Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

inaugural period will stand as one
Of the most remarkably success
full in air transport history It's
initial success and whatever sue
cess it may achieve in the i'm
mediate future will be due large
ly to the efforts of Paul Dog"
Collins, one of the country's
greatest airmail pilots, who is in
charge of the lines operations,
and Eugene Vidal of this city, for
mer Army pilot, who is a vice
president of the line.
Congratulations Pour In.
Collins and Vidal have been re-
ceiving congratulatory messages
from all parts of the country.
Among the letters received by vi
dial is the following from Charles
w. Darr, president Of the Wash
ington Chamber of Commerce:
From today's papers I learn
with the greatest of pleasure that
your line has established a new
world record for the number of
passengers carried in interstate
traffic by an air passenger line.
1T is most heartening news to
learn that your splendid new
hourly service in so short space
of time has placed Americas
Capital City upon an air passen-
ger line which has shown such
wonderful performance.
"All chamber members, I am
sure, are proud Of your achieve
ment and extend their hearty
congratulations"
Collins, who was in charge of
operations for the Transconti-
mental Air Transport system be-
fore it's consolidation with the
MadduX Line, is building up a
staff of tri-motored plane pilots
for the new line which is ex-
pected to be one of the best in the
country. Though all the pilots on
the run have had a minimum of
3 900 hours of flying time, Collins
said, they all are working on a
trial basis and will have to make
good on the basis of their records
on the new line in order to re-
main.
Airport A-BuzZ.
What with all the air transport
and the recently conSum-
mated working agreement be-
tween Washington Airport and
Hoover Field, resulting in the
transfer of much of Hoover'S fly
ing activity to Washington Air
port, the new administration
building has become one of the
busiest aviation centerS in this
part of the country. There always
is stir and hustle there these
days. TaXicabs and BUSES come
and go; there are many private
cars parked on the wide parking
places and inside porterS hustle
around with baggage.
So busy has the airport become
that two more loading gates have
been constructed, making five
gates through which passengers
may be loaded or unloaded from
local or interstate planes. There
S scarcely 15-minute period dur
Ing the day when some plane is
not in motion on the airport or
above it, and the tri-motored |
plane movements during the day |
compare favorable with those at !
.he country's busiest airports.
The agreement between the |
Capitals two leading private air
ports is a most sensible arrange
ment and one which should prove |
beneficial to the arrangements of |
both fields, the aviation industry |
and the flying public.
Hazard Eliminated.
One Of the most important re-
suits of the agreement from the
Of the public is the
of the potential haz-
ard from crossing of the lanes of
and landings from the
two fields under certain wind con-
ditionS. Though pilots from both
fields have exercised excellent
judgment in meeting this situa-
ton and have gotten away with
out accident, the situation was
one which might have resulted in
trouble. Under the new arrange
ment this particular hazard has
been disposed Of most effectively,
The agreement also makes pos
Sible the best possible handling of
the separate items of interstate
air transport flying and local pas
senger hopping or sightseeing.
For the present both types of fly
ing are being done chiefly at the
Airport site. With
The slightest traffic congestion,
however, the local hopping can
be shifted across the road to the
Hoover Field site, either for an
hour or a day so as to "clear the
More efficient servicing and
storing of visiting ships also is
made possible by the agreement, |
which brings under unified man
agement the four hangers, two
shops and independent
plants of the two air
ports.
Lighting of Hoover Field for
night operations is made unnec-
essary by the unification of the
field arrangements. The recent
lighting Of Washington Airport is
expected to provide all the COM
mercial facilities required for
night operations for the imme-
date future and under the new
arrangement all night
operations can be handled on the
single area.
AS a result of the recent air
transport developments and the
airport agreement civil aviation
progress in the National Capital