Evening star., 1935-03-24
Trip
In 13Days by
Air Probable
Coming Summer May
See Diriigible and
Plane Service.
BY JOHN FRAZIER.

IR tickets around the world,
n good for one continuous pas
"A sage from starting point and
4 4 return, should be available to
the public some time this
Summer If transoceanic air services
planned work out on schedule.
The recent granting to Pan-Ameri-
can Airways of permission, by the
Federal Government, to build landing
facilities on Guam, Midway and Wake
Islands, as stepping stones to an
Orient service from the Western
Coast, insures definitely the inaugu-
ration of this trans-Paciflc service.
Last Fall the Government also
granted to DR.. Hugo Eckener of Ger
many the use of the Navy's dirigible
landing facilities at Lakehurst and
Miami. DR.. Eckener plans the inaug-
uration of a transatlantic dirigible
service to the United States some
time in June. The Lz-129, a new
Zeppelin now being finished at Fred
erickshafen, Germany, will constitute
for the present the transatlantic
lighter -than-air fleet.
When Pan-American gets its serv-
ice under way, it will be possible for
the globe-trotting, air-minded to
board a plane at New York, fly to the
West Coast and there embark on one
Of the new clipper ships of the Pan
American service to China. He will
fly by way of Honolulu, Guam, Mid,
way, Wake and the Philippine Islands.
In China he will fly commercial
routes established by American air
concerns across that ancient country.
China has more than 5000 miles Of
such lines, backed by the Chinese
Government.
AT THE Chinese border the air
Z minded tourist may embark on
Dutch, French or English ships for
the Eastern Coast of Europe. The
point of his airship flight will. posi-
bly,. be somewhere in Spain. Here he
will connect with the dirigible line
now being projected by DR.. Eckener
and associates for transatlantic
flights. From Spain the air globe
trotter will fly to Brazil and then up
the Atlantic Coast to Miami or TO
Lakehurst.
The round-th -the-world trip will be
made in 13 daysl
The Inauguration of this service
has been one of the dreams OF avla-
ton for the past decade. The reason
why it has not been inaugurated
sooner lies in the fact of insufficient
data regarding weather conditions
over the oceans and just where the
best terminal facilities for aircraft
exist.
For number of years, DIR. Eckener
has toyed with the idea of a dirigible
terminal at some point near Wash
ington. At one time it was even con-
sidered that he had been sold on
Hybla Field, near Alexandria. Inas-
much as the establishment Of dir
igible terminus means the outlay OF
great sum of money, hesitancy as TO
picking offhand location can readily
be understood. For into that selection
must enter the question of availability
to great metropolitan areas, freedom
from extremes of cold and heat, mini
mum of storms, high buildings, wires
and other hazards.
FOR the Inauguration OF the present
overseas services, a great deal
of preliminary weather-gathering serv-
ice has been performed by the Eckener
and Pan-American groups them
selves.
DR.. Eckener has flown the Graf
some AIS trips to date for a total of
600, 900 miles. She has crossed the
Atlantic II times. 81 of which have
been over the southern and Z over
the northern area During all these
trips the weather has been under
constant observation, so that many of
its Atlantic sea vagaries may well be
said to be known.
Pan-American has flown the Carib-
bean for a number of years and is
thoroughly conversant with its whims.