New Britain herald., 1927-06-14
PROGRESSIVE CITY
NEADS AN AIRf|ELD
Lieut.. COPELAND Advises Action
by New Britain

Any city that expects to amount
to anything within the next 10 years
should have a flying field according
to Lieut.. Harry D. COPELAND of the
43rd division air service. Brainard
Held. Hartford. at a meeting of the
Lions club today at the Burritt
hotel. Lieut.. COPELAND stated that
the only field in New Britain, no.
ticed from the air. that would make
an airport is the field on the New
Britain Berlin town line near the
New Britain Machine Co. plant. used
during the time the Gates Flying
Circus was here and recommended
as flying field by the special COM
mon council committee on aviation
some time ago.
He stated that in Hartford the
manufacturers are finding the COM
mercial advantages of aviation ad-
vantageous to their business and he
added that many of them make use
of planes stationed at Brainard field
to secure rush materials or to de-
liver rush orders.
Lieutenant Copland's talk con-
cerned the 4Srd division air service
and the equipment at Brainard field,
together with the laws for flying.
Since Brainard field is really Con-
necticuts field he went considerably
into detail regarding the equipment
there.
One interesting fact he mentioned
was that since Lindbe-ghs famous
flight men have been seeking 10 join
the division at the tate OF about
eight week. Previous to that lime
it was difficult to get them ito even
come down and look at the fed" to
use the speakers phraseology. Civil
ian and commercial flying, taken
care Of at the field. is also growing
tremendously. he stated.
.Lauds State Guard Airmcn.
Connecticut has the finest National
Guard Air service in country, ac-
Cording TO competent judges who
visited Brainurd Field recently, the
lieutenant said. That is, from the
point Of equipment and quarters The
personnel has been highly praised
also. he stated. There is a total en-
listment OF IS men and is flying Of
ficers.
The average citizen will find a
great deal OF interest ut the field,
said the speaker, and he extended
an invitation to the general public to
visit it on Wednesday evenings. when
drills are held. All buildings are
open to the public at that time and
it is possible to witness the various
branches in operation. The photo
section, the engineering section and
the communication section are
working full tilt at that time.
At the field there is an engineering
building. a. building housing the pho
TO and communication sections, an
administration building and two
large hangers capable OF housing
nine moderate sized planes. The en-
gineering branch is equipped TO build
a complete plane. There are seven
training planes Of the JIM type. one
two scatter observation plane and
one Douglas CO plane.
War Equipment Joke
The equipment for war Is moro
or less of Il joke at the present
time, according to the lieutenant,
but he stated that by September
the division will be ready for any
thing. By that time the JIM type
planes, safe but slow. will have
been dispensed with and a COM
plete line OF new steel planes will
have been secured, together with
other equipment.
The photo section is well equipped
for its work. it was stated, and the
communication section has COM
plete receiving and transmitting
set. Communication is done almost
entirely by radio and it is even pos
silbe to carry on conversations be-
tween planes and the ground while
maneuvers are going on. In war
time this plane to ground COM
nunication is carried on in code.
but during training radio-telephones
are used.
The communication department