Evening star., 1928-05-16
PASSENGER AEROS
WILL CROSS j. S.
Train Links Win Eliminate
Night Flying on Proposed
$4,000, 900 Route.
Rr the Assoclale,. ..nss.

By the Associate ssress
NEW YORK, May i6.--Inauguratior
within the next few months of a pas
senger transportation service from New
York to Los Angeles by airplane and
railroad train, which will cut the pres
ent railroad running time from four
TO two days. was announced yesterday
by C. Nj. Keys. president of the Curiss
Aeroplare g. Motor Co.
A new company. TO be known as
Transcontinental Air Transport. Inc,
OF which Keys viii be president. has
been formed.
The first service to be inaVgurateo
will permit passengers to leave New
York on the Pennsylvania Railroad at
Sos in the evening. take an airplane
after breakfast in the morning at a
point near Columbus, Ohio; stop for
luncheon at st. Louis and continue the
flight to Wichita, Kans., in the after
noon. transfer to the Atchison, Topeka
and Sante Fe Railroad train for con-
venient point in New Mexico. where
they will again board planes and fly
the next day To Los Angeles. arriving
there in the late afternoon.
The route selected avoids all night
fying and permits the use of rail trans
portation through country over when
air fight is considered dangerous at
present.
Tri-motored planes carrying IA pas
sengers each will be used IN the new
service.
Trains to Carry Baggage.
Tickets will. be sold entirely by the
railroad companies. Passengers hand
baggage will be carried in the airplanes
and heavy luggage will be checked TO
their destination on the trains.
Transcontinental Air Transport viii
commence business with $4,000, 600 no
par common stock. all or wnlcn mas
heen subscribed and none OF which Will
be offered for public subscription. The
stock has been purchased by a power
flll group headed by Blair & Co,
bankers. and including interests promi-
nentIv identified with the Pennsylvania
Railroad. the Curtis Aeroplane q Motor
Co, the Wright Aeronautical Corpora
ton and the Ford Motor Co.
Col. Charles A. Lindbergh has been
invited to join the new company IN
either an administrative or advisory
capacity, but to date has given no deI-
mite decision His advice viii be sought
in the selection of pilots and landing
fields,
Eventually 1t is hoped to link all Of
the largest cities in the country. and
new routes viii be established as tTafnc
needs justify.
Other Lines May Join Later.
while the PENNSYLVANIA and Santa Fe
were the first railroads chosen TO de-
velop this new plan, 1t was pointed out
that all other leading systems VIII be
invited later to join in the undertaking.
Associated with Keys on the director
ate Of the Transcontinentai Air Trans
port, Inc, win be the following:
Harold Bixby, president Of the Cham
her of Commerce of st. Louis: Howard
=. Coffin, chairman of the board OF
National Air Transport of Detroit; j.
Cheever Crowiin of Blair & Co.. New
YORK: Chester CutheIl, chairman OF the
air law committee of the American Bar
Association, New York; Thomas East
land. San Francisco banker; Julian L.
Fysmans. vice president of the Penn
gyivania Railroad, in charge of traffic:
Fred Harvey Of Kansas City, represent
ing the hotels and restaurants along the
Santa Fe route: Paul Henderson OF
Chicago, vice president Of National AIT
Transport: Richard Hoyt, New York
banker; Leonard Kennedy, New York
rapitaIiSt. Harry e. knight, 81. Louis
banker. Charles L. Lawrence, pERsidert
of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation:
Walter Marvin, New York banker. VIII
liam 3. Mayo, chief engineer OF the
Ford Motor Co. of Detroit: Earle Rey-
uolds. president Of National Air Trans
port. Chicago; Daniel M. Schaeher,
chief Of Pennsylvania passenger trans
portaticn: James G. Wilson. Louisville,
KY. and William II. Vanderbilt. New
York capitalist