The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-20
INDIANAPOLIS
KEY CITY ON
AIR-RAIL Line
Transport Officials Here to
kid in Selection of
Municipal Port.
START SERVICE APRIL |
Lanphier Is Surprised at
Delay; CoaSt-to- Coast
Trip in Four Days.
START SERVICE APRIL |

Indianapolis is to be one of the
six key cities in the new Transcon-
tinentsl Air Transport concern
which will begin its task of carry
ing passengers by train and plane
from coast to coast in four days on
April l, it was revealed today by
officials Of the new aviation COM
pany, here to aid in selection of
municipal airport.
The visiting air company officials
gave impetus to the move to OBJ
tain a new city airport, inaugu-
lated by the Chamber of Commerce
Narrowed to nine sites, the list
of forty-two suggested locations is
expected to shrink again when the
report Of the visiting officials is
made to the municipal airport COM
mittee.
Major Lamphier Here
Officials making the inspection
tour of the new airplane are Mai.
T. G. Lamphier. in charge of flying
operations. and H. c. Ferguson,
aviation conSultant.
Both are enthuiastic about pos
sibilities of Indianapolis in the "air
era"
But both are eager to see a site
chosen and work begun to assure
inauguration of the new air line,
the first of its kind in America, on
schedule time.
Indianapolis is the only one of
our planned key cities that does not
have an adequate air field for our
operations" said Major Lanphier.
Delay in the selection of a site
puzzles me, for the city has several
splendid sites"
Both are ager to obtain a land
ing field near the tracks of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and both
spoke enthusiastically of three pro-
posed sites in the southwest section
of the city which adjoin the rail-
road company'S tracks.
Need Hard Runway
I'VE must have hard-surfaced
runway in the four direction. This
means at least two strips $500 feet
long, each 100 feet wide. We must
have an adequate hangar. If the
city builds the hangar we will rent
it or we will build our own" said
Lanphier.
The four-day journey includes
two days of flying and two night of
riding on trains. At Columbus, the
fartheSt east key city eastbound
passengers will board trains for an
overnight journey to their New York
destination. and the trip from Clovis.
N. M. to Los Angeles will be made
by rail.
The key cities are indianapolis,
Columbus, st. Louis, Kansas City,
Wichita and Clovis.
The day trip from ST. Louis TO
Columbus and vice versa will be by
air, with each plane stopping in
indianapolis to take on and dis
charge passengers ond rest through
passengers. The company eventu-
ally expects to have local plane
service from indianapolis to Colum-
bus and st. Louis.
North and South Junction
indianapolis will be the junction
point of the north and south cross
country line and the east and west
line, eventually, Lanphier definitely
stated. The north and south line
will be started when east-west Serv-
ice is operating smoothly.
In event cf "thick" weat ther here,
air passengers may take trains from
Indianapolis to the next key city on
the route.
The new company will use four
teen passenger, tri-motored Ford
planes. Ten have been ordered for
delivery in February and trial cross
country flights will begin early in
1929.
The air company officials left to-
day for Chicago and will return soon
to survey the chosen site and aid in
plans for development.