The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-05
UNIQUE RADIO
USED At CITY
FLYING SCHOOL
Students in Solo Flights
Given Orders from
Ground.

Attention Of fiers throughout the
United States for several months
has been attracted to Indianapolis
Municipal Airport as result OF sue
cessful operation OF Station wsxDJ,
the only licensed broadcasting sta
ton in the country used to instruct
student fiiers in the air from the
ground.
The station is owned and oper-
ated by the Harrington Aviation
Co. The miniature transmitting set,
with a normal range of Is miles, is
located in a bookcase in the COM
pany's Office at the airport. Equally
miniature receiving sets are in
stalled in training planes flown by
the -company's flying students.
The students first receive the Gus
tomary instruction flights, with the
instructor seated in the planes sec
ond cockpit. He is there to teach
the fundamentals of flying to the
student.
Then arrives that event OF events
in flying students life-the first
solo flight. Under ordinary instruc-
ton methods. the student looks
forward to his first solo flight with
mingled emotions of delight and
dread.
Nervousness Is LeSSened
Missing the comforting presence
of his instructor, he usually is nerv-
Gus and sometimes loses his head
completely and, through fear, re-
fuses to attempt to land until forced
to do so when his gasoline supply is
exhausted.
This experience is reported en-
tirely lacking under the system de-
vised by Elvan Harrington, presi-
dent of the Harrington Aviation Co.
Climbing into his plane for the
first solo flight. the student clamps
on a headset. Through the headset
he receives quiet order to taxi to
the end of the runway, turn around
and head into the wind, and, finally,
to take off.
While he is in the air, every move
ment can be guided by the instruc-
tor, using a small microphone while
standing in the glass-enclosed con-
troll tower of the airport admins
tration building
ShOrtens Training Period
Besides reducing the possibility of
an accident to an almost negligible
point, the system is said to shorten
the instruction period and make it
less expensive. at the same time
giving the student the benefit of
constant instruction even when fly
ing alone.
The radio equipment was designed
by Mr. Harrington and built for him
by Earl w. Springer. president Of
the Simplex Electric Co. Of Indiar-
apoliS.
The receiving sets, located on the
cockpit floor back of the pilots
seat, weigh only 16 pounds. includ-
ing battery, generator and head
phones.
The station is licensed by the
Federal Communications Commits
sion to operate on the ultra high
frequency of $1,000 kilocycles. This
high frequency eliminate static. Mr..
Harrington said the operating cost
of the station is negligible. the cost
being less than half that of operat-
ing an ordinary electric light bulb.
Placed on Market Soon
Mr.. Harrington plans to place the
receiving and transmitting sets on
the market soon, at cost Of about
$50 each for receiving sets and $500
for tranSmitters. The receivers can
be installed in any type plane in a
few minutes.
Another innovation in student
flying equipment designed by Mr..
Harrington and soon to be placed
on the market is a radio beam re-
ceiver for blind flying instruction.
This set, which weighs only 26
pounds and which probably can be
marketed for about $l45, is similar
to the type used by airline pilots in
flying blind through bad weather,
but costs and weighs much less
than the regulation sets. 1t also is
used in instructing students OF the
Harrington school.