Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-21
HOOVER, JR., RADIOS.
FLIGHT NARRATIVE.
Ether to Serve Aviation as
Block Signal Serves Rail-
road, He Says.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

use of radio in flying. The talk, deliv- |
cred over a 25-Station hook-up OF the /
National BroadcaSting Co., was one OF
the Roads of the Sky" series sponsored
on the network by the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce.
The radio address was young Mr.. |
Hoover's first, although he has long
been an amateur radio operator, work |
ing the ether channels in communtca- |
ton with other hams" At 20 he Is
now assistant to the president OF West
ern Air Express, a large air mail and
passenger carrier. He is at present en-
gagged In building up its radio system.
Radio, Mr.. Hoover told the National
radio audience must become to the air
plane what the block-signal system is
to the railroad. Providing constant
communication between transport planes
in flight and their ground bases, It Is
supplying the link in commercial avia-
ton that assures safety and regularity
of operation, he said.
It is part of the nerve system of an
air transport company, being even more
important to aviation than to shipping,
inaSmuch as a boat, rarely travelling
more than 20 miles an hour, can ride
out storm or anchor off port indef1-
nitely, while an airplane must travel
more than 100 miles an hour and ind
its airport Immediately.
Describes Plane Journey.
'Iet me take you on trip from
Chicago to Los Angeles" said MIR.
Hoover, land describe the way the radio
will soon be working. This Is the route
my own company flies, and therefore Il
same story will shortly hold true on any
Of the other large lines In the country.
lone takes an evening train in Chi
cago on this route, boards an airplane
in Kansas City the next morning, and
arrives In Los Angeles in time for din
ner. There are other routes which pro-
vide rail and flying connections all the
way to and from New York, and these
also plan the extensive use OF radio.
Before boarding the plane the traveller
can know that q large network Of COM
municatton has been relaying reports
between weather stations and airports
in order to inform the pilots about
winds to be expected at various alti-
tudes, rough weather areas, etc.
THE pilot of your plane" Hoover
continued, "iS thoroughly aware Of all
general weather conditions along the
route before you reach the field but the
moment you take off he receives a
second and more detailed report cover
ing the first jump.
"You settle down comfortably In your
seat and glance around at your fellow
passengers. Some, perhaps like your
self, are wondering what the next few
hours are to be like. Others who have
made the trip before are casually read
ing the morning papers. It Is hard to
believe you are in an atrplane and not
in a Pullman car. Then the motors
roar and you are of.
at is a clear day, and you marvel at
the regularity Of the ploWed fields, the
criss-crossed highways and the railroads
far below
Tune-in for Weather.
I'm the pilots cockpit all is activity.
Soon after leaving the ground the as
sistant pilot has tuned-in the receiver
for the hourly Government weather re-
port. At the conclusion Of the broad
cast the pilot switches to short waves
and, placing the microphone close to his
lips, calls Kansas City. The operator
there picks up his voice, and for sew
eral minutes they talk back and forth.
The pilot gives his position and tells OF
certain weather conditions which may
be useful to others flying along later.
"As your plane approaches Wichita
the pilot informs the field Of his time
of arrival, so that the runwayS may be
kept clear to insure the least delay In
landing and taking of.
"And so you move across Kansas,
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. AS
p1lOU links Will 1lESb OAlC B1Ou41O
station and then another, his course Is
guarded very much as railroads are
regulated by block signals.
"At the airport at Los Angeles Is To-
Gated a control tower, where almost
5000 miles Of airway can be controlled
as accurately as q signal tower controls
q railroad. These are the headquarters
for the weather and communication |
networks, and as your plane moves
a1nY1cp t6n thu cr01InA QtaH konnc |
constant watch over 1t.
Hears Of Storm Ahead.
mot long after you have entered
Arizona the control tower gets word OF |
local thunderstorms over the route !
ahead. Instantly the message goes out |
directing the plane to ny farther to the !
north along the right Of the Grand |
Canyon. A few minutes later 1t Is re- |
1ayed by the nearest station to the pilot, |
who advises that he has changed his |
course accordingly. Back in the cabin |
OF the ship you are probably. unaware
that anything has happened; q few
dark clouds on the horizon may not |
even catch your attention.
"At the last stop before Los Angeles, |
200 miles away" Mr.. Hoover continued, |
''the pilot learns that the weather is !
good all the way to the terminal field |
as he starts OF. But as he approaches
the high wall Of mountains that sur
round the city he sees that a fog bank
is pouring over the ridges and spreading
out toward him. From experience he
knows that these fogs roll In from the
sea, and that probably all the country
beyond the mountains Is a solid blanket
If he did not have radio, he would
either turn back or else ny through
one OF the narrow canyons and come
out underneath the clouds on the other
side. With naSSen1ArN ne world ftIr11
back and wait. But If he were flying
the air mail and had parachute he
would try to 60 through. One means
delay for people who are In O. hurry
and the other means risk.
with radio he has been talking with
the weather man in Los Angeles for
almost an hour, and Is aware OF the fog
long before he can see 1t. AS he nears
the mountains he begins to climb. Be-
fore long he is high above the clouds.
Nothing can be seen ahead but a Bill
lowy sea Of fog-no landmarks are
visible.
Lands Through Fog.
$50 he turns on the radio beacon re-
ceiver and tunes-in the long dashes
that indicate whether he is directly on
his course. Occasionally he changes
his direction slightly when he begins to
hear one set Of signals louder than the
other. Otherwise he keeps straight
ahead. Every few minutes he turns
back to the weather Office again to
learn the height Of the fog above the
ground ahead, the wind velocity and
the conditions he can expect on the
field when he lands.
GAS he leaves the mountain peaks
behind and moves on over the clouds,
the sun drops over the horizon and
dusk sets In. Suddenly he throttles