Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
ECORDS of operations at
the two leading local COM
mercial airports during the

year reveal that the National
Capital is assuming an increas-
ingly important place on the air
ways map of the country.
Three air transport lines now
are operating out of these two
fields and during the next 80 days
a fourth line is to open with the
likelihood that it will rank from
the beginning as one of the most
important lines in the country
from the standpoint Of aero
nautical pioneering effort.
The number of passengers flown
from the two fields on purely
local sightseeing flights over the
city constitutes the heaviest bust
ness of this type in the Nation
and probably in the world. The
number of visiting planes checked
in and out of the two airportS has
reached an impressive total and
the number has been growing
rapidly.
During the first six months of
this year at least 5000 passengers
have flown from these two air.
ports, either on sightseeing flights,
scheduled air transport trips or in
visiting civilian planes. This total
may be exceeded during the sec
ond six months, due to the fact
that Washington Airport was I'M
der construction for nearly four
out of the six months and did not
reach it's full operating capacity
until the LIST of May.
Hoover Field Busy.
Hoover Field, the older of the
two airports, both of which are
located on the south bank of the
Potomac River between Highway
Bridge and the new Arlington Me-
mortal Bridge, from January to
July / carried a total of 10,071
passengers in its own planes on
regular sightseeing or chartered
flights. In addition, several hun
dred passengers were flown on
sightseeing trips from the field
in the Goodyear blimp, Vigilant,
which operated here for many
weeks during the Spring. Planes
of Pennsylvania Air Lines, for
merly the Clifford Ball Line, have
been flown on daily passenger
schedule between Hoover Field
and Pittsburgh and have carried
several hundred passengers in
each direction. The passenger
lists have increased steadily, espe-
eially since the reduction of fare
rates recently and the establish
ment of connecting schedules with
other air transport lines, forming
a national network. On num-
Der of occasions double header"
have been flown and it frequently
is necessary to turn away pas
sengerS for lack of space. The
new Eastern Air Express Line be-
tween this city and Holmes Air
port, New York, has operated from
Hoover Field since June IA, adding
materially to the number of pas
sengerS flown from the field.
The field records show that dur
Ing the first six months of the
wear a total of 316 visiting planes
were checked in at the operations
Office. A large number of these
planes carried passengers, also
swelling the total. During the
past week, for example, plane
landed from Baltimore with all
the musicians Of ballroom or
chestra aboard. Others have
brought sightseeing parties or
business men.
other passengers have been car
ried by airplane statesmen on
demonstration flights from the
field. Scores Of flight examiE-~
tions for Department Of Com
merce licenses have been con-
Quoted from Hoover Field under
the eyes of aeronautical exam
liners. Marine Corps planes from
Quantico, Va, have operated from
the field on airmail service be-
tween the White House and Presi-
dent Hoover's Summer camp on
the Rapidan.
Washington Airport Buster.
At Washington Airport virtual
ly all of these special activities
have been duplicated, though, as
has been stated previously, the
field has been in full operation
for only two of the six months.
The airport records show that
during the first six months a total
Of 11,500 passengers were carried
in airport planes on flights over
the city and, in addition, several
hundred special guests, including
notable visitors, aeronautical Of
flcialS and others Of whom no rec
ord was kept, were carried on
sightseeing or special hops.
The number of visiting planes
checked in at Washington Air
port was held down during the
first four months because of lack
of the facilities which have since
been established. There were 233
planes checked in during the six
month period. Seventy-nine of
these were counted in the month
of June and 95 in May, since the
completion of the new steel and
masonry hangar and other equip
ment. During July 95 visiting
planes were checked in, bringing
the total for seven months to 1923
and for the past three months,
since the completion of the field,
to 265.
The effect of the extensive i'm
provement of Washington Airport,
made since it was taken over by
the present management, is
shown by the number of visiting
planes registered each month since
the beginning of the year. In
January there were but three Wis
iting planes. February brought
IL and March IA. In April word
began to circulate that the i'm
provement program was in prog
reSS and there were 80 planes. The