Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-08
GRAyELLY FIELD ENDORSED.
Development as Permanent Field Asked
by Air Legion.

DY Air Legion.
| Following talk by Lieut.. Walter
Hinton, pioneer transatlantic pilot and
| chairman of the aviation committee of
the Washington Chamber of Commerce.
members of the District of Columbia
Air Legion last night unanimously
adopted a resolution approving the
Gravelly Point site for DEVELOPMENT as
a permanent airport for the National
Capital and the leasing or acquisition of
| the proposed Washington Airport Hoov-
er Arlington Farms site merely
for temporary purposes.
Lieut.. Hinton declared that while the
Washington Airport-H Hoover Field site
is unsurpassed from the viewpoint of
its proximity to the heart of the CITY:
its development as the permanent n1u-
nicipal airport of the National Capital
would not be wise"
Columbia Island Hangar Opposed.
The field. he pointed out, never could
, be f1rst-class field under Department
of Commerce regulations, because of its
size and 1t would not meet the re-
quirement for seaplane airport devel-
opmentS.
1T is proposed to erect seaplane
ramp and hangar on Columbia Island"
he said. This never would be salts
factory. The Seaplane activities would
be separated from the remainder of the
airport by the Mount Vernon Memorial
Boulevard Even worse than this, how
ever, is the fact that seaplanes using
these facilities would either have to.
land between Highway Bridge and the
Arlington Memorial Bridge, which would
be dangerous, or they would have to
land below the railroad bridge and
taxi a mile or more under the two
bridges to reach the hangar. There
already have been several accidents
caused by seaplanes attempting to land
between the bridges and, with larger
seaplanes being built all the time, this
situation would grow worse"
The Congressional Airport Commits
sion, Lieut.. Hinton said. has admitted
that the washington Airport Hoover
Field site will handle only portion Of
the aerial traffic the Capital may ex-,
pect within the next few years.
Favors Model Airport.
"I hope that when we do get
permanent airport here" Hinton said.
that we will have one that viii be a
model and will merit the highest rat
ing of the Department Of Commerce.
1--WE have heard much about the fog
problem which would be encountered
at Gravelly Point. This talk has been.
exaggerated. And If we do have fog
at Gravelly Point, what is to prevent
the same fog extending to the Hoover
Field site, only half mile away2 Fog
is not as serious problem at water
front airport as at an inland field
under the same conditions, because it
is easier and safer for pilot to fol-
low a watercourse into field than to
take chances of flying into trees, build
ings or hills"
Lieut.. Hinton contended that Gravelly
Point can be filled at a cost of $4,000
per acre and that for the money which
would be required TO purchase and de-
velop the Hoover Field site 200 acres
of the Gravelly Point site could be
filled and developed for use.
an view of all this" he concluded.
why would not II be good thing to
start work on the development of
Grayelly Point immediately and merely
lease the Washington Airport Hoover
Field site until this construction work
can be comnleted?"