Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-09
z v WEATHER of the sort the Ma
IA tional Capital, in common
AN with most of the Atlantic
V Seaboard, has been expert

OcudLlCe O4 al 5HdtSkoIb SCIleouISe, JUS
as it forms the greatest handicap tc
travel by sea-
Fog, mist and rain, low clouds and
high winds have interrupted schedules
on the air transport lines up and down
the coast. Radio messages from the
high seas during the week reported
liners hmping along at reduced speed
In the face of gales and storm, hours
behind schedule
It is true that airplanes cannot land
safely in fogs under normal operating
conditions today. 1t is equally true that
ocean steamers cannot make harbor in
such ports as that of New York under
the same conditions. When fogS shut
down on New York Bay the liners wait
outside until they lift. When fogs close
on landing fields today the transport
lines wait until they begin to clear away
or go around the fog area.
But weather is becoming less and less
barrier to aviation. Planes are flying
all but the most hardy on the ground
few years ago. Air navigation has
improved tremendously during the past
decade and is continuing to improve.
It has been demonstrated in this coun-
try and in England that an airplane can
be landed through the densest fog.
True, these landings have been made
under what may be termed laboratory
conditions nevertheless they have been
made and probably will be made in
greater numbers in the future until air.
mail planes are landing through fogS
without interruption to schedule.
Eventually even passenger planes may
be landed under conditions of zero
visibility.
In this country Jimmy" Doolittle
has taken off, flown a course, returned
IN hic Cfartin0 T0OiT1f doI
out once seeing outside the cockpit of
his plane. He employed radio and an
altimeter of great delicacy to show him
the way. In England pilot has landed
through dense fog by the guidance of a
pilot balloon and special instruments.
The Department of Commerce,
through the Aeronautic Branch and
Bureau OF Standards, is working on the
problem OF log landings at its College
Park, Nd station and has made con-
siderable progress in this direction.
While its methods still are somewhat
complicated, neceSsitating the employ
ment of radio beams in two planes
geometrical planes this time-to guide
the pilot, they are being simplified and
it is anticipated that entirely blind
landings soon will be possible.
The Army Air Corps has been work
ing on the blind landing problem at
its engineering base, Wright Field,
Dayton, Ohio, though the Army prefers
to refer to such landings as "inStru-
ment landings" The Navy and Marine
Corps also have been devoting consider
able attention to the same problem, as
has DR.. Charles F. Marvin, chief of the
Weather Bureau. Several commercial
organizations also are engaged in fog
landing research work.
From all this research it seems quite
probable that some practicable solution
of the problem will come for air trans
port use within the next few years.
In the meantime, even during the
Winter months, the transport lines are
continuing to maintain better than 80
per cent completion Of scheduled oper-
ations. Through the past Summer
many lines were able to maintain
almost perfect service, averaging less
than per cent incompleted flights
One of the most interesting aviation
announcements of the week has to do
with this very problem of weather and
instrument flying. 1t is the announce
ment of Capt. Thomas B. Doe, presi-
dent of Eastern Air Transport, that
passenger planes which will ply the air.
way from New York to Miami, stopping
here, will be equipped with automatic
pilots, or "gyropilots, as they are called
by the Army.
The gyropilot is a robot, with whirl-
ing horoscopes for brain and nerves
Fog, darkness or storm are all one to
the robot. Once he is put in charge he
flies the plane with all the tenacity of
q planet clinging to its course. He
deviates neither to the right nor to the
left With metal brain and Sinew he
keeps the plane in level flight through
bumpy air or smooth, through rain,
snow or clouds.
There are plotting duties, Of course,
which the gyropilot cannot perform and
human eyes and brains must be con-
stantly on the alert TO help him out OF
difficulties with which he cannot cope.
The gyropilot cannot swing out Of the
way of other planes. He cannot COM
pensate for changes in wind direc-
ton which might sweep his plane off its
course to either side. He cannot take
of a plane or make landing.
With a gyropilot aboard, the human
pilot takes of, climbs to sufficient alti-
tude to take advantage OF the most
favorable wind or to clear hills or other
obstacles on the course, and sets the
nlane on its course. He then switches
on the automatic pilot, which takes
over the rudder. elevator and aileron
controls, maintaining them all in the
neutral position except when correc-
lions must be made because OF "bumpy
cir.
The human pilot, relieved of the
mechanical and mental strain OF flying
which becomes excessive in fog or thick
going, Is free to do the "brainwork" for
his dumb companion. He may operate
the radio, receive and study weather re-
ports, make corrections for crosSwinds
which shift in velocity or direction,
watch for other aircraft or handle
other problems of navigation with
which his metal friend is not fitted TO
cope.
perimentally extensively and success
Fully. A tri-motored transport plane
with a gyropilot hidden under the pilot S
seat. few from Dayton, Ohio, to the
National Capital without human hand
on the controls during the long pas
sage over the mountains and nnlsned
fhe trim only three miles of the course,
though no corrections had been mace
Tor wind-drift. The same plane mace
q number Of other flights with the
metal man at the controls, all with
ro,asiderable success An even more
0ruelling eest was given the gyropllot
last Spring when he was wired 70 the
controls of a Condor B-2 bombardfnent
plane, the largest military plane IN the
Army, for the long transcontinental
right of the End BoTnbardment Group
krom Langley Field, Hampton, va, to
Sacramento, Calf The use OF TIE
ss,tornatic pilot was complicated by the
eact that formation was maintained
6slring the fight, though it was the
Mplatiyeiy loose formation employed
aor croSs-country flying. The roDo'
worked well, In his metallic and IN
wielding fashion.
Tae bath of eastern Air Transport Il
not going to be all smooth however
ov~G afYf tic control n