Evening star., 1928-12-09
Only General knowledge of
Finer Points Declared
Required.
ILLUSTRATION is GIVEN
Hypothetical Flight From
New York to st. Louis
Is Described.
BY COL. CHAS. A. LINDBERGH.

Aerial navigation, or avigation, is a
subject to which unlimited study can be
devoted. Ordinary cross country flying,
however, requires only general knowl-
edge of many Of the finer points, COM
bined with thorough understanding of
map reading and the ability to keep on
compass course The professional
pilot can well afford to devote his time
to detailed study of this subject, but
the future of the aircraft industry is
dependent on our ability to make flying
safe and uncomplicated for the individ
ual owner.
Let us leave, therefore, instrument,
long distance and night flying for the
time being and consider only the sim
plest form of navigation by air. The
necessary equipment consists of watch
a compass and a map covering the
territory to be flown over Strip maps
are available for the developed airwayS,
but ordinary State commercial maps are
entirely satisfactory and can be OBJ
tained anywhere in the country at a
cost of 35 cents per State.
Suppose it is desired to fly from New
York City to st. Louis. The plane has
a gasoline capacity for six hours at
cruising speed of 100 miles an hour.
Since this is a problem in navigation we
will not consider the adviSability of
following the mail route over the
Pennsylvania mountains, but only an
airline course, allowing for the fact
that the plane has a cruising range of
800 miles and that a reserve must be
allowed for possible head winds. st.
Louis is little more than 900 miles
from New York, consequently it will be
necessary to refuel at some midway
point.
Laying a Course by Map.
BY drawing a line between the two
cities on map of the United States it
will be seen that Columbus, Ohio, lies
nearly midway and only a few miles
north of the line. Through inquiry or
by looking up Columbus in a Depart
ment of Commerce airport directory an
airport will be found to lie on the east
side of the city. Lambert Field is near
Auglum, Mo-, and about IL miles north
west of st. Louis.
We are to take of from either CurtiSS
or Roosevelt Field just east of Garden
City, L. L. since the New York Munich
pal Airport is not yet completed. BY
drawing straight line on a map of
the United States from our starting
point to the Columbus Airport, and
thence to the St. Louis Airport, it will
be found to pass through parts of New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Missouri
The point at which this line cuts the
border of each State is noted in rela-
ton to some city or landmark and the
line transferred to the larger scale maps
of the individual State In some corner
Of each State map will be found a
scale of miles or straight line with
marks at distances representing 10
miles on the map. This scale is trans
ferred to sheet of paper and in turn
to the line representing the route to be
followed in that State.
Adjustment Of Map Scales.
From our point of departure in Long
Island marks are placed at 10-mile in
tervals along the course and the total
mileage noted at 50-mile intervals.
The scales on the State maps vary, 50
that 1t is necessary to transfer them
from each map to our course through
that State. On some maps an inch on
the map may represent 10 miles on the