Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-23
LANDING PLACE
TO Get TRYOUT
AT AUTO SHOW
Curtis Government Plane t.
Land at Omaha Field for
Proposed Coast to-COaSt
AirmaiI Route.

Omaha's landing place on Center.
street on the air mail route from
coast-to-coast will be given its first
tryout during the Automobile show,
March 10 to Is. This is the word
that comes TO the Chamber Of Com
merce. The place is ideal for the
purpose, and If it had been made to
order the arrangements could not
have been improved upon.
When the Chamber of Commerce
committee and representative from
Washington interested in the air
mail service went out to look over
sites Tor the landing place for mail
alrplanes the Center street location
was Immediately decided upon. This
landing place consists of so acres
of ground out on Center street, the
same being a part of the old state
fair site, 1t is as level as the top of
a billiard table and easy to reach.
1t is close to the Leavenworth street
car line and close to Center street,
one of the paved and leading thor
oughfares into the city. The street
is splendid auto road and in sum
mer is one of the popular drives.
On the 50-acre tract, off the road,
the hangers for the mail-carrying
airplanes will be erected, and in
connection Herewith will be the gas
tanks, shops and quarters for men
in charge of the machines.
Curtis Government Plane.
OF course, the finishing touches
will not be put on the landing place
by the time the first plane arrives,
which will be March Z. This ma
chine is of the Curtis type and is
one of the accepted war planes,
having a spread OF AZ feet and 10
inches from tip to tip of wings. 1t
is driven by one of government &C
cepted engines and is capable of
travelling at a terrific rate Of speed
1t is coming from Bellevillc, ILL.,, a
distance of more than 400 miles, in
an air nine. The plane is expected
cover this distance in not to exceed
four hours and will make the trip
without stopping for gas. Who
will pilot the Curtis plane to Oma-
ha is not known. However, he will
be a government man, familiar with
this type of machine.
Correspondence with Washington.
At the Chamber of Commerce
officials are in correspondence with
Washington and within few days
expect to be advised of who will
pilot the airplane to Omaha, the
time of its departure and the time
of its arrival at the Omaha field. OF
course, the exact time of arrival is
somewhat problematie, for some
times wind and weather interfere
with the movements of airplanes,
but if all goes well pilot starting
out on a 400-mile flight can figure
within few minutes on what time
he will reach his destination.
Coming into Omaha, it is the plan
of the Chamber of Commerce Off
Gals to have the airplane circle over
the city two or three times and then
sail off to the landing place that will
be distinctly marked in order to
give the pilot his correct bearings.
The big Curtis war airplane is to
be one Of the stellar features of the
auto show. During the continu-
ance of the show it will be on exhi-
bition downtown, constantly in
charge of men who are familiar with
its mechanism and who will explain
everything in connection with it to
the visitors.
Plans contemplate keeping the
Curtis plane at the Center street
field during the nights that the
show is in progress and bringing it
to the city each morning. If this
program is not changed, each morn
ing during the show the plane will
fly from its hangar, circling over
the city and landing in the vicinity
of the Auditorium, where the show
is to be held.