Evening star., 1928-12-09
American Transportation Takes to the Air

advantage 10 aVldClO0. fOr one lnl1g,
this welding of two great transportation
mediums will bring to aviation the ad-
vantages that lie in expert study and
development of traffic methods. OF great
Importance also is the psychological ef-
feet this union will have upon the
public.
From the standpoint of the railroads
it is undoubtedly wise move. as it
probably will tend to eliminate the con-
f1ict and competition which a separate
air transportation development would be
certain to produce. Air travel of the
present is still in its infancy. but air
travel of the future is bound to have
some of the influence upon the railroad
that the railroad had two generations
ago upon the covered wagon. Air travel
of tomorrow will not only be faster, but
also as sure as that of travel by sea.
rail or automobile. Transport planes
today fly at speeds ranging from l25 to
$50 miles an hour. Those of tomorrow
will sweep through space at $50 miles
an hour and more. No train, no
steamer, no automobile-for that mat
ter, no dirigible-will ever be able to
keep pace with the airplane.
Transport aviation has only started
to scratch the surface. Before long
there will be flying Pullmans that offer
every possible luxury and comfort. Ex-
perimentS are now being carried on
with a sleeping plane" which. when
completed, will be long step forward
in travel comfort. This ship will have
none of the jerky motion of train
and, with muff1ed motors and sound
proof walls, its cabin will be as silent
as a stateroom aboard a liner.
The big mergers of the railroad world
came into being some years ago; the
big combines of aviation are now
companies are the T. A. T. already
referred to; the Fokker- Western Air
Express combination; the Boeing-
Pratt Whitney merger and the Key
stone, Looming. Wright consolidation.
1t is believed that these combinations
will eventually absorb most of the
smaller companies now in existence.
With the expansion of aerial trans
portation will come similar expansion
of other aerial activity, such as mail.
express and light freight The air mail
today covers routes aggregating nearly
$4,000 miles, and averages from 5000 to
1000 pounds daily. To be sure, this is
only a small portion of the 100000
pounds of first-class mail being handled
day in and day out by the Post ONCE
Department, but persons who have
studied the air mail and its growth are
inclined to believe that before long
planes capable of carrying loads of
5000 pounds will join the air mail
family and thus speed up the delivery
of the Nations mail to heretofore
undreamed-of extent.
Hand in hand with the expansion of
commercial aviation will go the expan-
sion of private flying by individual plane
owners. AS the production of airplanes
increases the price of aircraft will de-
crease. 1t should be question of only
few years before good plane will
cost no more than a good car does now.
This would mean that persons who have
learned to fly or those who can afford
to maintain private pilots will use air.
planes for pleasure or business trips.
l have not made an extensive study
of the development of this phase of
aviation, but know that even today q
great number of planes-and some of
them quite eXpenSive-are being pur-
chased for private use. Last year about
1000 planes were built in this country
1t is estimated that $500 will have
been built this year and that next year
will see a production of between 5000
and 5000.
An interesting development is taking
place in connection with private flying.
and that is the formation Of aviation
country clubs near our large cities.