Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDdERToN.

the previous years and points the
way to an even greater increase
in the used plane business this
year.
Dealers have established service
organizations which overhaul and
refit airplanes for resale. indie
pendent firms have been set up to
handle all makes of used air.
planes and engines.
In recognition of the serious
ness of the used plane problem.
the Department of Commerce,
under the terms of the air COM
merce act, has put into effect reg
ulations providing that airplaneS
which are resold also must be re-
licensed. Such regulations, 1t was
pointed out, are necessary to
guarantee that used planes are
airworthy when they are sold to
new owners.
The regulations provide that
the reSold plane must pass a
thorough examination which will
show whether it Is in flying con-
dition and is safe.
Pilots Ranks Increasing.
Many of the 90 1000 student pilots
who now hold students licenses
issued by the Department of
Commerce may be expected to
begin flying ION their own" this
year, and the ranks of licensed
pilots, now numbering more than
5000, probably will be Swelled
greatly.
This great increase in aviators
and the attendant increase in the
number of planes sold and oper-
ated will result in augmented
pressure upon communities which
have not provided landing fields
or which have built airports in
adequate to their needs.
In this connection there is to
be an interesting session this
month at the annual convention
of the American Road Builders
Association in Atlantic City. The
association has created a munich
pal airportS section, which has
made a general study of the air
port situation and which will re-
port its findings to the aSsocia-
ton. The report will cover the
municipal airportS conference
held in this city during the Fall.
OF especial interest to the Dis
trict of Columbia will be an ad-
dress by Edwin A. Schmitt, who
has done all the preliminary en-
cheering for the national air.
port site at Gravelly Point for the /
office of the Army Engineer for |
the district of Washington. Mr.. |
Schmitt has made a thorough |
study of the situation, and his |
paper is expected to throw new
light on the general airport mat |
ter here.
Local Fields Under New Control. !
The close of 1929 witnessed the
passing from the control of local |
interests of the National Capitals i
two commercial airports. Wash
ington Airport, the first to be sold.
has been taken over by a power
full New York and Delaware group /
and is being developed as an avia-
ton terminal exclusively.
On the last day Of the year for
NAL announcement was made of
the sale of Hoover Field to off,
Gals of New Jersey airplane
manufacturing concern which |
also has taken over Atlantic Sea-
board Anyways, International Air
ways, the Potomac Flying Service
and the Gettysburg Flying Serv-
ice, all Of which have formed an |
interlocking group.
Both fields now are controlled |
by the strongest organizations |
which have appeared in the local !
aviation picture. Hoover Field |
long has been regarded as a |
model for small commercial fly
ing nelds, and washington Air
port Is to be developed as a first
class air terminal field, according
to the plans of its new manage
n. mt.
Airport Drive Planned.
While these two fields will
serve to keep the National Capital
on the country's air transport
map, they cannot be expected to
remove the need for a large mu-
nicipal airport, and the Atlantic
City convention is expected to
furnish added arguments for the
construction of a local field.
A vigorous campaign for the
establishment of the sorely need
ed governmental airport here will
be opened by the Washington
Board of Trade, the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce and the
National Aeronautic Association,
at what promises to be an impor-
tant meeting in the New Willard
Hotel the night of January Is.
Some of the most prominent
leaders in the aviation industry
will come to the meeting from as
far as Detroit to present the ar
guments of the industry for a
model airport in the National
Capital
The Board of Trade has OBJ
tanned for this meeting the origi-
nal drawings submitted by win
ming contestants in the $4,000
Lehigh airports competition
which closed recently. These
drawings represent the latest
achievements in the art and
science Of airport design.