The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-15
INTEREST AROUSED in
AIRPLANE LANDING FIELD
SITE WEST OF CLIFTON
HILLS SUGGESTED.
Chattanooga Wanted to Be
One of First Southern Cities
to Establish Innovation.

Since the publishing of the letter
in The News to the Chamber of
Commerce from Carl @. Fisher, of
Indianapolis, suggesting that COM
mercial air landing field be estab-
lished here, great deal OF interest
has been aroused in. the project. A
number of Chattanoogans are inter-
ested in the suggestion made by Mr..
Fisher, director of the Dixie High
way association from Indianapolis,
and have expressed the desire to see
the Dixie Air route spoken of by Mr..
Fisher in his letter established.
V. D. l.. Robinson, secretary of the
Dixie highway and Chattanooga Au-
tomobile club, states that these or
CARNATIONS stand ready to cooperate
in any way with. the Chamber of
Commerce in establishing landing
place. 1t has been suggested that
the matter be taken up with the gov
eminent and see if the officials at
Washington would not agree to place
a permanent landing field at Fort
Oglethorpe. However, there are sew
eral places around Chattanooga that
could be converted into field of this
kind. One of these is the site To-
Gated just west of Clifton Hills on
the Rossville boulevard.
In speaking of the idea of COM
mercial aviation field for Chatta-
nooga, V. d. l.. Robinson. of the
Dixie highway, stated that it is the
logical time to go ahead with it, and
that it is not at all premature, as
thought by some. He declared that
Chattanooga should get ahead of the
band wagon and not wait for other
southern cities to take the lead. 1t
is the idea to have Chattanooga the
first city in the southland to estab-
lish an aviation landing field. The
only question hat would have to be
confronted with the site located near
Clifton Hills as brought out by Mr..
Robinson is that of high water.
Just to show how the airplane is
coming to the front the secretary of
the Dixie highway was conversing
with a man from Montgomery. Ala,
just the other day, when he was told
by the Alabaman that large auto
mobile establishment in Montgomery
had added to it's stock since the war
two Curtis planes. These airplanes
were placed on the market at Mont
gomery, one at about $4,000, and the
other at $500. The concern adj
vertised to instruct the purchasers
of the planes.
Many prominent citizens through
out the states are buying airplanes.
Mr.. Fisher, who is now the owner of
one, stated in his letter to the Cham
Der of Commerce that if the Dixie
Air. service is established he will
make his trips from Indiana to Flor
ida by air.
Lieut. Kenneth c. Leggett, of the
United States Air service, was
through Chattanooga last May in the
interest of getting the city to estab-
lish a landing field similar to the one
spoken of by Mr.. Fisher. The idea
of Lieut.. Leggett was to have it so
arranged that it could, be used Jointly
for army and commercial flying. Ut
would mean an important step for
Chattanooga, as this city would be
a cross between Washington and
New Orleans and Chicago and
Florida.
The specifications for landing fields
to compose the Dixie air line would
be as follows:
Dimensions: Shape of field should
be practically square, with minimum
dimensions 1900 by 1900 feet.
Location: Field should be located
as close to center of city s~possible,
preferably within radius of 1. 2, or 3
miles, and should be provided with
telephone connection if possible.
Character aground: The . ground
should be level and free from holes
or obstruction, such as stumps,
bitches. trees. fences or other obsta-
cles, to the progress of the airplane.
It is not necessary that the ground
be skinned, the growing of grass,
clover, alfalfa or hay being permits
sible.
Nature of surroundings: No tele-
phone poles or wire, high trees,
buildings or other DISTINCTIONS to a
gradual descent into the field should
be in the immediate vicinity.
Method of marking; In the center
of the field there should be marked a
white cross, the arms of the cross
measuring $50 feet in length and ten
feet in thickness, with the stub end
If ihn crnse r,nintinz nnrth