Evening star., 1934-02-12
ARMY GETS READY
TO CARRY A|RMA|L
Aviators at Boiling Field
Prepare to Fly Routes
if Ordered.

Officers and men of the Capital de-
tachment, Army Air Corps, at Boiling
Field, today were preparing for serv-
ice next week in the carrying Of the
mails in the event they are called
upon by the War Department for duty
on the mail routes out of Wash
ington.
Thirty airplanes Of various types, a
majority of them observation and
cargo types which the Army expects
to use in the mail service, are as
signed to Boiling Field. While these
planes are used chiefly for the carry
ing on of administrative affairs Of the
Air Corps and for the training OF
aviation officers assigned to duty in
the War Department, number OF
them can be made available for air
mail service If required
Unlimited use of Washington Air
port by the Army Air Corps for the
carrying of the mails. without charge
to the Government, was offered today
by Samuel j. Solomon, airport man.
ager. In a message to Maj. Gen
Benjamin D. Foulois, chief of the
Army Air Corps, Postmaster General
Farley and the House Military At
faires Committee, Solomon offered
the use of all the facilities for the
emergency period during which the
Army will carry the mail.
Offers Personnel
The offer was made, he said, in the
belief Washington Airport, being much
closer to the downtown section of the
city than Boiling Field, was more
suitable for airmail purposes. He
placed himself and the airport per-
sonnel at the disposal Of the Govern
ment.
The question of whether Boiling
Field or Washington Airport will be
used by the Army is one Of many de-
tailed problems not yet reached by
the Air Corps chiefs, who are working
day and night on the problem of con-
verting the aviation war machine into
an air transport organization. Nor
has it been determined whether Boil
ing Field will be called upon to fur
nish airplanes or pilots.
I'VE are preparing for any service
We may be called upon to perform
within the limits of our personnel and
equipment" Lieut. Col. Barton K.
Yount, commanding officer at Boiling
Field, said today. we have had no
orders and do not know what is ex-
pected of u.s.
While the Army was entirely con-
fident that the Air Corps could step
into the breach and provide temporary
airmail service until some permanent
arrangement is made by the Presi-
dent for reorganizing the service. the
problem of radio communications was
giving cause for grave concern in the
minds Of Air Corps and Department
of Commerce Aeronautics Branch
personnel.
Equipment is Thorough.
Much OF the success and safety of
modern air transport service is due
to the thoroughly organized airways
equipment which has been provided
by the Department of Commerce
throughout the Nation. This equip
ment includes radio range beacons,
teletype weather communications
service. weather broadcasting stations,
airways revolving beacons and other
aids to air transportation. All sched-
uled air transport planes are equip
ped to make the fullest possible use
of these services and the pilots are
carefully trained in the use of this
equipment.
The Army Air Corps. however, is
trained to operate away from sched-
uled airways and, with few eXcep-
tions. its airplanes are not equipped
to employ all the facilities of airways.
Very few Air Corps planes are
equipped for two-way short wave
radio communication and, while most
of them will be able to receive the
weather broadcasts. the pilots will not
be able to communicate with ground
stations. Regular communication be-
tween pilots and ground stations Is
one of the guarantees of safety relied
upon by the air transport pilot.
Capt. Afford j. Williams, jr.. for
mer Navy pilot, in a radio address
Saturday night, charged that not IL
airplanes in the military service are
equipped to make use of the full IA
cillties of the Department of Com
merce airways, on which civil trans
port pilots rely regularly.