The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-27
PREDICTS EASY
FLIGHTS To
POLES

Mai. Gen. Patrick POINTS TO
Advantages In Use OF
HeIium Gas.
BY MAI. GEN. MASON M.
PATRICK,
Chief Of the Air Service Of the
United States.
Written for the Cosmopolitan
News Service.
An dir-service Uithin the Arctic
Circle has been maintained for tIOo
wears IN north SWedea 'OUer O
seventy-anile route betUee1s StorVG
and Porjus, about taUentyftUe re-
turn Journeys having been made
each month since the service 1OGs
opened.
From information we already
have, feel assured that within two
years there will be well-established
airship lines in regular operation
over this continent.
They will carry passengers, mail
and express, and be available TOR
all commercial purposes. It is to
be expected, also, that within the
year a Government airsh1p VIII
cross the country making a nonstop
trip. That will reveal the posSibili-
ties Of the Washington.to-San fran
cisco air express, flying day and
night.
Aviation is letting down the
boundaries of States and Of the
world. Some men think it is first
step into the exploration OF other
worlds. However that may be, the
experiments we have made with
helium gas prove that the airship
will shortly be the safest vehicle
for traversing long distances.
VIII Fly to Poles.
Whenever the need for 1t arises,
it will be a simple matter for q
helium-filled airship of the proper
size to fly up to the North Pole
or the South Pole, for that matter.
The airship would leave the most
convenient base to the pole-make
q speedy voyage-take whatever OBJ
gervations are required, and return
to its base without replenishing OF
supplies.
A better idea of these regions
could be obtained in this way than
by any other method.
sHelium-the new wonder-gas of
aviation-has made this possible.
An airship filled with helium gas
would be enabled to traverse long
distances at a comparatively high
speed, and win prove of great as
sistance in opening up the frozen
regions Of the North.
Cold No Real Obstacle.
The cold of Northern winters Of
6ers no real obstacle to aviation.
It is not greater than the cold al
ready experienced and withstood
by men flying at high attitudes. 1t
IL always cold up In rarefied air.
regions, and it is a common thing
for men to fly $4,000 feet above the
earth.
The pioneering flight we made to
Nome proves conclusively that an
air-service can be opened to Alaska
and other Northern points-bring-
ing mail. express and human COM
partnership to the most remote
places. It is also certain that with
the proper ships fitted to land on
sea or land that an air-service can
be maintained in Northern regions
all the year round.
For all long-distance flights this
country enjoys a great advantage in
fits possession Of helium gas. At
present we have practically a
monopoly Of it. It does not burn.
It is not greatly affected by ex-
tremes Of heat or cold. Its qualities
give 1t a remarkable stability of
volume as well as an advantage
over the inflammable hydrogen. 1t
ENSURES the safety Of airship service.
Can Be Stored Safely.
Yet enormous quantities Of this
valuable gas are being lost to us
daily, in spite Of the fact that 1t
can be stored safely. Unless some
appropriation is made for it by
Congress this term, it will continue
to be lost-millions Of cubic feet.
The method of extracting heIium
from natural gas was discovered
during the war by experimental
work done under the Bureau Of
Standards and Bureau Of Mines.
The cost Of its production is still
high, but it will be reduced In price
as the use of it grows, and possibly
the by-products are marketed.
The speedy development OF avia-
ton in this country awaits upon
three things:
/. The amount Of money made
available by Congress for mapping
out air routes and landing places
the pioneer work.
2. Upon the interest of the PEG.
pie at large and the extent to
which they avail themselves of it.
3. And greatly upon the part
taken by private enterprise in de.
veloping this newest means of inter-
communication. In the last an
alysis it will be the progress and
ideas and industries arising from
the competition of commercial avia.
ton that will net this country with
air lines.
The united services Of the army
and navy have demonstrated the
practicability of commercial avia-
ton. It remains for the people to
demand and secure for themselves
all that aviation can yet give to
them.
RANOLE HIGHLANDS