Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-12
D. c. TO Be LINK
IN EXPANDED AIR
SYSTEM DEC. 10
Heaviest AirmaiI in World Is
Expected Between Here
and New York.
ROBOTS WILL PILOT
PLANES IN STORMS.
Connection to Be Provided With
All States, Canada, West Indies,
South and Central America

The National Capital will become a
central point on one OF the greatest air
transport systems in the country when
great expansion program is inaugu-
rated December 10 by Eastern Air
Transport, operators under Government
contract of the New York-Miami air
mail line passing through this city.
The expansion will result in the
heaviest airmail service in the world
between this city and New York, direct
airnail and passenger connections with
virtually every State In the Union,
Canada, the West Indies, Central Amer
lea and South America, and the. in
auguration of service, for the first time
in the world, by air transport planes
equipped with robot pilots for rough
weather flying.
Enlarged Schedule Is Planned.
On December 10, It was announced
today, the line will extend passenger
service of the New York Richmond line
passenger connection with the new
Southern transcontinental airmail-pas-
senger line to Los Angeles. At the same
time 1t will increase its passenger serv-
ice between this city and New York,
using the largest air transport planes
ever put in service in this part of the
country. It also win begin to operate
later over the new coastal route from
Richmond to Jacksonville, Fla, carry
ing mail and passengers.
On January ! passenger service will
be extended from Atlanta to Miami,
Fla, giving the National Capital direct
a. VNo he IA
American international system with all
the West Indies, Central America and
the South American countries as far
South IS Buenos Aires and Santiago,
Chile.
The passenger planes on these runs
will handle mail in addition to the
present night airmail schedules on the
line, materially speeding up daylight
service between this city and others
along the Atlantic seaboard.
Under the new schedules to become
effective December 10 there will be
eight regular airmail schedules daily
between the National Capital and New
York, four in each direction, making
this what is claimed to be the heaviest
travelled airmail line in the world.
There will be six mail flights daily be-
tween this city and Atlanta and two
daily between Atlanta and Miami, one
Of which win carry passengers, In addi-
ton to mail.
Air Survey Almost Complete.
On December Is three giant ls-pas-
senger Curtiss Condor twin-engined
transport planes viii be put In opera
ton between this city and New York.
These planes are the largest in air
transport use in the East and are a
commercial version Of the Condor BE-
heavy bombardment planes Of the Army
Air Corps, the largest used in the mill
tary service, which are capable of car
rying bombs ranging in size up to 1000
pounds.
An entirely new airmail and passenger
service connecting Atlantic Coast cities
between Richmond, Va, and Jackson
vile, Fla, east of the present mail route
viii be inaugurated soon after January
/, the planes carrying mail and passen-
gers. with direct connections to this
city at Richmond. The exact date for
the opening depends upon completion
of work on the new airway by the De-
partment of Commerce, 1t was stated by
Capt. Thomas B. Doe, president of
Eastern Air Transport.
Surveying Of the route is IS per cent
complete, according to the latest avail
able reports, and Thomas H. Chapman.
the Anyways Division. Department of
Commerce, Is completing negotiations
for the last few remaining beacon sites.
Lighting of the route and preparation
of intermediate landing fields is to
begin after completion of the prelimi-
nary work. A weather reporting system
Is to be installed.
Robots 10 he Pilots.
South of Washington to Atlanta and
Miami and over the new Richmond
Jacksonville route. eight passenger twin
engined Curtiss Kingbirds, also a new
type in air transport fields, will be used.
Selection of the Condors and Kingbirds
followed long tests by pilots Of the
transport line.
Following completion Of the new
services the coastal line will become one
Of the largest in the country, with a
daily flying schedule totaling 1O,5OO
miles. With connecting systems it viii
extend into Canada, and will connect
with the three existing transcontinental
systems as well as with the interna-
tionaI system into the Latin countries.
"GyropiIots," or electrical and gyro-
scopic robots, will be installed on the
new passenger planes of the line to
take over the controls from the human
pilots In thick weather. New "gyro-
horizon" and directional gyro instru-
merits, the latest developments for
aerial navigation, also are to be used.
Each plane will carry two-way radio
code and voice equipment for weather
and operation communications and for
radio range beacon courses
from Department Of Commerce stations
along the line.