Evening star., 1934-04-01


first American licensed glider pilot,
has been largely responsible for
Government interest in the Big
Meadows project. Barnaby also was
responsible for the introduction by
the Navy of glider training for prospec-
tive Navy airplane pilots at the Nays
aviation training base, the Naval Air
Station, Pensacola, Fla. After using
two Franklin primary gliders at
Pensacola last year, the Navy has
ordered four new gliders, which are
to be shipped to Pensacola about
June /. Barnaby has been ordered
to report to Pensacola at the same
time for duty. After long service in
Washington, Barnaby now is naval
inspector at the Glenn L. Martin Air
craft Co. plant in Baltimore.
The Soaring Society is hopeful that
Navy glider pilots may be assigned
to compete in the national contest at
Elmira or in the Big Meadows meet.
The Soaring Society is doing splen-
did work in this country, which has
been far behind Europe in the de-
velopment of motorless flying. Re-
ports from Russia indicate that the
U. S. S. R., with $4,000 glider pilots.
hopes to have 100000 such pilots by
the end of the second five-year plan.
At the latest Russian all-union gliding
conference, Pilot Simikov scared near
ly 81 miles across country and
achieved an altitude of 7.745 feet, not
far from the world mark Of 8,494 feet.
Pilot Anokim scared more than 81
miles across country and stayed in
the air II hours.
Reports of glider activities in
France and England indicate great
and growing interest there. The Ger
man activities for years have given
that country a leadership in motor
less flying. Japan is undertaking
glider flying. and a ship built at the
Japanese Imperial University was
flown for 8 minutes and is seconds
on one Of its early tests.
Alaskan Aviation Grows.
Commercial aviation in Alaska hav-
ing developed to point which proves
the practicability and tremendous
value Of aviation in the low tempera-
lures and adverse weather conditions
existing there much of the time, the
creation Of an American military air
base there Is being fostered
A plan sponsored by Anthony ].
Dimond, Alaskan Delegate in the
House, contemplates military air
base at Fairbanks for from 100 to
200 airplanes of the various combat
types, and military landing fields or
sub-bases at Nome and at Anchor
age. The base at Nome would COM
mand the Seward Peninsula reaching
to within so miles Of Siberia, and the
one at Anchorage would base planes
within striking distance by air of
the Aleutian Island region, stretching
across the Northern Pacific to within
1000 miles Of the Japanese Islands
and 1000 miles of Toxic.
Alaska. with an area of approxi-
mately $4,000 square miles and q
population of only 10000 whites and
an equal number Of natives, is ideally
adapted to air transport development
as means OF saving communications
time. since ground transportation, ex-
cept along few well travelled routes.
is hopelessly inadequate or lacking en-
tirely. The strategical importance Of
Alaska Is intensified by its position
on the logical air route to Asia.
There is, according to the Depart
ment Of Commerce, a period of abou.
80 days each Spring and Fall, the
slush season, when the airplane af-
fords the only means of transportation
in Alaska. There are few miles of
highways, and the Alaskan Railroad
is but 470 miles long, although
Alaska covers an area equal to a
nth OF the United States. Numer-
Gus rivers and lakes afford landing
places for airplanes Summer and
Winter, pontoon and ski landing gear
alternating.
larry landing fields in Alaska They
were established by the Alaskan Road
Commission. and the Territory boasts
larger number Of auxiliary fields
than any single State in the Union.
Airports at Anchorage and Fairbanks
are fully lighted.
Flying Began About 1922.
Aviation operations in Alaska, ac-
cording to Department of Commerce
records, began about 1922, and by the
latter part of 1925 three companies
were operating with Fairbanks and
Nome as bases. BY the middle of
1880 there were five companies oper-
ating, with bases at Nome, Fairbanks,
Anchorage, Chitina, Juneau and
Ketchikan. At this time 1t was
authoritatively estimated, according
to the Department of Commerce, that
80 per cent Of the people in the
Territory who Travelled 200 miles or
more did so in aircraft.
Today Pacific Alaska Always, q
subsidiary Of Pan-American Anyways,
with headquarters at Fairbanks, oper-
ates a fleet Of l3 airplanes over 10
scheduled routes, and offers additional
charter service. There are 10 other
companies which offer chartered
service. Airmail service has been
operated in Alaska since 1922. when
Carl Ben Eielson made 10 trips be-
tween Fairbanks and McGrath, a dis
tance Of 300 miles. in carrying out
the first airmail contract.
Chartered aircraft are operated to
meet the special needs Of prospecting,
mining, fur and fishing interests. The
various Government agencies in Alaska
holding Department of Commerce
licenses has increased from 7 In 1929
to IS last year, while the number Of
licensed aircraft has increased from
IL in 1929 to 81 last year. The in
vestment in aircraft, equipment and
related facilities in Alaska now Is ap.
proximately 100000.
There now are nearly 100 CONNER.
cial radio stations in the Territory
holding Federal Radio Commission
licenses, in addition to those operated
by the Government. Forty-five weather
stations In different localities furnish
weather data daily for AVIATION pur-
poses. and these observations are re-
ported by radio twice or three times
daily in regularly scheduled broad.
casts from Signal Corps stations. BY
the end Of 1882 the Government had
placed seven radio beacons in opera
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