Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

holdS as the largest builder
and operator of airports ir
. the world, the Department o!
Commerce airways division ha!
gone into the deserts, the plains
forests and mountains in it!
struggle to aid in the conquest o.
the air and protect the lives O.
those who fly.
The unheralded and compare.
lively unknown battle of airway:
executives and engineers to plant
intermediate landing fields alons
the lanes Of air travel constitute:
one "a 'Slle important chapters ir
the romance of aviation. They
have tanned mountain torrents
leveled hills, put new floors ir
mountain gorgeS and fought
shifting desert sands to establish
Ravens of safety for those who
travel the anyways.
There now are 324 Department
OF Commerce intermediate land
Ing fields in operation Throughout
the United States, 80 of which
were completed during the past
fiscal year. There are As addi-
tional intermediate fields now
under construction and approx
mately 80 will be completed dur
Ing the present fiscal year.
The construction of this years
quota of fields will involve the
moving of approximately 100000
cubic yards of earth, the laying OF
IL miles of various sizes of pipe
and tile drains. the construction
Of 100 miles of fences, 80 miles OF
bitches, 1900 sets of field border
markers, and the clearing Of ap-
proximately 500 acres of timber
Due to the careful planning OF
the engineers In charge, the cost
TO the Government will be only
42O0, 600, while municipalities in
tereSted In specific sites will con-
tribute $50, 900 more.
Into the wilderness.
The task of laying out inter-
mediate fields has become steadily
more difficult as the planning of
Always through more broken
and wilder country went forward.
At first the airwayS were eStab-
lished only in open country where
natural landing fields could be
found. The first intermediate
landings were any tracts OF
ground of approximately 40 acres
In size which could be utilized in
their natural state at appropriate
intervals along the airway.
It was intended that by the in
stallation of lighting equipment
at these sites they could be used
for emergency landing purposes
without conditioning work other
than the removal of fences, and
other small jobs of an incon-
sequential nature. The original
estimates allowed approximately
$500 per field.
This practice soon was out
grown, however, when the work
was extended into mountainous
country, and it became impossible
to find natural sites Of sufficient
size. This led to the undertaking
Of more extensive conditioning
and grading of sites. The work
at first was directed by the air
ways extension superintendent
As operations expanded, how
ever, 1t became evident that the
services of men especially trained
for this type Of work were needed
and a number of engineers were
employed and assigned to super
wise grading and conditioning OF
fields, the removal of obstruc-
tions and work of like nature
This relieved the extension super
intendentS, who were essentially
pilots with some degree of en-
cheering knowledge, Of the
burden Of conditioning work and
enabled them to apply their aero
nautical experience to preliminary
survey work.
Plans for Founding Airports.
Today when an airway is to be
laid out between certain points
an Always extension Superin-
tendent in an airwayS plane goes
out first to make a preliminary
survey Of the route. He flies the
section Of the airway, notes the
general type of terrain and nat
ural features of the ground, the
existence of power lines, roads
and other features which will
assist in determining the location
Of sites.
A ground survey then is made
and the sites of the fields tenta-
lively selected. At this point the
engineer is called in to determine
costs, amount Of grading anC
drainage problems to be over
come.
Equipped with the engineer:
report, the extension superintend-
ent begins negotiations with the
property owners and when suit
able agreements are reached, for
wards the information to the
ONCE of the airways division II
the National Capital. If thu
tentative selection OF sites is ap'
proved, the extension Superin'
tendent makes necessary arrange
ments for acquisition or leasing
Of the sites, calling upon the en-
gineer for legal surveying and de-
Scription of the area.
If time is available the engineel
will make a complete topographic
survey of the field and Obtain
other data necessary in prepare
ton of proposals and Specifica
tions for the conditioning work
Then, after all the sites have beer
approved by an executive boart
OF the aeronautics branch, De
partment of Commerce, the en-
gineer prepares proposals ant
specifications for work neceSsar,
to place the fields in condition
These, together with drawings
topographic maps and other in
formation, are sent to the airway
division Office here for determine
ton as to the amount and natur
OF work to be performed at eacl
site. The work is advertised an
bids awarded, the work bein