Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-20
RADIO BEACON USED
ON CHICAGO FLIGHT
Bombardment Planes DEM
onstrate New Apparatus in
Passing Over Capital.

Nine twin-engine bombardment planes,
representing three of the most famous
bombarding squadrons in the Army Air
Corps, stopped at Boiling Field today
en- route to Chicago to demonstrate the
latest advances in military flying at the
National Air Races.
The planes arrived over the National
Capital 19 minutes after taking off
from Langley Field, Hampton, Va, base
Of the I'd Bombardment Group and
left the field at IL O'Clock. The
light over Virginia and Maryland
was directed by radio beacons from a
new station at Langley Field in test
of the latest development of science in
directing the flight of military forma-
tions through fog, storm or darkness.
The radio beacon signals were picked
up by a special receiver aboard the
leading plane, piloted by Capt. Henry
Pascale, acting commandant of the
I'd Bombardnent Group and leader
of the Chicago mission.
Show Beacons' Use.
This mornings flight demonstrated
the possibility of using for emergency
military purposes the chain of radio
beacon stations established along the
Nations airways by the Department of
Commerce.
During the fight to Chicago radio
beacon courses will be followed and
continuous weather information will be
obtained by radio during the crossing
of the Alleghenies with their treacherous
weather conditions
rTvI, 49, will 1Na
employed throughout the flight, it will
be determined whether similar stations
along the country's civil airways could
be Communicated in case of emergency
to aid in the concentration of fighting
planes or the conducting of military
operations in the air in the face of
storms, fogs and darkness.
For the flight to Chicago planes of
the famous 49th. Goth and 96th Bonn
Pirate" Devils Head" and "Wolf's
Head" Squadrons, will be employed. One
flight from each squadron has been
groomed and is ready to demonstrate to
the throngs attending the Chicago air
classic the latest advances in the science
Of bombardmen aviation.
Going to Balloon Races.
From Chicago the group will go to
Cleveland for a Labor day den1onstra-
ton in connection with the starting OF
the Gordon Bennett international bal
loon races, returning to Langley Field
early next month.
Each of the three squadrons repre-
scented in the skeleton group selected for
the Chicago flight has had brilliant
history, peace-time achievements OF the
Air Corps.
Each squadron was engaged in several
major operations during the war and
since the war they have taken part IN
such noted operations as the sinking OF
five German warships off the Virginia
Capes in 1921, the bombing Of obsolete
United States battleships two years
later. Alabama flood relief mission,
the blowing up of the Pee Dee River
Bridge in 1927, the Miami military test
Aight in 1929, when 100 miles were
aown in less than IL hours, and a three
stop forced flight from this field to the
Pacific Coast last year to test the
mobility of the countrys air defenses.
Flying in formation, eight of the huge
planes spanned the Nation in Al hours,
or 80 hours Of actual flying time.
Reach Chicago Tomorrow.
The planes are to spend tonight at
Fairfield Air Depot, Fairfield, Ohio,
continuing to Chicago tomorrow
AS the big ships leave the Capital
behind they will begin to receive con-
tinuous weather reports from the
dangerous mountain area through Army
radio stations at Cumberland, Md;
Uniontown, Pa, and Moundsville, w.
Va. After crossing the mountains the
planes will follow the radio beacon
course to Fairfield, Ohio.
The planes are piloted by Capt. Pas
Gale, Lieut.. C. r. MacIver and Lieut.. II.
r. Crater of the 49th; Capt. F. D.
Racket. Lieut.. L. F. Harmon and Lieut..
A. B. Duke of the goth, and Lieuts M.
w. Beaton. w. G. Davis and T. w.
Power Of the Goth.