reason to believe that an Ameri- can airline might take over, So far, however, there has been no definite action on the part f either National or Pan Americ. n — the two most likely companies who could profitably assume such operations. Because Pan American origi- nated in Key West, we've heard its story dozens of times, Aerovias Q trouble has also brought that airline’s history in- to prominence. What's what about Airlines though? Here are some of the facts I've been able to dig up — Depression Baby National National Airlines is a typical result of American cov . ge, brains, + d hard iabor. :t ori- ginated in the middle of the de- pression, 1934, when G. T. Baker began operating 2 four-passenger airplanes between St. Petersburg and Daytona Beach. Baker was a man of vision. He concentrated cn Florida and gradually extended his route to include Jacksonville, Miami, and New Orleans, Larger passe: ships were added and each year National Airlines won a certifi- cate of safe operation from the National Safety Council. Company Aims Then, as now, safety and com fort of passengers was of first importance, In 190, Lockheed Lodestars were added to the fleet. These Lodestars — the kind that you see daily arriving in Key West — are highly prei ed by aviation experts. Th Principle draw-beck is the smal! pey-load, fourteen passengers that they carry. Service was Key West and extended to New York in 1944, National / @A infant by compariso The | i inaugurated to! other companies—was, now be- ginning to hit its stride. In 1946, new DC-4’s were bought and Havana was added to the scheduled flights, In 1947, the newly developed 58-passenger DC-6's were added to the fleet. ‘They reduced scheduled time between New York and Miami to four. hours. The year 1948, however, saw National Airlines almost fade out of the picture. This. was the year that DC-6’s were grounded tem- porarily. A pilot strike and poor tourist season added more troubles. National Jost $1,946,000 in that year but is so often the case, came back stronger than ever with new knowledge of how to avoid cdstly mistakes. Florida Booster From its inception, National has boosted Florida and sought to bring in both tourists and new business to the state. Travel agents, numbeting close to one thousand, tell fravelers the advantages of vacatidning in Florida. An industrial informa- tion bureau assists business con- cerns to relocate in towns through which National operates. Since the line’s planes reach every important city in Florida, the entite state benefits. A large portion of the increase in sum- mer tourists can be attributed to National's. “Piggy Bank Vaca- | tion” and its sales program in Northern cities. Luxury Plus In , 1950, National Airlines changed its slogan from “Route of the Buccaneers” to “Airlinc of the Stars.” The company literally meant what it said—every pas- | Senger was to be treated as a | “Star.” Today, this Star flight service includes such. luxury items as full course hot dinners, cocktail | stewardesses—even a plush red carpet which is rolled out for passengers as they enter or leave | the plane. | Travelers who are primarily | interested in economical trans- portation can choose the lower- fared coaches or the lime’s regu ; lar inter-city flights. Although the red carpet might be absent, they will still be treated as a “Star.” National's employees are constantly on the alert, on and ‘hour, music in flight, charming | geons. | the eye lens, They reduce vision, | | | floats in the eye, and the patient joff the job, to render every | possible convenience fort to flight passengers. |New Equipment Aviation Age, popular techni cal publication, ran a stc “Keep Your Eyes On National” by James H. Winchester in Feb- ry of. 1952. Praising the air line im every respect, Wincheste edits superior: equipment with one of the main reasons for National's success, Another publication, “Investor's Reader,” points gut that National is able to operate mare econo™m cally because of foresight in choice of airplanes. It quotes G T. Baker, president of National, saying: “Comstellation® re sd planes but they were de- ed in 1935-36." Baker was ¢X- ning why modern DC-6S were chosen by his airline. These are a post-war develop nt and naturally are faster mifortable, and cheaper to ar, National will dgpble et and has ord: i delivery in #53 rounded by growt! are Ber | sheath, s planes and com- | than a Lodestar and will prob- ably be used on the Key West run, The possibility of jet planes has not been over-looked, The company’s president has investi- gated ‘all angles of jet propulsion for commercial use. Because Na- tional is constantly growing, many observers feel that it is in the best position to be the first to acquire jets when they prove feasible. Sentiments Re-Echoed “Always Fly National” is a sales slogan ofthe company. For Key Westers and Floridians, it is more than a slogan. “Always Fly National” means that they are proud of their own local airline and realize the important part it has played in the development of Florida. To these people, “‘Al- ways Fly National” also means ““Promptness,” “Safety,” “Com- fort,” “Economy.” It is the key- note to the airline’s success. Later I'll try to bring you the stories of Key West boys who have found success in the em- ployment of the airline. People such as Gerry Galendo who fly the Miami-Havana-NewYork run, or Galey Sweeting who was re- cently transferred to Miami. Little Plastic Lenses Replaces Human Eye Lenses By ALTON L. BLAKESLEE AP Science Reporter CHICAGO ™ — Little plastic Tenses are being put into human eyes, replacing eye lenses lost | through cataracts. | Dr. Harold Ridley, London, Eng., reported this new step today to the International College of Sur? Cataracts are a cloudiness over or blind. The eye specialist takes out the} cleuded lens, and substitutes a lit- tl dise of a clear, pure plastic. The lightweight plastic almost doesn’t feel it there, It is held in place by the iris, which is a mus- ele, and a membrane in back of the normal lens. The plastic lens does the same job. There is no distortion in vision, | and no need for thick cataract | spectacles that magnify highly, Dr. | | Ridley said. The patient can move | his eyes to see things at his side. | He can see through the plastic lens as soon as bandages are re- | moved, i In three years, Dr. Ridley has | done 65 of the lens substitutions, and other doctors elsewhere have | done some. | Describing 47 of his patients, Dr. Ridley said 13 have normal vi- sion, and 26 others nearly normal ; vision. Vision is under par in the other eight. Three persons have plastic lenses in both eyes. Plastic tubes can sometimes sub- stitute for part of the human esoph- agus or gullet damaged by cancer or other disease, said Dr. Edgar F. Berman of Mt. Sinai Hospital, Baltimore. Strips of tubing four to nine inches long have bridged sections of diseased guilets removed in operations on 30 persons in the last two years, he said. The plastic tube may remain ie permanently, or be removed after being sur of a fibrous BARNEY GOOGLE AND SNUFFY SMITH YONDER SHE (S, SID-- L DOLLED UP, BY TH' WA’ A COUPLA SHIRTS TO PUTIN TH’ LAUNDRY-- WHERE OU LIKE, MC BOY!! taxis mouNTAIN LIVIN’ (S GREAT, AIN'T (T, TIGER? NOTHIN’ BUT OL MOTHER NATURE I CAN'T LIFT ALL THOSE NY DUMBBELLS AND WEIGHTS YOUR > UNCLE “MUSCLE” HAS UP THERE -I’/D NEED A DERRICK! LISTEN-DAUGHTER-I PUT A CANNON BALL IN MAGGIE'S UNCLE’S PUNCHIN' BAG- WHEN HE HITS IT HE’LL CRACK HIS KNUCKLES-AN! TH’ STRING 16 LOOSE AN' THE BALL WILL FALL ON HIS FOOT-IT'LL KEEP HIM QUIET ALITTLE EXERCISE / ‘Thursday, September 4, 1992 THE KEY WEST CITIZEN Page 9 By Fred Lasswell