Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-23
NEW WEST POINT
OF AIR" IS READY
Army Pilot School, Built at
S15,000,0OO Cost, to
Open Nov. 2.

The worlds first purely aeronautical
city the $4,000 900 West Point of the
Air" built by the Army Air Corps at
San Antonio, Tex, will open for the
first time to a class of future Army
pilots on November 2. The great air
center will be in full operation by Feb
ruary Is when the headquarters OF the
Air Corps training center will move In
from Kelly Field, Tex.
Randolph Field, built from the ground
up as a great aeronautical training
center. will have a population of $500
persons, whose lives will be devoted
directly or indirectly to aviation. They
will live in a community of 300 build
ings, erected by the War Department
in a 6o0-acre plot entirely surrounded
by flying fields covering total area
of four square miles.
Everything Is New.
When the fiSns class of 200 moves in
next month it Elll find new city, new
from street paving to the vari-colored
tile roofs of the Spanish Mission homes
and buildings. Designed in every detail
for use as an aviation center, the great
field has no distractions of any kind to
hinder the student flyers, except single
tower rising above the administration
building. This tower. which bears the
great revolving beacon marking the
field, also contains the field weather
bureau and great water tank supply
ing the buildings of the town.
The property occupied by Randolph
Field, 1900 acres in extent, was donated
to the War Department by the citizens
of San Antonio. The War Department
has spent about 100000 in building
its aeronautical city and S3.5O0,00O
additional for planes, machinery, tools
and shop equipment, in addition to
which there are various expenses such
as $4,000 for fire-fghting equipment,
$4,000 for lawn mowers and grass cut
tiers necessary to keep flying fields in
condition, and other incidentals to the
creation Of so large a project.
Room for 275 Planes.
Eighteen huge airplane hangers will
house 275 planes. chiefly of the primary
and basic training types. There also
will be two large assembly hangers and
large shop and repair hangers. The
other buildings are of all types neceS-
sary to self-contained community, in
Guiding up-to-date barracks for flying
cadets and enlisted men, mess halls,
quarters for 81 field officers, 1853 mar
ried company officers. 80 bachelor oftl-
GERS, 1876 married on-commissioned
officers and so bachelor non-commis-
stoned officers a theater seating 1000,
to be used for instruction and enter
tainnlent; stores, laundrieS, bakeries ana
other buildings.
Aside from the training of all future
Army flyers, Randolph Field will be the
home of the School of Aviation Medi-
cine which trains Army medical officers
in the duties of flight surgeons.
Among the organizations which are
moving to Randolph Field, or which
soon will be moved there, are the
Headquarters Squadron, Air Corps Pri-
mary Flying School, 46th, 47th, SD and
SD School Squadrons. 67th Service
Squadron and goth Photo Section.
The central community at Randolph
Field, housing its population OF 1.70o
military personnel and some 1900 civil
lians, including employees and members
of families of the officers and men, will
be cut off from the outside world by
flying fields on all sides.
Face Rigid Supervision.
The only approaches to the center will
be road and railroad across the center
of one of the side landing field areas
both constructed flush with the field
surface so that planes may land across
them safely.
Students who go into Randolph Field
will live under as rigid supervision as do
the cadets at West Point and, in keep
ing with West Point practice, will live
in barracks which house two cadets to
room.
Randolph Field will be the headquar-
tiers of Brig Gen. Charles H. Danforth,
assistant chief of the Air Corps, who
directs all the training activities of the
Air Corps. The commanding officer of
the aeronautical city will be Maj. Fred
erick L. Martin, previously commander
of Kelly Field, a former Air Corps
training center. Maj. Benjamin B.
Warmer. Medical Corps, is commandant
of the School of Aviation Medicine. The
construction of the center was super
vised by Capt. Arthur w. Parker. Quar-
termaster Corps, and the field was