Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-14
{6,ODD,ODO AVIATION
FIELD SOON READY
New Jersey Project to Have
Every Facility for Safety
and Comfort.

One of the most important aviation
construction programs in the Eastern
United States is nearing completion
on the HackenSack Meadows, where
the S6000,0 900 Metropolitan Airport is
being constructed on the outskirts of
Newark. N. j.. 20 minutes from down.
town Manhattan. Mayor Thomas L.
Raymond of Newark, who has personal
supervision of the project, has an
nounced that the first section now is
being used for full air mail operation
on both the Western and coastal routes,
materially expediting the handling OF
mail matter.
This initial unit occupies about half
the entire airport area. It has two
landing runways in the form of
cross. each arm 1000 feet long and
800 feet wide Down the middle of
each runway has been laid a stretch
of tar-bound pavement 200 feet wide,
affording a smooth hard surface under
all weather conditions for taking of
and landing The remainder of the
! field will be leveled and made suitable
for landing regardless of the runwayS.
The first of a number of f1reproof
hangers 100 feet square and large
enough to house IL to IA Single-motor
! planes has been completed and build
! ings are being constructed to house
headquarters of the air mail lines, a
| post office. radio station, meteorological
! bureau airport administrative Offices
and headquarters of the aviation sec
ton of the New Jersey National Guard.
Banks of FloOdlights.
Two banks of floodlights, with 10
| lights each, are being installed to
! illuminate the first unit of the field
| for night service. Further equipment
| for night flying includes a 36-inch re-
volving beacon, boundary lights, run
way boundary lights, approach lights
| and obstacle lights.
| A large separate field adjacent to
| the airport is being reclaimed from
| the marshes as terminal for dlrlgl-
bles and other lighter than-air craft.
! A mooring mast, the fourth of its kind
in the country, will be erected to pro-
vide anchorage for large dirigibles such
as the Nays Los Angeles and the
! German and British dirigibles which
soon are to demonstrate the feasibility
of regular transatlantic airship pas
Senger flights.
The diminutive Goodyear dirigible
Puritan, which was a visitor to this
city during the recent military exposl-
ton at the Washington Barracks, has
made several passenger flights from the
airport. carrying newspaper men ana
CITY officials Pilots and officials from
all along the Eastern coast have f1oWn
to the new airport to inspect progress
of the construction program, among
the recent visitors having been Earl
Rowland, winner of the recent trans
continental air race, who landed at the
airport in his prize-winn1ng Cessna
monoplane.
Safety Precautions Taken.
Every possible precaution has been
taken to insure the safety and comfort
of those using the field. All nearby
wires and cables which might prove
obstacles to planes have been placed
underground. Parking space for auto
mobiles has been provided and storage
space for visiting planes will be set
aside in the hangers. A dredged chan
mel leads into Newark Bay, affording
landing facilities for seaplanes.
Upon completion of the new eight
mile elevated speed highway between
the airport and the Jersey City en-
trance of the Holland Tunnel the field
will be less than 20 minutes from the
New York post office, financial section
and theater and shopping district. The
field, it is claimed, is in a position to
serve 100000 people, Is per cent of
them in New Jersey.
The city of Newark is planning to
derive revenue from the airport by
leasing flying concessions of various
kinds, from ground fees for visiting
ships and from other sources. More
than 20 airway and aircraft companies
have applied for space at the field A
hotel for the accommodation of airport
visitors and two restaurants are to be
constructed in the near future.
When completed the airport will cover
500 acres. all reclaimed marshland adj.
! Joining the municipal docks and the
/ Port Newark ship basin. on Newark Bay
between Newark and Elizabethport.