Evening star., 1928-12-09
Twenty-Five Years Aviation Sees Dawn Of New Era
Destined Outstrip Rapid Progress of the Railroad

to do, the record shows that aerial
transportation is surging forward at
speed as rapid as that of the airplane
itself. There are several good and suf-
ficient reasons for this sudden expan-
sion, but only three are of any real
magnitude.
The first reason is that, unlike the
railroads, air transportation lines need
not acquire or build expensive track
systems. The second reason is that
progress in aerial transportation was
to be expected as soon as airplanes
reached certain point of stability and
comfort and as soon as the reliability
of engines had passed beyond question
or conjecture.
The third reason is that public sup
port Of aviation, which had been rather
retarded in this country, came in a
swift and overwhelming rush once 1t
got started. AirportS-Without which
there can be no airways-were built
by hundreds of municipalities; passen-
gers and cargo-without which there
can be no transportation businesS-be-
gan to furnish pay loads.
In short. the wheels of aerial progress
began to turn and they have been gain
ing momentum ever since. It can no
longer be said that America trails
Europe in the air. On the contrary,
there is ample proof that we are forg-
ing ahead in the friendly race among
nations that are working for aerial
advancement.
The strongest approval OF the airplane
as transportation medium is its IN
dorsement of railroads. The very fact
that airplanes are being linked with
trains to speed up transcontinental
travel is a stamp of approval entitled to
serious recognition. Persons interested
in aviation have long and loudly main
tanned that the airplane is safe means
of transportation. The only trouole
was that their enthusiastic assertions
were taken with a grain OF salt. Inc
public was inclined to discount tnelr
claims because it believed them to be
favored with an overseasoning OF en-
, thuSiaSm.
pUT when the railroads, accustomed
- to stop, look and listen before adopt
ing any new policy, and with "Sa1ety
First" always their motto, paved tne
way for the definite entry OF aircraft
into the Transportation world, the pub
lie at large had tangible evidence that
all air accomplishments were not a
matter of luck" as many were inclined
to believe.
This pioneer work in air-rail travel
is being carried on by the Trans-Con-
tinental Air Transportation Co. in con-
junction with the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. Col Charles A. Lindbergh Is
chairman of the technical committee of
the corporation. He serves also as con-
sulting aeronautical engineer to the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad. Among its OFF,
,, GERS and on its board of directors the
company has group of men OF out
standing eminence in the aeronauticall
industry, as well as in the world OF
finance. The company is capitalized at
| $I0,O00,000, of which $5,000,000. has
been paid in. 1t is expected that more
than $2,000,000 will have been expended
before the company's first pay-load
! plane leaves the ground.
Next Spring will see the Inauguration
of the first schedule of coast-to-coast
air-rail travel The trip will take from
48 to 81 hours-just half of the time
! consumed by train-and will cost only
twice as much As the regular railroad