Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

. |
thoroughly known. Its det1clen-
cies have been made up patiently
by studious fertilization and ad-
dition of chemicals which 1t lacks
This soil could not be duplicated
for its present purposes within
several years, it is said. Moreover
| there are planting schedules fol
this tract of land part of a scien-
tif1c research program, for several
years in the future. 1t undoubt-
| edly would entail serious hard
ship and loss to the department
! if this area were to be taken for
airport purposes.
On the other hand, agriculture
has benefited from aviation and
should be willing to make some
sacrifice to promote the new in
dustry. Crop busting by airplane
to control the boil weevil and
other pests, and airplane patrols
to detect fires in national forests
have saved millions of dollars to
the farmer and the country, and
this field of activity is capable of
further development.
With the combined areas of
Washington Airport, Hoover Field,
Arlington Farms, Arlington Beach
and the portion of the Military
Road between the fields more
than 200 acres would be available.
Diagonal runwayS of more than
5000 feet and $500 feet could be
made available, the longer one in
the direction of the prevailing
winds. Across the field only about
1000 feet would be available, but
there are few deys when the
winds are in this direction, it is
claimed.
Hoover Field has been operat-
ing five years with a 2,100-foot
runway and scarcely any cross
wind area. Washington Airport,
when the present filling program
is completed, will have an all-way
field almost square in shape.
With the long runway open
across both fields in the direction
of the prevailing winds, a very
good temporary layout could be
made, from which it should be
possible to operate all types of
transport planes.
This field, however, because of
the lack of width, never could OBJ
tain a Department of Commerce
ALA rating, and for this reason
should not be considered as a per-
manent airport for the Capital.
Whether the Government should
purchase the fields outright and
operate them as a governmental
project, or should lease them, is
matter which can be worked
out 1t might be possible to OPP
crate the fields on a concession
basis, as is done in number of
cities, leaving the present man
agement in charge, under regula-
tionS which would guarantee the
municipal character of the field.
In the end, even after Gravelly
Point is completed, there will be
room for the continued operation
of commercial fields on the Wash
ington Airport and Hoover Field
sites for specialized services which
are better divorced from munic-
| ipal field. Student training and
other types of commercial work
are highly undesirable at a field
which must be used for terminal
purposes, as would Gravelly Point.
| Certain types of Servicing, over
haul and repair work also could
be kept away from the municipal
field. There would be no necessity
for closing out any existing COM
mercial fields because of the mu-
nicipal airport development, nor
would this be at all desirable.
Engineers who have studied the
Gravelly Point project are conf
dent that development of an mi
tial unit, available for flying,
could be completed under pres
sure within a year. Proceeding on
more economical and leiSurely
basis, five years should be ample
to put all the necessary area in
perfect shape to handle all fore
seen needs at that time.
At Newark, N. j., and Boston,
hydraulic filled fields have been
made available for use within the
first year. The materials with
which the Newark fill was made
are inferior in quality to those
available at Gravelly Point, which
is a great natural gravel pit, as
its name implies.
The fill for the Mount Vernon
memorial boulevard now is being
made across the west end of the
proposed Gravelly Point airport
area. It has settled with unusual
rapidity into a good, solid fill,
upon which construction can be
undertaken before long, according
to the engineers. The Mount YER
non boulevard is to be completed
within two years. Certainly, if a
paved road can be built upon
filled ground in the Gravelly
Point area within two years, It
should be possible to operate air
planes off an unpaved field in less
than that time.
During the next few years there
will be a large amount of good,
solid earth and rock eXcavated in
the Mall area for Federal and
District public buildings. This
material must be dumped some
where, and it might just as well
be dumped at Gravelly Point as
anywhere else. This, together
with the dredgings from the river
channel, can be used in the initial
area.
Gravelly Point appears to be
the ideal area for the National
Capitals permanent airport
Washington Airport and Hoover
Field can be utilized to care fol
temporary needs. The compro-
mise program fostered by the
Washington Board of Trade and
Chamber of Commerce and ap-
proved by the congressional COM
mission is a good one and should