Evening star., 1932-12-04

diverted to the building up Of passenger
traffic on the airlines, has been renewed
throughout the country.
In line with this renewed campaign
to fill the mail compartments Of the
Nations mail planes, the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce has just issued
review calling to the attention Of
business men and private individuafs
throughout the country the advantages
to them, in depression times, of fast
communications offered to them by use
of the air mail -
The increase in postage rates has re-.
suited in a falling of Of the volume Of
mail. Airmail is no exception and sll
lines report a loss of mail cargo. A
campaign to stimulate the use of air.
mail was inevitable, since all major air.
lines are feeling the pinch Of financial
circumstances, as are other industries.
The kernel of the chambers plea 10
the business men Is contained in the
following paragraph:
"Air transportation Is considered BY
those engaged In it as supplement to
other forms of transportation. 1t does
not rival them because 1t offers speed
and mobility which they do not possess.
To do without air transportation new
would be as unthinkable as turning
back q decade in our older modes OF
transportation and communication. AN
transportation Is the latest development
in the field Of transportation and Is es-
sential to the complete transportation
structure, which the economic world.
needs in coping with contemporary cons-
ditions. Possession Of airmail facilt.
ties Is splendid, but means nothing un-
less 1t is used for the sake Of the spe-.
cial advantages it offers" -"
| A.
From an altitude of 10000 feet above
the ground level in absolutely clear
weather, an airplane passenger should.
command view Of an area stretching
| 1872 miles in all directions, 1t Is com:
puted. This represents total Of SO. 600.
square miles Of the earth's surface,
more than the area Of New York. Indtr
ana, Ohio or Pennsylvania.
From 10000 feet above the District
Of Columbia, the line Of the horizon
would be a circle extending about 10
miles north Of Philadelphia and incllid-
ing q large part Of Pennsylvania, all Of
Maryland except the extreme western
tip beyond Negro Mountain, all Of Del.
aware and part of adjacent New Jer.
sey, all Of the Chesapeake Bay, . goodly
portion of West Virginia, and virgini8
from Highland County. on the West
|
ton In the Valley, beyond Petersburg,
nearly to Norfolk and 70 the tip g
Cape Charles. -
Becauses an Of TIN - ags6 vuy
seldom Is absolutely 90 feN pilcte
have seen such q sEaA 1RAo1 e!In
| from higher aitftud64 pGI11I his
/ world record attitude 4ttels bon tlSS
Auacostia Naval Air AS3tdR however,
Lieut.. Apollo Eoucs1k II. 8. u, was
able to see beyond the A15sgE1ery Noun
tains and out into tho 4tfntc Ocean
He used as his gut1fnE pU441U The
mouths Of the Potomac Ind U6aswafs
Rivers, at nearly opppdRs ends Of
chesapeake Bay, the lesser distancse
between being concealed bsnen6h h1s
airplane's fuselage and soweR wing.
From lower attitudes great areas ars
In sight Of the air traveller, From an
altitude of only 100 feet, the horizon
| Is 13 miles away and the view covsE1
more than 500 square miles. This al.
titude Is too low for safe flying and
all transports are required to keep .
minimum of at least 800 feet, most OF
them flying at height OF from 1000
to 5000 feet regularly and very often
much higher, depending on the winds.
From the relatively low flying altts
tude Of 1000 feet the passenger has .
view extending about Al miles in all
square miles of the earth's surface.
| In the Far West, where the ground
elevations are higher and the air clearer
and purer, mountain peaks and ranges
are easily seen In any sort of good
weather for distance of 100 miles, and,
in clear weather, for distances Of more
| than $50 miles, = e.