The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-05
A|RPLANE TRIP
PARIS TO LONDON
C. Fred Childs, Formerly of
Brattleboro, Is
Passenger
THIRTEEN PERSONS;
1000 LBS. BAGGAGE

Not Slightest Sensation of Insecurity or
| Jnsteadiness-Aerial Transportation
Demonstrated to Be Commercial Sue
| cess in Europe.
! c. Fred Childs of Chicago, formerly of
this town, writing from Ritz hotel, Lon
| don. Aug. -, tells in entertaining fash
| ion of an air flight from Paris to Lon
| don. The letter. sent to hts uncle, Mai
f. W. Childs of this place follows:
Years ago / recall riding in taxicab
automobiles in Paris before or when but
few privatelv owned automobiles existed
in America. The same degree of prog
ress seems to exist today in the adoption
and commercial use of aeroplanes in
Europe and England before they have
become available for the American pub
lie. Instead of boarding a train in Chi
cago in the morning to arrive in New
York the next morning-the American
business man should be able to make
the trip in 10 hours and arrive in New
York by aeroplane in time for dinner-a
distance of 1000 miles. Last week an
all-metal German plane covered / 200
miles in 10 hours without a stop. carry
ing six passengers between Germany
land Russia. Not many years ago We
often heard people say they would not
ride on the Century" between New
York and Chicago and incur the risk
from going so fast. You never hear that
subject mentioned now Perhaps Ameri-
cans will soon respond to the advantages
of a practical commercialized aerial
transport system. 1t seems to me to be
a demonstrated success in Europe.
The quickest time by rail and boat
from Paris to London (costing 1875
francs exclusive of cab baggage and fees
for four shifts is seven and a half
hours. This is what occurs when the
trip is made b. air: Your choice of
four different air line companies is avail
able. Your ticket is 300 francs and in
cludes baggage and passenger motor
which calls for you al your hotel. takes
you to the aer0drome and finally carries
you and your baggage direct to your no.
tel at destination with no additional
fees or charges. The regular time re-
quircd for the entire trip mot between
railroad stations) between your Paris
and London hotel is three and half
hours.
Unfortunately two-thirds of my trip
was made in rain storm and through
or under clouds and fog which required
slower speed and fight of three hours
in the air. My observations and expert
ences may be of interest to you. At
the aerodrome called lie Bourget in the
suburbs of Paris are housed hundreds of
planes of various types The main pas
senger station and transfer center is
kept constantly advised of all wind and
weather conditions along the different
air line routes by wireless telephone re-
ports from the pilots as they make their
trips. These reports appear on a bulIe-
tin map showing the direction of the
wind at the different localities, the WISH
biiity of the air at different attitudes
both ahead and above the ground. An
other bulletin board indicates with blue
and black slides the sections on the map
where the clouds or rain necessitates
flying at different attitudes. Conse-
quently a pilot before starting knows
exactly where and what conditions ex-
list on the line of his cruise These re-
ports are completely revised each hour
although intermediate reports by tele-
gram are always available.
The company on whose plane we made
the trip is regarded as being more con
| servative than the other lines and enjoys
| lower insurance rate since they will
not let a plane, arriving at its destfna-