Evening star., 1932-07-10


ever, an entirely different picture
The Aeronautical Trade Division OF
che Department of Commerce during
the past week has made public re-
port of operations at Tempelhof dur
ing the month of April. Tempelhof is
regarded by many as the greatest Euro
pean air center. It is the hub Of net
work of subsidized air transport lines
extending into everys part of Europe
chief among them the world-renowneo
Lufthansa system.
The April figures at Tempelhof may
be regarded as fair, since they were
taken on "a rising market" The De-
partment of Commerce, N announcing
the April figures, announced that traf-
tic at the big Berlin airport continued
to increase"
For purposes of comparison, wash
ington- Hoover Airport is chosen, be-
cause it is close at hand and because
it is the only civil airport of the
National Capital and is therefore COM
parable with Tempelhof, Croydon and
lie Bourget, the airports of world capt.
tails April was far from being an ex-
ceptionally good month at the local
airport. The operations during that
month we're exceeded during many
months last year and have been ex-
1ceeded very materially during May and
June 1t was decidedly below-normal
month.
Though Washington Hoover Airport
has no governmental support, as have
Tempelhof, LIE Bourget and Croydon
and though physically it is pitifully
inadequate to serve the real needs oi
the Capital, it today is handling more
air traffic by far than the world famous
.Tempelhof. In every phase of aero
nautical operations but one, for which
comparative figures are available
Washington Hoover Airport exceed:
Tempelhof by two to four times.
On the basis of the actual aviation
operations carried on at the local all
terminal, therefore, it would seem only
fair that the airport should enjoy some
measure of Federal support, as do the
terminal airports Of London, Berlin and
Paris. On the contrary, the local air.
port not only is not helped by the
Government in a financial way, but
actually is sorely handicapped today
because Of claim lodged by the Fed
eral Government to part of the air.
ports landing area. While this claim
is pending, construction work and
progress at the airport are absolutely
blocked.
How do the actual operations oi
Tempelhof and Washington Hoover
Airport compare?
Here Is the Comparison.
The Department Of Commerce re-
ports that In scheduled air transport
services at Tempelhof there were ara
take-offs and landings during April
During the same month at the local
airport the planes of the three sched-
uled air transport lines made a total OF
1892 take-offs and landings; nearly
three times as many as were recorded
at Tempelhof.
Scheduled air transport planes tax
ing of and landing at Tempelhof dur
ing April carried total of 1898 pas
sengers. During the same month at
washington Hoover Airport 2,255 pas
sengers arrived and 2,52I departed on
the planes Of the three transport lines
or a total Of ATS passengers, as
against 1898 for the famous Tenn
pelhof.
A total Of 1s.4oo pounds Of airmail
were handled at Tempelhof durinp
April. This total included incoming
and outgoing mail. The Post ONCE De-
partment figures show that during
April total Of 3e,456 pounds of mai
was carried on planes leaving Washing
irving at the field is not shown. The
amount Of mail flown out Of the loca,
airport, alone, is more than double the
total amounts received and sent from
Tempelhof.
Local traffic at Tempelhof durinr
April accounted for 781 flights, with 7Os
passengers, according to the Depart
ment Of Commerce report. This tc tai
apparently. though the details are moi
atemized. Jumps sightseeing" flights
over Berlin with other operations as
whole. At Washington Hoover air.
port during April there were 832 flights
and 800 passengers carried in sightsee.
ing operations alone, in addition Il
which 120 visiting planes, aside from
those Of the scheduled transport lines
stopped at the field.
April, because of bad weather, was ar
exceedingly poor month locally fol
sightseeing flights. During May there
were i,726 passengers flown from thu
local airport ON sightseeing hops
In one branch Of activity Tempelho
Is able to show superiority. The De.
partment OF Commerce figures show
total OF 1925 pounds of aerial freigh
handled there during April The onll
comparable business at the local bust
ness was the handling OF air express
Though the actual figures on express
volume handled In and out of Washing
ton-Hooyer airport are not available
Tempelhof far exceeds the expires
volume here.
Air feight business has been NOR
largely developed In Europe than IL
America, largely because Of govern
mental subsidies which make possibl
lower rates for that type Of bushes
than can be charged here. Freight o
express business. however. is increasing
rapidly In America and probably som
day viii exceed the European business
II the ratio between express and othe
business becomes equal on both sides o
the ocean.
Though Washington Hoover airpor
may be far from ideal except from tn
standpoint Of location, 1t can sho'
the way Ia traffic to at least on
airport which is universally admitteI
10 be one Of the finest in the worl,
today.
Reserve Unit on Duty.
vN-6R, local Naval Reserve aviatio
unit, yesterday began two weeks Q
active training duty at the Naval Al
Station, Cape May, N. ]. The squad
ron. commanded by Condr: E. F
Rounds, nationally known flight ties
expert, has taken 35 officers and me
to Cape May; the largest number eve
mustered by the squadron for the an
nual active duty training.
The training period win be devote
largely TO gunnery and bombing. tn
squadron personnel Is expected to com
plete the prescribed record practices i
rife and pistol range work, fixed an an
free aerial machine gunnery and div
bombing.
BY completing its record gunnery an
bombardment practices at the beginnin
of the fiscal year. the Reserve unit wi
be assured of ample time during the re
mainder Of the year for training OF per
sonnel in the new radio and spottin
syllabus which has been prescribed fo
the training Of the Reserve outfit.
VN-6R, under command of Eddie
Rounds. has established a good recor
among the country's Naval Reserve avia
finn units The unit rnnIu has eiof