Evening star., 1935-02-17

Washingtonians to the local benefit
ball.
In connection with local studies of
the downtown trafic situation, Com
missioner Melvin c. HaZen and Traffic
Bureau and police officials made a
series Of observation flights in the
airship. Many members of the Sen
ate and House have made flights in
the Enterprise, among them Senator
O'Mahoney of Wyoming, former As
sistant Postmaster General.
Three Pilots With Ship.
The Enterprise is under command
Of Lieut.. Comdr. Karl Lange, u. s. N.
R., who served during the World War
as a naval aviator, flying blimps at
Navy stations along the coast from
Chatham to Pensacola. Three pilots
are stationed here, flying the ship in
turn. They are Verne L. Smith, Wal
ter Massic and Alexander Monroe.
The Enterprise is the newest and
second largest Of fleet of Goodyear
blimps now operating in various parts
of the United States. Since the fleet
was established, in 1925, these little
airships have carried 10000 passen-
gers total Of 1,795,7 ,758 miles without
injury to single passenger.
The local airship dock at Washing
ton Airport. in which the Enterprise
is housed. represents a $4,000 invest
ment, 100000 of which went into the
hangar.
Passengers Fly Farther.
The latest reports of the airlines to
the Bureau Of Air Commerce indicate
that air transport passengers in this
country are steadily increasing the
average length Of their journeys. Dur
ing 1884 the passenger miles flown Ca
passenger mile is one passenger flown
one mile) increased to 1877 ,858,6 500, as
compared with 173 3,492,119 miles dur
ing 1888, although, due to the airmail
cancellations of early last year and
the resulting air transport upheaval,
the total number Of passengers flown
decreased slightly.
At the same time United Air Lines
estimated that the length of the av-
erage air passenger fight is more
than double what it was five years
ago. The average distance flown by
the air passenger was less than 200
miles five years ago. The acreage
went up to ZIG miles in 1880 to BAT
Fin 1888 and to 429 miles last year, it
was estimated.
One reason assigned by the line for
the increase Of the average trip is
the great improvements made in
speed and comfort recently. Another
is the establishment of overnight
flights Of up to 1000 miles.
Eclipse Aids Radio.
Airplane radio communications i'm
proved approximately so per cent in
clarity and range during the peak of
the recent partial eclipse Of the sun,
pilots Of Eastern Air Lines planes in
fight at the time have reported.
Their observations have served to
confirm theories as to the effect of
eclipsing Of the suns rays on short
wave radio.
Working with radio research engi-
neers, Capt. E. v. Rickenbacker, gen.
eral manager Of the airline, ordered
all ground stations and pilots in the
air to keep careful check Of condi-
tions during the eclipse.
The observations showed that con-
ditions improved slowly from the
start of the eclipse to its peak. At
the peak almost ideal radio condi-
tions prevailed, it was reported, with
static noise almost completely elm |
mated and range and clarity Of COM
munications greatly increased.
HThnro uaS dnnrooco of y1ounh |
as IS to 80 per cent in ionization in !
the lower levels of the so-called Ken |
nelly-Heaviside layer" reported J. c. |
Schelling, radio research engineer,
who collated the reports Of the ground |
and air observers.
Absorption Decreased.
He attributed the improved radio
Transmission between ground ard
planes to decreased absorption of ra-
dio waves in the nttle-known layer, |
between go and 70 miles above the |
earth's surface. From the reports, |
the scientists deduced that the lower
or "E" region of the Kennedy Heavi- |
side layer, which hangs like q cur |
tain below the layer from which radio |
waves are reflected back to earth,"
lost some Of its powers Of absorbing
radio waves, while the reflection pow
ers of the upper region remained little
impaired.
The observations indicated the wis
dom of the policy which has been
adopted by airlines Of employing |
higher radio frequencies in the day
time and lower at night.
The Atlanta ground station Of the
airline reported that during the max |
imum period Of the eclipse 1t brought |
in a two-way conversation between
United Air Line pilot flying near
Reno, New, and the Reno ground
station, q distance Of about 1900
miles, and that the signal strength
was comparatively strong.