Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

advantages of aerial travel
you should fly, on a clear
A day, across the Allegheny
Mountains, carrying In your hand
q railroad timetable. :.
AS you fly along on q Decline"
course over mountains. tortuous
valleys and Snake-like streams
you are bound to entertain feel
ings of pity for the travellers on
the railroads which wind and
twist below to take advantage OF
every favoring fold and wrinkle OF
the mountain geography.
AS the plane crosses each steep
" wooded mountain range you
may complacently unfold your
railroad timetable, pull out your
watch and estimate how far back
you would be now If you had
travelled by rail. Then, Stufnng
the timetable back in your pocket
and swapping shut your watch,
you settle back and enjoy the
panorama of mountain country
spread out below.
Mists Bring Another Story.
That is what happens when the
weather is clear. When the miSts
roll up out of the gorges and the
clouds settle down dankly on the
peaks, however, 1t Is another story.
Then the traveller in the train
putting and grooming its way up
the twisting watercourSeS aQd
along the valleys well may bunch
down in his seat, gaze outside
with satisfaction at the hurrylng
mist and give himself over to
coincidence for the airplane pilot
feeling his way uncomfortably
through the murk above.
The menace of fog and cloud so
prevalent over the Alleghenies,
however, is giving way slowly as
the radio beacon, altimeter, turn
and bank indicator and other
delicate instruments guide the
aerial navigator from airport OF
departure on one side or the
mountains to his destination on
the other. The fight, however, is
slow and these Eastern mountains
remain one of the worst spots IN
the country for the flyer who
must cross them day after day on
schedule.
That the air mail is able to cross
night after night, through clouds
and fog, storms and darkness, is a
tribute to the progress OF aero
nautics as well as to the skill OF
the individual pilots. AS time
goes on it becomes more a tribute
to science and less matter OF
air instinct and training on the
part Of the pilot.
Radio Beacon Guides Flyers.
Today the radio beacon keeps
the flyer steadily on his course re-
gardless of weather conditions.
Radio and the instruments in his
plane keep him clear Of the noun
tain tops. He knows the sort Of
weather conditions he will en-
counter ahead. The radio informs
him which fields are clear and
which are Shrouded in fog. And
the old-timer signs for the days
gone by when pilots were pilots
and a man had to rely on his own
knowledge and skill to get him
through.
Coming home from the national
the writer was the guest of Capt.
Frank Hackett of the I'd Bonn
bardment Group on flight across
the mountains on one OF those
days when the air traveller rides
in glory and Sneers at the plod-
ders below. That is to say, the
skies were clear and blue and we
enjoyed that blessing to the n.y.
era tail wind.
The trip from Cleveland to this
city was made by seven big, lum-
bering twin motored LB-7 bonn
bardment blaneS. These things
are made only to carry great loads
of bombs and to be as obnoxious
as possible to the enemy. They
are not made for speed; CARRYING
capacity is their forte. They
cruise normally at something like
80 miles per hour and no one
would choose them for long-dis-
lance flying if in any sort OF q
hurry.
yet the trip was made from
Cleveland to this city in three
hours and IS minutes, between a
late and leisurely breakfast and
an early lunch. But for the
bombers, 7 should have left Cleve-
land on a day express at 8 am,
arriving in Washington at 1917
pm, matter of II hours and II
minutes. A saving Of II hours out
Of IA should have elements Of
appeal to the. busy business man.
For this reason we may expect
competing air passenger lines
across the mountains in the near
future.
Sounds Out Possibilities.
The new Clifford Ball Line,
operating Six-passenger Fairchilds
between the National Capital and
Cleveland, is sounding out the
possibilities for such service. On
daily runs three or four passen-
gers may be counted on either
way between Washington and
Pittsburgh. From Pittsburgh to
~ARAN Y~- ~YN~r