Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-15
IAL AVIATION SAFER
UNDER NEW AIR. REGULATIONS
Drastic Requirements for Good Pilots and
Planes Assure Traveller Of Govern
mental Protection

, ing routes, together with the mileage
of the transcontinental air mail planes
totals 4,42S,772 miles flown to date
The actual mileage in operation is
slightly less than $500.
More than 1000 miles have been
lighted by the Department of Com
merce, which. together with the trans
continental mail lighted by the Post
Office Department and 5000 miles men
toned in the budget for the fiscal
year 1928, will give a total lighting
system of 1887 by the end Of next
year.
The present lighting system Of the
department is based, in the main, on
24-inch revolving electric beacons of
1000 900 candlepOWer at average ap-
proximate intervals of 10 miles, with
intermediate fields at 25 or 30 miles
apart. Each of these fields has either
one of the revolving beacons located
at the site, or it is close to one such
directly on the airway. In addition,
they have approximately 20 white
boundary lights evenly arranged about
the field, a green light indicating the
best approach and red lights at OBJ
structions in or about the field.
The airports at the cities where
stops are made are within the prov.
ince of the municipality. Many of
these are already improving their
ports and installing lighting
The departments task does not stop
with the establishment and lighting of
anyways. There must be a provision
to guarantee safety from the weather
and to this end the radio beacon has
been experimental with. A pilot lost
in the fog or rain will receive the
bearings from his port of destination
by radio, which holds him to his
course, even though he is flying vir-
tually blindfolded Then radio tele-
phony, TO give the pilot changes in
weather conditions ahead after he has
taken the air has been taken up for
consideration along with radio mile
post" which sends up to the aviator
lost in the maze overhead just where
his location is, while he is being drawn
into his field by the radio beacon.
Attempt to Beat Fog.
In relation to this there is the field
localizer," which would describe the
field below to the pilot in fog or dark
ness, and other work is being done
with instruments for blind flying.
The possibility of fog dissipation is
an alternative proposal to the thought
of beating the fog with instruments
and devices. One proposal for fog
dissipation is to project charged sand
from plane and the other is to blow
charged air from the ground. All air
branches of the Government are in
terested in the perfection of a system
for clearing airports of fog and are
cooperating through an interdepart-
mental committee on aircraft radio.
lighting and fog-fying research.
Coming under the same heading of
weather is the advanced information
now being broadcast along airways.
Under the act the Weather Bureau
established, in 1926, % new upper
air" stations along the airways with
trained personnel at the fields where
practicable, and this number will be
increased in succeeding years. BY
telephone or telegraph there was fur
nished current weather information,
not only of general conditions and of
those in sections of the country to be
flown over, but in many cases fore
casts down through the ensuing few
hours.
To Give Weather Data.
The airways and the transconti-
mental Government line We're served
by net of so Weather Bureau offices
on regular status and &c Weather
Bureau and 3 Signal Corps upper air
stations. Beginning July / the De-
partment of, Commerce will assume
the communication of weather data
along the anyways. Eventually a
ground" system of communication,
by radiophone or by land wires, may
connect every station stop of future
anyways
This ground-system communication
could furnish weather conditions and
forecasts from points along the route
in advance of a flight, report de-
partures and arrivals of aircraft and
carry on other Government business
involved in the duties of the Depart
ment of Commerce in respect to air
navigation and of other departments,
in addition to the communication with
the pilot.
The total appropriations of the
departments aeronautic branch for
the fiscal year 1928 are 1871 500, of
which amount $3,091, 500 is for lads
to navigation"