Evening star., 1926-08-22
CONTINUED from First Pase.)

illustrate the rapid strides being taken
in the development of that phase OF
aviation, and the urgent need for
Just such regulation as soon will be
possible, when civil aviation receives
its impetus under the appropriation
afforded by the new act.
For several years past. in fact. ever
since pre-ware days, several locations
near New York have been discussed
as q possible airport for commercial
use. About five years ago, the little
etown of Sparkhill. on the Hudson
River, was all agog with the possibil-
ity thatsa tract of land that had long
been under discussion was to be de-
veloped for a future airport.
Real estate values rose by the hour,
and lots that were almost given away
on q. Friday commanded q fortune
by Monday on the strength of the most
encouraging rumors. But the matter
held fire, and though the order for
900 wooden piles for pier in the
Hudson Is a matter Of record, no air
plane field has yet been established
at or near that desirable site.
The record of Sparkhill is undobut-
edly the record of other cities and
towns. Lacking Federal assistance in
the form of a subsidy, at least for
commercial enterprise, initiative has
been lacking for local projects. With
the new regime, however, a fresh i'm
petus is on the boards in aerial trans
portation. with tremendous com
mercial possibilities.
In the deficiency bill just passed by
the Sixty-ninth Congress there was an
appropriation of $4,000 for the
Weather Bureau to establish and
maintain 2l additional pilot balloon
, stations at certain specific points along
superintendent for the air mail and a
notable flyer, was detached from the
Post Office service for three weeks to
survey the new field across the con-
tinent for the Department of Com
merce in preparation for these
weather stations.
1t is said at the present time that
the pilots are more in favor of the
method Of telephoning the next sta.
ton ahead for an exact report of the
state of the weather than they are of
relying on the weather charts. This
is unofficially the routine, though of
course it is OF aid to have expert
charts to add to the latest informa-
ton from 1.-The front"
AS the Weather Bureau puts it. the
DllOL IlocQS 10 KNOW WndL the W1nQ
and weather conditions are just ahead
of him, and If a plane leaves at 3
o'clock, a weather forecast made up
eight hours earlier is not much use to
him, the time required for his flight
may consume only three or four hours.
and he therefore needs a prediction
covering that exact period.
Special observations will be required
of surface and low-level conditions,
such as fog. visibility, squalls. thunder
storms and similar phenomena. Wind
direction and velocity. and height of
clouds will he determined by pilot
balloon observations. and the resulting
meteorological reports wall eventually
act as a stimulus TO passenger traffic
through the safeguarding of the aerial
highways as the new nnea asures are
effectively put into operation.
"
A T the airrorts and at intervals
"A along the air.ays will be located
the radio beacon towers. which viii
send behind ana ahead the beam
a neverending series Of dashes-to
guide tho plot "a riidair.
When off the course to the right
the aviator hears ole variety of dash
that spells en- in the Morse code. He
is able at once TO readjust his course
back into the proper route until he
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