Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-08-28
c. OF c. TO HELP
AIRL|NER MAKE
INITIAL TRIP
Committee Appointed to Pre-
pare for Reception OF
Largest Plane Ever
Built.

The executive committee OF the
Chamber of Commerce, acting upon
Alfred w. Lawson's request for as
surance that a safe landing field
will be provided for his giant air
liner when it arrives in this city dur
ing its first transcontinental flight.
announced through w. A. Ellis, as
sistant commissioner of the cham
Der, that every accommodation for
the huge airship is being made.
Word to this effect has been dis
patched to Mr.. Lawson, who is the
designer and constructor of the
great ship.
The action of the chamber makes
it assured that residents of the city
will have an opportunity of seeing
the largest heavier-than-air machine
in this country and one of the
largest in the world. Omaha is the
only city at which the plane is
scheduled to stop during the entire
Journey from New York city to San
Francisco.
A committee has been appointed
by Chamber of Commerce officials
to make further preparations for the
arrival here of the airship.
That Omaha will be the one stop,
ping point on the transcontinetal
passenger flights of the giant Law
son Airline company planes, Is now
an assured fact, according to Har-
ley G. Conant, chairman Of the
Omaha aerial committee.
Notification was received yester-
day by the Omaha Chamber of Com
merce telling of the successful test
flight made by a Lawson plane At
Milwaukee last Friday. Assurance
that a landing field would be ready
in this city for the first transcon-
tinental flight was requested.
May Erect Shop Here.
Alfred w. Lawson, president of
the company in his letter explained
that a much larger landing field
would be required for the Lawson
planes than an ordinary plane. A
factory building which can be uti-
lized as a repair shop in Omaha is
absolutely essential, according to
Mr.. Lawson.
Mr.. Ellis said that steps would be
taken at once to procure larger
field. 1--WE will also furnish fac
tory building if we have to build
one" said Mr.. Ellis. "In case we
have not located one before the
first flight is made we will turn
the Ak-Sar-Ben field over to the
firm, as we'll as the large repair
shops there. We will mark = the
field as Mr.. Lawson requests"
The test flight of the first Lawson
plane was a complete success, ac-
cording to reports, and the start of
the transcontinental flight may be
IN a short time.
A. G. Pendleton, a test pilot of the
Dayton-Wright Co., Dayton, O., de-
clared that the Lawson machine was
the greatest ever built.
"1t is the first big plane that can
be banked at IS degrees while run
ming on one engine" declared Mr..
Pendleton," and it should revolu
tionize aerial transportation" \
A representative of The Bee, Ed
ward c. Croft, will accompany the
giant plane on it's first flight and tell
The Bee readers of the real thrills
experienced during the fight of this
pioneer of the air. The plane is of
dimensions, equipped with
two 200-horsepower engines, and a
large cabin where passengers can
sleep during the fight.
Meals Seyed Aboard.
Meals will be served on board
during the trip across the continent.
The trip itself will be epoch making
1t will not only demonstrate the
feasibility of air passenger service
from coast to coast, but according
to experts, will pave the way for
aerial transportation system be-
tween every town and city in the
country.
1T seems like a dream to think |
Of a huge ship such as the Lawson
plane bringing passengers from
New York to Omaha, and relaying
them on to San Francisco" smiled |
Mr.. Conant, "but l am sure it is 60
ing to be a reality in the near flu
ture. The value to Omaha as a city |
cannot he overe stinated."