Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-05
TEXT OF REPORT ON AIRPORT
Plan Proposes u S. Government Contribute Part of Columbia
Island and Portion of Experimental Farm Hoover Field
and Washington Airport Be Acquired by District.

The full text of the report of the
| Joint Commission on Airports for the
District, which was made public last
Monday, follows:
Organizing at once upon the APP
| proval of the resolution, the commits
| sion Immediately began its study of
the problem in hand with the view of
| formulating recommendations to Con-
gress for providing the National Capt.
| tai and the District of Columbia with
| suitable airport facilities. The commits
| sion unanimously took the position that
| these facilities should be not only Suf-
! f1cient for present and anticipated needs
so as to serve Washington's maximum
aviation requirements, but should also
ultimately be Of an extent and COM
pleteness to reflect a creditable leader
ship on the part Of the Capital in the
development of this science. The COM
mission readily recognized the prospec-
tive strategic Importance of Washing
ton as q focal point for far-flung air
lines, and the board was keenly alive to
the fact that as prompt action as pos
Stble on its part was essential in view
OF the phenomenally rapid growth of
aviation and the desirability Of putting
the Nations Capital on the airways
map with the least possible delay by the
establishment Of an adequate CONNER
cial airport.
Series Of Public Hearings.
"In its quest for expert opinion and
advice bearing on its problem the COM
mission not only consulted with off1-
Gals Of various governmental depart
ments concerned, including the govern
ment of the District of Columbia and
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, but proceeded in
April, 1929, to conduct q series of pub
lie hearings, which brought together q
notable coterie of foremost airport en-
gineerS and aeronautical experts and
noted Government and airman flyers.
Their testimony was embodied In q
volume Of nearly 200 pages, constitut-
ing valuable compendium of tnforma-
ton on the subject of municipal air.
ports.
Among the outstanding features Of
this evidence, stressed by substantially
all Of the experts, and emphasized par
ticularly by Col. Lindbergh, was the
fundamental principle that the relative
success of an airport is dependent to
large extent upon its proximity to and
accessibility from the center of the
municipality which 1t serves. One OF
the most important things in relation
to the modern airport said Col. Lind
bergh, is its distance from the city. If
it requires an hour or an hour and a
half or more to 60 from the airport to
Washington, and vice versa, that takes
away to Q large extent any advantage
from flying from q city such as New
York or Philadelphia to the Capital,
inasn1uch as the time required to go
to and from the airport adds so much
to the flying time that there is very
little advantage over rail travel.
1 think distance from the city would
be of primary importance
The joint commission early found
itself confronted with no uncomfortable
undertaking in making a survey of sug-
gested sites for an airport in the viciE-
ity of the Capital. These sites num-
bered more than q score, many Of them
presenting advantages Of one kind Oh
another, but comparatively few of them
obviously suited to the needs of the
| Capital, as measured by the various
| factors entering into the equation
| These included distance from the civic
and business center of the city, accessi-
bility by highways and means of over
! land transportation, contour of ground
| drainage, atmospheric conditions, pre-
vailing wind directions, cost of land and
probable expense Of grading and deveI-
J opment, etc. The commission addresse
| itself to this task earnestly and pains
takingly, with technical and engineer
| ing assistance, and studied the problem
| from all angles.
Comprehensive Plan Needed.
"Out Of the mass Of information as
sembled from the statements of leading