Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25
Aviation
BY JOSEPH S. EDdERTON.

~ tional Capital and Pittsburgh.
IA crossing the forbidding back
bone of the Alleghenies in the
- section, which today forms one
OF the greatest natural barriers to the
aviator to be found in this country,
is to begin this year. This win give
the Capital its first direct airnnail con-
nection with the Central States and the
West, its present Western connections
now being made by way OF New York
and Atlanta, Ga.
Extension of the Pittsburgh WASH
ington line TO- Norfolk, Va, is under
consideration and this section also may
go into operation during the year,
making the Capital an aerial cross
roads.
The opening of airmail service be-
tween the Capital and Pittsburgh now
awaits only the provision of funds by
Congress, it is understood. II defl-
cheney appropriations for the purpose
become available before the adjourn
ment of Congress, the service may begin
in the Spring. Otherwise the line win
have to await the belated arising of
the financial sap next July.
It is regarded as quite likely the
washington-Pitt airmail con-
tract will be awarded, under the terms
of the Watres airmail act, to PennSyl-
vania Airlines, operators of the present
passenger service between the Capital
and Cleveland Pennsylvania Airlines
was established by Clifford Ball, who
holds an airmail contract between
Cleveland and Pittsburgh and who ex-
tended passenger service to Washing
ton some 10 months ago.
The Watres bill was framed with the
idea of aiding struggling air transport
lines, according to testimony presented
to Congress, by providing for the carry
ing Of United States mails in passen-
ger planes over suitable routes. The
Ball line is the only line in operation
between the Capital and the West and
should be in a position to reap some
benefit from the Watres act.
Aerial wilderness Conquered.
The Ball line is the result of pioneer
ing over what was from the airman'S
viewpoint, up to a few years ago, a
the Pittsburgh-W Washington airway is
one of the established aerial highways
by virtue of the completion of the air
ways branch Of the Department of
Commerce of intermediate landing
fields, airway beacons and other aids to
aerial navigation. The Washington
Pittsburgh and the Washington Norfolk
airways are included among 200 miles
of airwayS upon which final work OF
installation was completed between No
vember Is and New Year day.
The aerial beacon lights and inter-
mediate field lights on the airways from
this city to Norfolk and Pittsburgh have
not yet been turned on for regular night
operations and this may await the
awarding of the anticipated mail con-
tract. The other airways completed
during the same period included st.
ouis-Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh hila-
delphia.
Engineers and officials of the airways
division of the Department of Com
merce have completed description Of
some Of the problems encountered in
establishing the Washington Norfolk
and Washington Pittsburgh airways as
examples of conditions found in regions
embracing varying types of terrain.
These Always should be of interest not
only to the airman but to the lover of
history and to the seeker for beautiful
and interesting country.
The Norfolk Washington airway has
the distinction Of being one Of the first
two regularly travelled airways in the
United States. During the World War
this route and that from the Capital to
Mitchell Field, n. Y, became the first
two over which officers of the military
air service Travelled regularly.
Routes Show Contrast.
Though the Norfolk Washington route
lies across a maze of rivers. BAYS and
tnlets. the course is true and none of
the beacons, fields or other aids have
had to be located more than three miles
on the direct line.
When the washington Pittsburgh
route was laid out, however, the direct
course could not be followed because of
the mountains. The straight line would
have followed the Potomac Valley for SO
miles, alternately in Maryland and Vir-
GINA as the river snaked along, and
then would have left the travelled routes
70 cross the mountains between the
National and Lincoln highway routes in
q region devoid Of transportation and
communication facilities and rugged
and broken In the extreme
The chosen course, over which the
mail will fly and over which the Ball
line has been operating, follows gener-
ally the course of the Lincoln Highway
in two almost straight legs, the first to
McConnellsburg, Pa, and the second
from McConnellsburg to Pittsburgh.
The rotating beacon light on the
Wardman Park Hotel which has been
IN operation for many months, is al
most directly on the airway and has
Just been certified as the first light on
the airway out of Boiling Field
The first airway beacon is at CCh-
gressional Airport, near Rockville, Md,
and two more stand between Rockville
and Frederick, Md, the second just a
little east of Sugar Loaf Mountain a
much fought over signal and observa-
ton station during the Civil War.
The first intermediate landing field
was established at Frederick on city
property and the second in the old
Kreider-Reisner Field at Hagerstown
Between Frederick and HagerstoWn are
TWO beacons, one at Braddock Heights.
Mountain Flying Begins.
The pilot flying this airway really be-
gins his mountain flying 10 miles be-
yond Hagerstown. This is bad country
not 50 much because of the ruggedneSs
or height Of the mountains as because
OF the thick weather which hangs most
CT the time in the Alleghenies. More
often than not the pilot must thread
his watchful way through broken and
winding river valleys, with the clouds
pressing down on the mountain tops
above, or. finding the ceiling too low for
this, must climb through the niurk clear
Of the mountain tops and trust to nSvi-
cation instruments or radio to get him
through.
Across the Alleghenies the beacon
lights are located on top Of the ridges,
which are crossed at the lowest practi-
cable points. The first beacon west of
Hagerstown perches on the summit Of
TuScarora Ridge, at an altitude of
also feet, overlooking the McConnells-
burg intermediate landing field, two
miles away and 200 feet below.
Location of a field in the vicinity of
McConnellsburg was a necessity which
could not be evaded and. Though pro-
lenged search was made for a site. the
best that could be found, after the re-
moval Of some 1000 tons of loose rock
from the area and the utilization of
every possible square foot of surface, is