Evening star., 1931-12-27

beginning OF a new pnaSe OF llght
Zeppelin blazing the way into tn
transport service between Germ
United States Navy's rev giant,
career.
During this year of contrasts we have
seen an airplane girdle the world in
less than nine days, another plane fiy
faster than six miles minute, a bal
loon soar into the stratosphere more
than $4,000 feet above sea level. Six
alrplanes crossed the Atlantic from West
to East, one from East to West. The
Paclnc was spanned in a single flight
Tor the first time. Still another plane
crossed the United States in IL hours
and then connected the capitals OF
Canada, the United States and Mexico
between dawn and dusk.
though these performances were SEN
satlonal and gave evidence of progress
In aircraft design and equipment, they
were oVershadoWed by the sure, steady
development of commercial air trans
portation; The scheduled daily trans
port mileage passed the l50,000-mile
marx, air passenger totals in 10 months
OF the year surpassed those for the en-
tire year of 1880, air express shipments
increased more than 200 per cent and
the airmail continued its steady in.
crease. Regular transcontinental mai
and passenger service on a 3l-hour
schedule has become a fact.
The National Capital has shared
heavily IN these developments. Its all
transport lines have expanded fire.
auently, new airways stretch to the
west and the Southeast. Radio beacon
and other air navigation facilities have
been provided. New direct service tc
Florida has been opened. Airmail serv-
Ice has been extended to the West by
way OF Pittsburgh high-speed service
was naugurated to Chicago. New pas
Senger lines opened to Norfolk, Allan
TIC City and Charlottesville. Work was
begun on construction of a great new
army aviation field to replace Boiling
Flelo, permanent construction was be-
gun at the Anacostia Naval Air Station
ana Washington-H Hoover Airport was
enlarged and improved
Local Aviation High Lights.
Locally. some Of the high lights nj
she year were as follows:
January 4-Herman pfaff chief MA
chanic of the Graf Zeppelin, visited
Hybla Valley, near Alexandria Va IN
examine for DR.. Hugo Eckener certain
engineering points in the studv which
sun is In progress of the suitability Of
the local site as a transatlantic dirieibIe
terminal. N-- s'0i9
January e-Because of heavy aerial
IaInc between Washington and New
iik, rateo as the heaviest in the world
ne department. OF Commerce began
1lglo enforcement of rules recurring eir-
craft to keep to the right of the airwav
as guard against collision,
January l2-Hourly aviation weather
reporting service was inaugurated on
the Washington Cleveland airway
January 26-Pilot F. B. Tompktns pot
away with a sensational landing AT
Washlngton-H Hoover Airport after tear
ing on his wing tip on an unIiehted
pHe orlVer In q fog at 230 am. Minus
wing end and landing gear, he slid
tnrough the airport fence and wound I'm
its nose. '-'
January 28-Hearings were started bv
q House committee on the Parker roer,
chant airship bill, bringing together
scores of witnesses famous in world avi-
alton activities. The bill sought to en-
courage international airship transpor-
tation
February-Two world famous pilots
went into service on local air TRANSPORT
runs, Bernt Balchen on the Ludineton
Line passenger service and Clarence
Chamberlin carrying newspapers. both
Tor temporary duty. The month wit
messed the smashing by the Ludington
Line OF 1ntercity passenger records.
The D. G. Air Legion won recognition
as the best American flying club during
the month.
Ocean Plane Exhibited.
March-The German monoplane Bre-
men, first to cross the Atlantic east to
west in nonstop flight, was received
and installed in the Aircraft Museum of
the Smithsonian Institution. DR.. Eek
ensr arrived for a visit during which
he inspected the Hybla Valley site A
new type of movable airport traffic con-
troll light was installed at Washington
Hoover Airport to handle the increasing
airplane arrivals and departures. A
light similar to this type has just been
recommended as standard for the Ma
tion by the Department of Commerce.
Warning beacon lights on the Washing
ton Monument were tested. Richard
Evelyn Byrd received awards for his
Antarctic achievements in ceremonies
at the Smithsonian Institution. Failure
of the Parker merchant airship bill to
pass Congress delayed the Eckener-
Goodyear plans for transatlantic air.
ship service.
April-Service was opened on the
Jacksonville cutoff. reducing air travel
time between the National Capital and
Florida by five hours and opening up
the South Atlantic seaboard to airmail
and transport service. Pilot James G.
Ray made aviation history by landing
an autogiro in the White House
grounds in connection with the presen-
tation of the Collier Trophy to Harold
F. Pitcairn for development of the
windmill plane" A detailed engineer
ing study of the Hybla Valley airship
site was begun by representatives of DR..
Eckener and the Goodyear organiza-
ton
May-Concentration Of the greatest
military air force of the world has seen
was effected by the Army Air Corps, and
more than $50 planes took part in mass
maneuvers. which ended in Washington
on Memorial dav. Planes of the 1st Air
Division touched every State in the
Union in connection with the maneu-
vers, flying more than 100000 miles
without a. serious accident. Wiley Post
and Harold Gatty stopped in the Ma
tional Capital to make plans for their
fight around the world
Airway Is Completed.
June-Lighting of the Washington
Pittsburgh airway was completed ana
tested. Pennsylvania Airlines inaugu-
rated airmail service between this city
and Pittsburgh, giving direct connection
to the West, and at the same time put
on trimotored planes and increased
service from one to three round trips a
day Increased passenger schedules to
the South and the opening of service to
atlantic City resulted in the increasing
OF scheduled air transport arrivals and
departures at Washington Hoover Air
port to SO planes every "a hours, which,
coupled with IL airIfail arrivals and de-
partures at Boiling Field, gave the Dis
trict 10 transport plane movements
daily.
July--work Of clearing the site. south
of Boiling Field, for the new Army Air
Corps field went on through the month,
the largest single task being the razing