Evening star., 1936-12-13

DIRECT air transport service be-
tween Washington and Houston.
Tex, in less than 10 hours flying
time will be inaugurated Tuesday
Two additional daily schedules be-
tween Washington and Miami, one OF
them Immediately. the other next
month. also are planned. A special
cachet has been authorized for first
flight mail.
The Houston service is result Of
the acquisition by Eastern Air Lines
of the Wedell- williams Air Service.
Inc, operating between New Orleans
and Houston. The new service will
be provided by an extension of the
present Washington-New Orleans
schedule. The trip southbound calls
for departure from Washington at
1915 am, arrival in New Orleans at
7:10 am. and in Houston at 9:55 am.
Northbound, the plane will leave
Houston at $40 pm. and arrive here
at 4:50 am, after a layover Of hours
and 20 minutes in New Orleans.
Two round trips daily between
Washington and Miami now are being
flown, one by day and one by night.
The third schedule will provide for
departure from Washington at 3:l5
pm. and arrival in Miami at 9:55 pm.
The northbound trip calls for de-
parture from Miami at / pm. and
arrival here at 7:35 pm. The fourth
schedule will be added next month.
Eastern and the predecessor Inns
which it has taken over have been
operating continuously since early in
1880. carrying mail, passengers and
air express. 1t now is operating
feet of 14-passenger Douglas trans
ports and l0-passenger Lockheei
Electras. The feet is to be enlarged
by addition of five Douglas 2l-pas-
senger DC-3 transports. The order
for these ships was placed as soon as
the Post ONCE Department approved
the transfer of the WedellW Williams
airmail contract TO Eastern.
A GIANT wind-tee has been con-
structed at the Anacostia Naval
Air Station as an answer to COM
plants of pilots that they were unable
to see the old wind indicators clearly.
Using a couple of discarded crank
shaft thrust bearings from a Cyclone
engine, several hundred feet of steel
tubing, fabric and several weeks Of
la Dor, personnel at the station I'm.
ished the tee and mounted 1t on top
of the main hangar
airlines out of Washington in
creased 74.5 per cent during October.
as compared with the same month
of last year. according to H. D. Ford.
district sales manager. The totals
are 1927 as against 709. The Oc-
tober total also is a gain Of 3s.5 per
cent over the 893 passengers flown in
September of this year.
Anticipating the greatest Winter
passenger traffic in local air transport
history, Ford pointed out that Ameri.
ca is putting into operation new Doug.
las 21-passenger fiagships and the
high-speed DC-2 types which will
provide Washington travellers with 40
per cent more schedules and 21.l per
cent more passenger seats.
/ During the first nine months Of
/ this year America transported 175,-
$40 passengers on its STA miles Of
routes.
/ NATIVES in the areas served BY
the Imperial Airways West Africa
airmail are fascinated by the arrival
and departure of the aircraft at the
various intermediate landing points
and whole villages turn out to watch
the airplanes. the pilots report.
Some of the native chiefs and dig
nitaries arrive at the aerodromes in
great state. it is related by officials of
the great British colonial lines. On
one occasion a tribal chief walked onto
the flying field complete with top hat
and gilded umbrella. A number Of
his retainers formed band to accom-
pany him and played a weird collec-
lection of instruments as he marched
solemnly forward
Many of the African natives refer
TO the airliners as the great white
BIRDS" and, as is the case with ma
tives Of the great South American
tropical jungles. actually regard the
airplanes as living creatures. The
little native boys. however. less credu-
| lous and superstitious than their ED
ers. are keenly interested in the air.
liners and in some districts amuse
themselves by making mud models of
the machines.