Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28

the National Capital since the
days of the Wright brothers at
Fort Myer. The year has witnessed
the rise of the Capital from position
of utter obscurity to one OF outstanding
Importance on the air transport map
of the country.
During the year scheduled air travel
IN and out of the city has increased
from six airTnail planes and one pas
senger plane day to AZ mail and pas
senger plane arrivals and departures
every "a hours. Miscellaneous military
and civil plane operations, even during
the bleak days of Winter, bring the
total number of flights in and out OF
the District each day to we'll above 60
and by next Spring it is estimated that
there will be an average OF 80 or more
airplanes leaving or arriving at Dis
trict airports each "a hours.
The growth of air transport opera
tions in the District has been the re-
suit in large part of the Development
during the early part of the year, OF
Washington Hoover Airport as model
air transport terminal An operating
agreement arrived at during the SUM
rner between officials OF washington
Airport and Hoover Field, on opposite
sides of Military road, did much 10
clarity the somewhat muddled airport
situation. Efforts now are being mace
to conbine the two fields physically by
the closing of the portion OF Military
road between them.
The wear also witnessed the beginning
Of work on creation Of new and mucn
larger Army Air Corps flying feld TO
replace Boiling Field, established dur
ing the World War as temporary
military flying field Acquisition OF the
last pieces of land for the new field
now is In process. The new field,
measuring nearly 400 acres in SIZE Is
located to the south of and adjoining
Boiling Field, extending along the river
front from Boiling Field to the Naval
Research Laboratory and including the
old steel plant site at Giesooro Polnt.
It is to be one of the hnest service
fields of its kind in the country.
The Navy Bureau of Aeronautics has
done a good deal of work Of perna-
nent character at the Anacostia Naval
Air Station during the year, including
the construction of concrete ana
steel engine test stand of the most mod
ern type, rebuilding of the seaplanee
ramp, a large amount OF filling ana
grading, construction Of a concrete
warrning-up platform and concrete
roads and walks, landscaping ana otner
improvements. Construction OF mod
ern electrical installation for the sta
ton has Just been started at an esti-
mated cost Of $4,000.
World Record Established.
The year witnessed the establishment
OF a new worlds altitude record for
aircraft by Lieut.. Apollo Souceks U. s.
N, flying from the Anacostia station,
and the shattering of the worlds sea-
plane record also by Lieut.. Soucek,
though he was not given official credit
for this new mark because OF technl-
cality.
Creation at Anacostia of the countrys
finest airplane scrobatic section, the
"Three Flying Fish" composed OF
Iieuts Matthias Gardner. section lead
er; Aaron p. Storrs, Sd, and Frederick
NJ Trapnell, was an important military
event Of the year. The year witnessed
the passing from the naval service OF
Lieut. Afford j. Williams, jr., outstand-
ing racing plane and acrcbatic pilot,
who sang his swan song at Anacostia
by bringing out the inverted falling
leaf" latest and most difficult Of all
airplane Inaneuvers. The year also
witnessed the rise to a stellar role as
an aerial acrobatic pilot Of Lieut..
Gardner. native son of the National
CAPITAL.
The Curtiss Marine Trophy Race,
flown at the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
tion, took rank this year as an event
of national importance and the air
craft squadrons of the battle feet were
ordered here in connection with the
event, making the largest air force ever
assembled here.
The Curtiss race was won by Capt
Arthur H. Page, U. S. NJ. C., then sta
toned in the Navy Department here
who was killed on Labor day when his
experimental Navy high-speed mono
plane crashed during a race at Chi
cago. The Capital also lost two Of its
most noted aeronautical characters by
death when Herbert j. Fahy, founder
of the Capitals first commercial air
port and former holder of the worlds
solo endurance record, was killed in a
collision with stump near Detroit
last Spring. and when his widow, Mrs.
Claire NJ. Fahy one of the country's
noted woman pilots and former Gov
eminent secretary here, died this
month Of injuries received in a crash
at Tonopah, New.
Jerdone Wins Fame.
Another son of the Capital, Frank
H. Jerdone, graduate Of Mckinley
Manual Training High School and for
n1er Department of Commerce aeronau-
teal inspector, took rank among avia-
tons great by virtue of his magnificent
landing of a giant transport plane on a
crippled landing gear with ID passen-
gers aboard without scratching a single
one Of his charges or materially damag-
ing the plane. The landing is said by
Department of Commerce experts to
rank as one OF the finest Of its kind
on record.
The first official airplane race ever
to start from the National Capital be-
gan last August when a number of
noted woman pilots took of from
Washington Hoover Airport for Chicago
by way of Atlanta and the South in
the first Eastern women's air derby,
held in connection with the National
Air Races.
1t is in the field of air transportation
however, that the Capital made its
really great strides during the year
Progress began with the development
of Washington Airport as the city,s first
real flying field. The field was &C.
CURED By Washington Air Terminals
Corporation, operating for Federal Avi-
alton Corporation, and developed &C
cording to the most modern standards
for fields Of its size.
The construction program included
grading and filling of much of the
total Urea, construction Of a large steel
and masonry hangar pilots club and
well designed and completely equip
ped passenger terminal ard operations
building. Later in the year the field
was lighted for nig4C operations and
the Capitals fro governmental
night flying began. The entire 1eld
was laid out to harmonize with the de-
velopment of the river front parkway
and the Mount Vernon Memorial
Boulevard p.oject and the plans were
approved b. the Commission of Fine
Arts before work was undertaken
Completion of the new airport build
tngs and preparation Of the flight area
made possible real air transport de-
yelopment. Aside from the Eastern AiT
eTHra contra NJ car,,{ao