Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-22
TWOD. c. A|RPORTS
ARE SUCCESSFULLY
DEARBORN EXPERT
William B. Stout Recommends
Fields Near River and
in Suburbs.
PLANE TOURIST TRADE
PREDICTED FOR CAPITAL
Cleveland and European Results
Are Outlined at Congressional
Commission Hearing.

The ACCESSIBILITY of having two air.
portS-one at low level near the river
front and the other on higher ground
In the suburbs-was considered in oues-
tioning witnesses when the Joint con-
gressional airport commission resumed
hearings today on landing field require
ments of Washington.
AT the morning session the commits
sion heard William B. Stout of the air.
plane division of the Ford Motor Co.
MAJ: John Berry, manager of the Cleye-
iano airport; A. M. Banks, pilot on
the Washington air mail route. and
MAJ: Lester D. Gardner, former presi-
Gent OF the Aeronautic Chamber of
Commerce.
Recommends Two Fields.
Mr.. Stout, who helped develop the
Foro airport at Dearborn, recommended
lor washington a centrally located
neld Tor the landing of passengers and
ar mail, with another field on the out
skirts OF the city for hangers, repair
shops and storage space. He enpha-
sized that Washington, more than anv
other city, will have large tourist air
trathc that will desire a Centrally
located landing place.
Pilot Banks, after describing his ex-
perlenceS in flying into Washington
ADVISED the commission to locate the
local airport either on the south or
west SIDE OF the city. In answer to
questions OF Representative Underhlil
OF massachusetts, and of Chairman
Bingham, Banks said it would be an
ideal situation if there were two land
ing places-one at low point toward
the river front and the other on higher
ground.
MAJ. Berry, after telling what Cleve-
Iaho mas done In airport development.
declared that Washington should have
an airport OF a minimum of 5000 feet
square. He said Clevelands airport
is eight miles from the public square.
requiring 20 to IS minutes to reach.
Location Discussed.
He said Cleveland has considered a
small held more centrally located for
LANDING purposes. He expressed the
belief that to encourage development of
an air travel, landing facilities must
pc made available within five or ten
minutes OF downtown, but he added
.IiaI conSloeratlon also must be given
70 tne hazards existing over a city.
ON0A AAAGA tO4O 1tOH 10 6uIODSan
capitals have developed their airports
He said that in Europe the average
distance from the center of the cities
to the airports is from 80 to As minutes.
put that the Templehof Airport in
Berlin is only is minutes from town.
senator Bingham announced that at
the conclusion of the hearing this after
noon, the commission would 90 into
executive session with Mai. Donald A.
lawson, assistant engineer commits
sioner, and with Maj. Carey H. Brown
OF the park and planning commission.
VINO have collected estimates on a
number OF proposed suburban sites. to
De compared with the estimates for
Gravelly Point, on the banks of the
Potomac, south of the city.
Advised on Surfacing.
The commission today received widely
ol1erent advice as to how the airports
Should be surfaced. Mr.. Stout said that
at Dearborn concrete runways are used.
explaining that such runways work well
with planes that have rear wheels and
brakes. Maj. Berry preferred an all
way field in preference to runways.
Mr. Stout said the future of Wash.
lngton could be visualized best by ont
lining what the aircraft industry is
doing. He said that the Ford plant will
soon be turning out one transport plane
day and added that Mr.. Ford wants
TO develop "the 100-paSsenger plane aS
soon as possible"
Representative Underhill asked Mr..
Stout if he thought tragedies such al
occurred at San Diego yesterday will
oeter the growth of air travel. Mr..
STOUT indicated he did not think so.
a
IN year in automobile travel he re-
piled. I'VE are used to being killed in
automobiles, but not used to being killed
by airplanes."
When Senator Bingham asked Stout
II city should provide in the suburbs
Tor hangers and repair shops, he replied
by suggesting that the airport situation
was good deal like a railroad terminal.
which has centrally located station
with the roundhouSe and shops at a
more distant point.
Banks Favor Southern Site.
Pilot Banks, of the Pitcairn Aviation
Co. declared that pilots have not had
much trouble from weather conditions
in landing at Boiling Field. and fol-
lowed this statement with the recon-
mendation that the airport be on the
South or West side of the city because
OF the direction of the prevailing winds.
Banks said he was not familiar with
the exact location of Gravelly Point.
but when the location was described
ne said he did think fog would prevail
there. He said it would be well to have
two ports, one at low level and the
other on high ground, to meet all posi-
bic weather conditions.
Representative zihlman of MARYLAND,
vice chairman of the commission.
questioned both Mr.. Stout and Mai.
Berry as to the probable cost of clear
ing OF timber land in developing an
airport in wooded section. Several
suggested suburban sites are partly
wooded areas. Mr.. Stout said that in
Dearborn 40 tractors worked six
months to clear the field. Mai. Berry
testified it cost Cleveland 500 an acre