The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-15
PASSENGERS TO
ENJOY RIDE ON
AIR-MAIL ROUTE
Radio Programs win Give
Diversion; Comfort to
Be Keynote.
BY C. NJ. KEYEs
Written Exclusively for NEA Service and
The Times.

Nritteu Exclusively Tor MA service ana
The Times.
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-WIat, ex-
actly, is the experience of the trav-
eler who speeds across the United
States on the Lindbergh lines
transcontinental air-ral service this
spring in approximately forty-eight
hours?
Americans are familiar with rail-
road travel. When they contem-
plate journey by train they know
beforehand just how their time is
to be spent. But coast-to-coaSt
trip over an air-rail route will be
an entirely new experience.
Colonel Lindbergh, chairman Of
the technical committee, is to spend
the next few weeks in an aerial sur
vey of the train-plane route.
Your eaSt-west traveller starts at
New York City. At the Pennsyl-
vania station he buys a through
ticket calling for rail transportation
by night to Columbus, air trans
portation by day to Dodge City, rail
by night to Las Vegas and air again
by day to his destination, Los An
geles or San Francisco.
At dusk, he boards the train and
takes his Pullman reservation. A
nights sleep brings him into Colum-
bus in the morning, where he finds
motor transportation to the airport
awaiting him at the depot.
accommodations Comfortable
Within the station, the travellers
baggage is weighed and checked.
his ticket punched and his plane
seat assigned to him.
At 1000, perhaps 5000, or $500
feet, the altimeter shows, the pilot
finds the most favorable air cur
rents and straight toward the west
the plane holds its even, level course.
The air speed indicator registers
lis miles an hour.
In the intervals between the pi-
lots receipt Of periodically radioed
weather reports, music from far
away broadcasting station comes in
pleasing rhythm from the loud
speaker. Above 1t, the motors
cadenced thrum may just be heard.
AS the Onio-Indiana boundary is
crossed, the music suddenly ceases
and the voice of the pilot comes
out Of the speaker:
= Fly Over Indiana
'sThe large white house on the
bank of the creek to your right
stands practically on TIE state line.
After that we shall be flying over
Indiana"
And so into the new Indianapolis
airport, a hive of aerial activity.
While the fuel tanks are being re-
filled, the passengers alight for a
moment to stretch their legs.
Then Off again as before, across
Indiana and into Illinois where, at
East st. Louis, on the bank of the
river Just across from st. Louis, the
airport will ultimately be located.
There the plane makes a longer
stop-over while the passengers
lunch. Halfway across Missouri,
just before Kansas City is reached,
the plane passes an east-bound sis
ter ship.
Descend at Dodge City
Another stop is made at Kansas
City and a final brief halt at Wi
chita before the plane descends with
the sun at Dodge City. At Dodge
City, the Columbus transfer from
train to plane is reversed, the trav-
eler motoring from the airport to
the railroad station to occupy a
berth already reserved for him on
a Santa Fe express.
Next morning, in Las Vegas, he
boards another waiting T. A. T.
Ford transport. Between Las We
gas and Los Angeles. stops are made
at Gallup, Winslow and Kingman,
with luncheon, perhaps at Kingman
If the travellers destination is
San Francisco, he boards another
plane at an intermediate point
which puts him down beside the
Golden Gate just forty-eight hours
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