Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21
REMODEL OFFICE
At BOILING FIELD
$4,000 Being Expended to
Modernize Operations
Building Here.

The operations office Of Boiling
ticld. holder of "A reputation for years
If being the most inadequate and un,
comfortable uf all such Offices in the
Army Air Corps. is undergoing a
81 NOO program Of construction ana
rcuam which, upon completion. VIII
probably make it the best III the
country.
The center of flying activity at
every military field radatcs from the
ourratInnS office. which controls The
movements of the pilots and planes
All incoming pilots report there. Ar
rivals are recorded and all outgoing
piInts likewise check out of that once.
For many years. thus important
work. through lack of funds, has been
alreh on in low. narrow hulldihS
win u 3ofuot frontage. which was
thrown up against the west side ot
Hangar No. 5. ON busy days. free.
dom of arm ana limb was not to he
had. DIVINE to the congestion and bed
lam which usually prevailed IA every
body was shouting orders ana re
quests at once.
Now. however y mighty change *
talin.. place due 10 tho allotment "t
Tho funds and some ingenious work
,n the part of Boiling Fields person
mel itself.
Corner Bcing Extended.
The south corner of the originaI
flame building Is being extended out
10 feet tu bring II on line with the
entrance to Hangar ). An ~ add
tton is under way. extending north b
feet. making q right angle turn and
continuing down the north side of
Hangar ! for 90 feet. Ttis IT, addi-
ton will he 3" feet wide.
Where there used 10 he a narrow
concrete walk into the entrance. upon
which pilots, loaded with parachutes
and flight gear. invariably collided
when going in opposite directions.
there now exists a large concrete plat
form 20 feet wide and 26 feet long.
This is rooted over with tarpaulin,
there are two rows of benches and a
dozen easy" chairs.
The So.foot addition north of the
original building will be used as n
lounging room for pilots in cold
weather, AS they carry out part of
their required duties Of waiting for
favorable conditions in which to take
off Then there is a modern wash
room back of that, with shower baths
and every facility for 'freshing up"
a pilot just in from long and tire
some trip. Behind that room will be
the boiler factory" which will supply
the heat and hot water, and the last
room will be an enlisted mems bar
racks" to he used by clerks on all
night shifts.
The construction work is being done
under the direction of Lieut.. Bob
+. Rowland, the operations officer,
When the additions are completed, in
the next few weeks, he said, they will
eliminate efforts spreading over many
years. for modern equipment to re
place the war material with which
Boiling Field still is operating in a
ma jority of cases.
\ special room, devoted exclusively
to lockers. of which there will he S4,
also has been provided for in the
Il" addition. The lockers are new
in design and are adapted especially
for flying equipment. They will be
s feet high and 2la feet square. The
top part will be devoted to the flying
seas." Of which there is much for each
pilot, while the bottom part will EN-.
body a separate compartment for the
parachute AS the parachutes must
be tossed out of planes with weights
attached once a month for test and
then he repacked, it will he possible
to remove them from the lockers
without disturbing the other compart-
ment given over to flying clothes.
Map Cabinet Ordered.
AS means of having rapid access
TO the cumbersome strip maps which
must be used in aerial navigation,
Lieut.. Rowland ordered map cabi-
net, the first of it's kind. and the engi-
neerng hangar at the field turned it
out for him. In the past. the maps
have been kicked around, more or less
unclassified. and in dire need of spe-
cia device to house them.
The cabinet is about 5 feet high.
"a inches wide and 60 inches long,
and has so drawers, each an inch
deep and so inches long. The long
maps will be laid out neatly in these
drawers, will be classified and will
be readily accessible when a hurry
call comes for a cross-country trip
There are IS different strip maps. but
the so drawers will take care of the
demands in this section, it is believed
Lieut. Nowland's office is at the
south end of the building. while the
space between that and the lOunging
room is devoted to the clerical force
of six. Staff Sergt. Harry Lewis, who
fought in the war with the Canadian
Air Force and who served in the oper-
atoms office here for several years
prior to detail to Wright Field. Ohio,
has just returned to his old post and
is in command Of the five enlisted
clerks. In addition to these there is
one civilian stenographer.
The entire building has been painted
brilliant blue and gold, the colors of
the Air Corps. BY this color scheme.
which is arranged in alternate blue
and gold stripes, the building is visi-
BILE from high attitudes and at great
IL n.oc -