New-York tribune., 1922-05-28
Overland Radio
OF Air Mail
Completed
Network of Radio Telegraph
Spread across Country
Comprises Is Big Sets:
Each Covers 400 Miles
Planes Being Equipped
System Will Include Radio
Compass; Field Locator
TO Aid Night Flving

you ete luSSl ing Win your c0nTolS
snd get on moderately long wave, if
YOU should happen to hear some one
saying This is Jones, on No. night
mail, westbound, in thick fog, alti-
tude 5000 feet do not be surprised
Tor alarmed. You will he listening to
one of the United States air mai
planes reporting by radiophone
The Air Mail Service is doing some
wonderful pioneer work, despite the
fac; that Congress has been extremely
ngsardiy in allotting appropriations to
that important service. II is laying
the Foundation for the future com
rnercial air transport that will revolu-
Jonze physical com munication in tn is
country In addition to this, how
ever, 1t is also developing the most
modem form Of instantaneous com
munication which Will materially aid
in removing the last remaining pre-
ventahle cause Of aircraft danger.
The splendid program of communi-
cation development planned by the
AIT Mail Service is now being com
plcted and should be IN full opera
uon within the next six months. This
program VIII include q complete net
entire transcontinental air route. as
well as complete means Of intercom
mumcatlon between aircraft and be
tween aircraft and ground stations.
Radio Compass System Complete
In addition to this there will be q
complete system of radio compass sta
tons to guide machines -aight to
their destination, and mere will
aiso be radio field locaters, which
VIII enable airplanes caught in a fog
10 spiral gracefully down to a safe
Landing I'D the center of the field. de
spite weather conditions. With these
complete systems in full working con
dltion night flying (Which is impera
tive to a successful air mail service)
VIII be made not only possible but
measurabIy safe,
HE most remarkable thing about
TINS development is the fact that the
oihcers responsible for it did not per
ml5 the parsimony of Congress to
interfere with their plans. Having
been cut down 10 the last cent By an
ansY sympathetic 4ppropriating body. the
officers simply :changed their tactics
and developed The more essential parts
oI the tstem first, and left the ap-
pncatlohj Of the entire system to &
more aTorable period. The story of
~ "V' I 'cIneHt IS pest 'oid IN enron.
I"i olh., ana lI is story OF
''rl 'i7 '2i'cai value.
"c-@h s.orLy after lne lnaugura
''Vi OF inc A'r Mail Service, when the
OILY p'ac, ,lC9pe route was between New
ana WashlnG'oh. In the latter
l''l wv extensive experiments
upon aircraft hylng between those
two cities The Instruments unon the
. rplaues were designed with the prime
idon of simplicity conducive with sue
c@~'ul operations in order that mini
MUM amount of attention would be
required of the pilot. These expert
mcn-= were emiuently successful. and
as "a result Of them the surest method
az alr navigation has been deycisped-
tno radio compass.
During the period of these expert
nont- ~ wa realized that while tho
radio direction finder and the radio
heacoh stations would permit an air
pane 'o determine It's exact position
me system itself would not pc"mit q
gro, 90 make sa'e landing IN 'ggl
"-"'i "NeH ne na0 feached ms iaAd-
Radio Field Locator Developed
The solution to this difficulty il was
realized. lay i'm devIsire q system Of
radio communication that would md
cate To- the pilot Just when he was
over the center Of his landing field.
so that he could spiral gently down