Evening star., 1934-01-16
D. c. AIRPORT HELD
UNSAFE BY PILOTS
Military Road Crossing and
Wires 0bstruct Traffic
of Planes.

istration and the House Military Affairs
It is universally admitted among
aviation people that the local airport is
to the point of being actu-
ally dangerous. especially in view of the
increasing speeds of the country's
transport airplanes and the necessity
for longer runways for take-offs and
landings and better field approaches.
Short runways, telephone and power
lines and. most Of all, Military road,
constitute ever-present menaces which
call upon pilots every day for the ut
most skill and good judgment to avoid
accidents
Even with skill and good judgment,
however. accidents happen there more
than is necessary because of
these continually present dangers. While
no air transport plane has been involved
in serious accident at the local air
port, several have been involved in
minor accidents which narrowly escaped
serious consequences because of obstacles
and the presence of Military road across
the airport.
Field Too Short.
One private pilot has been killed as
a result of crashing into the telephone
and power lines at the south boundary
Of the airport along the Washington
Highway.
Only last week another private plane
narrowly escaped disaster because Of
the shortness of the field The pilot,
flying a fast cabin monoplane, was at
tempting to land when he realized the
field was SO short he was in danger OF
overshooting into the railroad embank-
ment. He attempted to fly out of the
field. but found he could not pick up
enough speed to get over the obstruc-
tions. Choosing the only alternative
left, he landed at high speed and saved
himself from a crash only by a fast
ground loop at the extreme end of the
field. Slightly damaging his plane.
Twice within the past few months
accidents on Military road. On one oc-
officials Of the Department of Commerce
aeronautics branch, a big transport full
Of passengers was landing across the
road when an automobile attempted to
beat the plane to the crossing. The
pilot. forced to pull up at the last in
slant after he had lost flying speed
dropped just across the road. blowing
tire, ground-looping and damaging a
wing. Fortunately, none of the occu-
pants of the plane was injured, but it
was too narrow an escape to be toler-
ated without protest.
Officials Uneasy.
On another occasion former Post
master General Walter F. Brown was
one of number of passengers aboard
A big transport plane which suffered
motor trouble some miles out of Wash
ngton. The pilot headed for Wash
ngton Airport in a long glide and
would have made the field comfort
ably but for the wires along the
stretch the glide to the limit Of safety
md barely made the field. A few feet
ess 1eeway and terrible disaster
night have resulted.
officials of the Department Of Com
nerce Aeronautics Branch make no
ecret of their uneasiness over the
ituation at the local field. They have
or at least three years suffered the
ield to continue in operation only
because the skill of the pilots using
he port has kept them out of serious
rouble.
IlC liOWCNCl, odAo
openly that If there is single serious
ccident due to the deficiencies Of the
ield they will be forced to close out all
.ir transport operations there. While
hey have no legal authority to close
he airport. they can force airlines to
uspend operations there by withdraw
ng the licenses to operate of any air.
inc which does not abandon the local
Iirport.
The most famous pilots OF the
without exception. have de-
bounced the local airport as inadequate
md unsafe. One Of the most pointed
criticisms of the airport came from
Capt. Afford j. Williams, jr.. one OF
he Nations greatest racing and aero
,atic flyers.
Il have seen some pretty wild flying
n my career and have been accused
# doing some of it myself. but never
n my life have / seen such consistently
flying as that which goes
m daily at Washington Airport. II
his airport and it's Military road could
oe moved to one of the great air
meets and normal everyday operations
,arried on it would prove the most SEN
,ational flying of the meet to any one
Who knew aviation"
Roadway Astounding.
Williams had just landed for the first
ime at the local civil air terminal,
scene of some of the heaviest air trans
1ort flying in the world, when he was
astounded to see big passenger trans
port take off across Military road, roll
ng across the highway in the last
phase of it's takeoff. while automobiles
halted to let it by. After he had
caught his breath he said:
My wife was going to fly south to-
morrow on one OF the planes stopping
At Washington. I am going to wire
ner at once and tell her to take a
rain. She can't fly on any plane that
mas to land at an airport like this
Wiley Post, one-eyed hero of two
record speed dashes around the earth,
uttered a criticism of Washington Air
port which has become classic.
I've seen better airports in the WildS
Of Siberia" he said.
Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, Capt.
Frank M Hawks. Amelia Earhart Put
nam. James R. Wedell. Roscoe Turner
md other world-renowned pilots have
publicly criticized Washington for its
ack of an adequate and safe airport.
One Of the transport pilots who lands
at Washington regularly was quoted
as saying of Washington Air
port:
Its just a field with an administra-
ion building and a couple of hangers.
Washington can be proud of.
and if I didn't have to land there every
day with passengers, believe me Id
miss it."
An executive of one of the largest air
transport systems in the country. after
MS first visit to Washington Airport not
ong ago, expressed his reaction as
fellows:
When the horse is stolen they will
get lock for the barn. or in other
words it probably will take a crash to
'weken Washington to the actual con-
iitions.'
The menace of the telephone and
power lines along the southern bound
,ry of the airport was partially re-
moved nearly two years ago when the
Electric Power Co. by order
If the P11b1ic Utilities Commission