Evening star., 1933-02-12


Because of intense jealouSieS With
the fact that he is not an Annapt
he was never assigned to sea dut
could never be as great.
The fact that Williams has had
Navy and Marine experience, however,
Is regarded as of particular value, in
view of the efforts which are being
made to coordinate the experience OF
the services. He is qualified by reason
of mis- civilian activities since leaving
the Naval service. These activities
have brought him into close contact
wjtL S<nIerican designers and builders
OF the most modern types of high speed
civil and military planes and have
taken him to all of the leading Euro
pean countries, where he has familiar
lied himself with the latest develop
mentS by personal contact with leaders
and personnel.
The Army Air Corps, its five-year
program still short of completion, is in
Q formative period, which makes i'm
perative the leadership of the sort Will
liams can give. The five-year program
of the Naval aviation service has been
completed.
Not only is Williuns one of the
worlds greatest pilots, which in itself
would make him a respected leader, but
he has been through the rigid school
OF Navy training, valuable in any mill
tary service, has served in the Marine
air reserve, is experienced in civil aero
nauticS here and abroad, and Is thor
oughly familiar with Government rou-
tine in the National Capital. He Is at
home before Congressional committees
and in the functioning of an executive
department. He also is benefited by
legal training, being a member of the
New York State bar.
He is an indefatiguable worker and,
while he Is respecter of necessary Or
der and discipline, he is not the type
Of man to be hampered by useless red
tape. He is an enthusiast in the type
of development which is the greatest
need of modern and military aviation.
His enthusiasm and hard work have
won him converts and friends In the
military services, in Congress and in
the world Of civil aviation. He is re-
spected as flyer and a man in avia-
tion circles in America and Europe
He is two-fisted fighter for the things
he believes to be right, and if ever
any national defense organization
needed a fighting head it is today.
Politically Williams is on the right
side OF the fence. His father has been
active for many years in New York
State Democratic circles and Williams,
though no politician himself, is known
to party leaders. He accordingly has
political backing, the backing Of officers
and men In the Air Corps, the conf
dence and support OF many In the aero
nautical industry and the respect and
admiration Of aviation leaders here and
abroad. He has definite policy Of i'm
provement which the Air Corps and
Naval and Marine aviation need and
Tor which he already has been fighting
Tor many years.
Fog Landings Made.
For what is believed to be the first
time In history pilot has made safe
landings through an absolutely zero
zero fog which blotted out all sight of
objects beyond the span Of the planes
wing. The landings. several of them in
rapid succession. were made by Capt
Albert F. Hegenberger, Army Air Corps
expert on aerial navigation, at Wright
Field, Dayton, Ohio.
Capt. Hegenberger and G. G. Kruesi,
radio engineer. were flying some tests
on blind flying equipment when a sud-
den, heavy fog arose, blotting out the
landing field and all the surrounding
territory. The plane, according to a
report to the Air Corps news letter. was
equipped with artificial horizon, direc-
s<OAAuk SYN, uldSiiCLlC COlQpdSS, duSDe6Q
indicator, sensitive altimeter, radio
compass with visual type indicator CIV
ing right and left indications, boundary
marker indicator and radio receiving
set.
Ground equipment had been set up
Tor the tests, including field localizing
radio transmitter with boundary marker
1,200 feet beyond the boundary of the
held, and a portable transmitter 5000
Ieet beyond the boundary marker.
Capt. Hegenberger. to test the func-
tioning of the radio equipment had
made five practice landings without use
OF the cockpit cover which, when closed,
cut him off from all sight outside the
cockpit. He then closed the cockpit
and had flown but short distance from
the field when the fog closed in, 1000
feet deep and blotting out everything
beyond the wing tips
Under his hood. Capt. Hegenberger
was unconscious Of the fog outside and
Kreusi did not enlighten him. Making
q wide turn, the captain tuned in on
the radio transmitters, came over the
Held, made an excellent blind landing,
doubly blind since he was under the
hood and the plane was in the heavy
fog. He Immediately took off again
without having opened the cover.
Gaining altitude, he opened the cockpit
and found himself In binding fog, fly
ing blind" indeed.
Completely lost as to location and
with nothing visible beyond the wing
tips or below, Capt Hegenberger faced
the first deliberate landing through
heavy fog. He again turned and tuned
In on the transmitters. Finding the
course into field he made the approach
at reduced altitude without difficulty
ana was settling down for his landing
when the fog below darkened and
ground was visible directly below In a
tiny cone Of less than so feet. This
was suff1cient to enable Capt. Hegen-
berger to cut the motor and make a
three-point landing, instead of the
power landing necessary under the
hood.
Not content with this experience,
Capt. Hegenberger took off and made
two more takeoffs and landings in
"zero-zero" fog.
This is the first instance in which
blind landings with blind-fying equip
ment have ever been made under actual
fog c9nditions and pilot and observer
rejciced in the opportunity of thus put
ting the equipment to the Est" it was
stated in the news letter report.
German Airship Plans.
Germany is planning important steps
In her effort to maintain the world
supremacy she has won in the CONNER
cial airship field. For five years the
Graf Zeppelin has been the only large
commercial airship in the world. With
her the Germans have established rec
ord after record and have demonstrated
beyond question the feasibility OF reg
ular ocean airship service.
Now there is building in Germany a
successor to the Graf Zeppelin which
will rank in size with the U. S. S. Akron
and the u S. S. Macon. The new
airship. which is to be known as the
Hindenburg, is to go into service be-