The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-20
U.S.FL|ERS PLAN
TRIP AROUND
WORLD
Army Officials Sec Flight as
Feasible and Are Map
ping Routes.
BY HARRY L. ROGERS.
intarnatinnn1 Na,ra anrrIoa..


BY HARRY L. ROGERS,
International NSws Service.
An around-the-world airplaue
flight is now under consideration
By the Army Air Service, it was
learned officially today.
Sure Flight Is Feasible.
have been made and though still
incomplete these Investigations have
progressed far enough to convince
officials the proposed flight is en-
tirely feasible. The army air serv-
ice also has at least one ship"
which veteran pilots believe is
capable Of making the flight.
Eager to win for the United
States the honor of first circun-
navigating the globe by air, and
confident they are competent to do
the trick. air service pilots declare
they are ready to shop Off the
moment they receive the word
The main route for the flight al
ready has been determined upon,
and for certain laps Of the pros
pective trip, alternative routes have
been selected. A solution has been
found, officials believe, for the
problem Of the Pacific, hitherto re.
garded az presenting insurmount-
hble difficulties in the present stage
OF aircraft development.
Gross From Alaska.
No attempt would be made to fly
directly across the Pacific, officials
say, but the plane would cross to
Siberia from the Aleutian Islands,
off the coast OF Alaska.
Starting at Boiling Field, the pro-
posed route passes through the Ma
tionaI Capital to Detroit; thence
across q portion of Canada to
Alaska. and the Aleutian Islands. A
comparatively short flight across the
Bering Sea would bring the plane
to Kamchatka, and another OF about
the same duration across the sea of
okhotsk would bring it to Vladivo-
stOk.
From the Siberian capital. the
route lies along the China coast to
Singapore, across the Bay OF BEN
gal, and the Dekhan Of India to
Bombay. From Bombay the route
would follow the course already laid
out by British filters, across Mesopo-
taTnia, up the Mediterranean to Mar
4$AAtSSB
Choice Of Two Routes.
From England to the United
States, there are two feasible
routes. the southern by way OF the
Azores. and the northern by way
of Iceland, Greenland and Canada.
Since British airmen have made
flights to Mesopotamia, India, and
even to Australia, and since fliers
taSn n A t. Il
only part Of the route which re-
Bering sea and down the coast of
China. Owing to the shortness OF
days In the northern regions in
winter. officials have selected the
months OF July and August as the
best time for making this part Of
the flight.
Before the world flight can be
attempted, it will be necessary of
course, to provide oil, gas and re-
pair stations. at fixed intervals
along the proposed route. and ar
rangements will have to be made
with the governments of the vari-
Gus territories to be traversed for
permission to land where neces-
sary.
1t is assumed, too, that the Navy
A%OpUt tbASAI anu pSEhdp6 the snip
ping Board would be asked to CO.
operate, as would the Alaskan
authorities.
Money is Main Need.
All this will take time and
money, but army officials believe
the matter presents no insurmount-
able obstacle. The chief immedi-
ate difficulty Is the question of
money, the air service having no
fund available for such an enter.
prise. 1t is expected that Congress
will be asked at an early date to
set aside an appropriation for the
flight, which 1t is asserted, will
more than pay for itself in the in.
creased prestige of the United
States, and the contribution to
the science of aviation accruing
from a flight over hitherto un.
traversed regions and under widely
varying weather and climatic CON
ditions.
Army filters believe the T.2, the
re-modeled thick-wing monoplane in
which Lieutenants Kelley and
Macready of the air service re.
Gently set new worlds records fo,
distance, Is suitable for the flight
around the world. 1t is thought
likely, however, that certain add.
tional notifications would be neces.
sary, or that a larger machine Of
the same type would be preferable.