The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-29
SPEED EFFORTS
TO INSURE STOP
. ON U. S. ROUTE
Action Spurred by Visit of
Company Officials
Tuesday.
SERVICE NEXT SPRING
Plane Route Chiefs to
Return Here Soon for
Definite Answer.

Definite recommendations on a
municipal airport will be ready for
presentation to city officials by
citizens committees by Sept. 90
officials of Transcontinental Air
Transport, coast-to-coast air-rail
passenger service, were informed
Tuesday.
Colonel Paul Henderson, general
manager, and Major H. G. Ferguson,
aviation consultant for the COM
pany, visited the city Tuesday to
obtain definite answer on whether
the city will provide an adequate
airport for the company's huge
transport planes. The route is to
start next spring.
The two officials indicated that
unless they can obtain assurance OF
a field here, Terre Haute will be
made stop on the route instead of
indianapolis.
81 Wants 25-Year Contract
Henderson said he expected to
return to Indianapolis in few
weeks when hopes to be able to
negotiate a contract with the city
for use of a field.
At suggestion of committee mem
berS, with whom he met at lunch
con at the Chamber of Commerce.
he promised to send tentative con-
tract for consideration.
1--WE would like to contract for a
25-year landing privilege, but would
not require a set lease price for the
entire period in the contract" he
said.
ION the National Air Transport
routes we pay from 81 to as high as
$4,000 year for use of fields"
Another guest at the luncheon was
Glenn L. Martin, head of the Mar
tin airplane factory at Cleveland,
employing 1850 men. Martin is
building a larger plant at Balti-
more, Md.
The equipment and maintenance
committee will meet Friday noon to
hear reports on data obtained from
many municipal airports in larger
cities.
Large Field Is Urged
c. L. Harrod, Chamber industrial
commissioner, said efforts year
ago to induce Martin to bring his
new plant here failed because Of
inadequate airport facilities.
Martin said the Baltimore airport
will have $40 acres and will cost
$4,5O0.ooo.
He said indianapolis is so located
that it will benefit Immediately from
large airport. He recommended
a field of not less than square
mile. near the city. Smaller fields
are not safe for the huge planes
being designed for passenger and
freight service, he added.
81 wouldn't consider less than
5,000-foot runways for my bust
ness, Martin said. Anything less
than that is unsafe for landing big
planes at night"
Martin estimated it should cost
S25o,00O for lighting and develop
ment of a 640-acre field, including
erection of a station and three
other buildings.
Henderson estimated it would cost
100000 to drain and level field
of this size.
He said in his judgment sod
covered field is better than one with
paved runways. He placed an all
sod field as the most desirable, one
with sod runways second, and a
port with paved runways as third
choice.
Management of the airport by a
professional airport management
company, of which there are several
in the country, was suggested by
Henderson and Endorsed by Martin.
Out of Politics
"That method not only takes the
field out of politics, but gives a
business like management likely to
attract new aviation industries, .
Henderson said. Under fields Sc
managed you don't have to shoulder
your way through a bunch of polit-
ical hangers-on to learn anything
about the field"
Henderson warned the committee
members they should not expect a
return from the airport equal to the
fixed charges for ten years. Cleve-
land had return of $4,000 and
fixed charges of $4,000 last year
he said
In discussing cost of operation
Henderson said maintenance cost
of the Chicago municipal airport
which 'is not in the best of con-
dition." is $4,000 a. year.