Evening star., 1936-11-19
TOWER TO DIRECT
A|RPLANE TRAFFIC
AT BOILING FIELD
Structure to Be Connected
by Telephone With One
at Capital Airport.
UNIFIED OPERATIONS
WILL BE EFFECTED
Steady Increase in Use Of Field
and New Commerce Rules
Given as Reasons.
Believing that safety of flying oper-

04SCA 90 xkCuoUubs
Believing that safety Of flying oper-
stions In the vicinity Of Washington
can be assured only by rigid CO.
ordination of flying from Washington
Airport and Boiling Field, the Army
Air Corps is planning to construct
an aerial traffic control tower which
will be connected by telephone with
the Washington Airport tower, it was
learned today.
A unified operations system will be
put into effect governing the move
ments Of aircraft using either of the
two airports. The Boiling Field tower,
which will employ both radio and
lights, will follow the standards ap-
proved by the Commerce Department
for air transport terminals. Bureau
of Air Commerce air regulations will
be applied to all Army and Navy oper-
ations in the vicinity Of Washington,
it was indicated.
Army objection to construction Of a
municipal airport for Washington at
Gravelly Point has been based on a
fear that its proximity to Boiling Field
would be dangerous Although Army
officers in charge Of the control project
said they do not want to comment on
this situation now, it is regarded as
possible that Army objection to Grav-
ely Point may be withdrawn should
the unified control system work
smoothly.
Traffic Increases Steadily.
The steady increase in air traffic
at Boiling Field and the new aerial
traffic control regulations of the Bu-
reau Of Air Commerce were given as
reasons for the decision to install the
Boiling Field tower. All operations
at Washington Airport now are con-
trolled by radio from an airport con-
troll tower.
THE necessity for aerial traffic con-
troll by radio and electric lights is
becoming more and more evident, due
to the great number of commercial
and Army and Navy planes in the
vicinity" it was explained by Air Corps
oficials. In bad weather and night
flying air traffic control is especially
necessary"
The control tower is to be con-
structed on the west end of the roof
of the Engineering hangar, southern
most of the hangers at the Army
field. This location will afford
clear view of the field and immediate
vicinity and will facilitate the con-
troll of aircraft in all directions.
24-Hour Operation.
In the tower will be installed radio
receivers to guard all required fire.
quencies, remote controls for alert
radio nets for field traffic and sta
tion-to-station communication. elec-
trio lights for traffic control, and
field lighting controls.
The tower will be connected by
interphone with the Boiling Field
operations Office and with the Com
merce Department airways traftc
Control station at Washington Air
port. Twenty four hour operation
will be maintained. Personnel for
operation of the tower will be drawn
from the field operations and COM
munications departments.
The Bureau of Air Commerce has
offered to cooperate in the training
of six Army enlisted men for duty
in the new control tower and they
will report to the manager of the
Newark Airport, Newark, N. j., for
four days of training in the control
tower there.
Planes Must Submit Plans.
"The successful operation Of the
control tower will require all military
and naval planes with Boiling Field
as their destination to submit flight
plans prior to their departure from
their last stop" it was explained.
These flight plans will be transmitted
to Boiling Field by Department of
Commerce teletype or by station-to-
station radio.
IF the planes are equipped with
radio, they will be required to contact
the control tower five minutes before
arriving over the field.
"An planes department from Boil
ing Field will submit flight plans to
the operations office and then check
with the control tower for last-minute
instructions before take-off."
Plans for the tower and its equip
ment are being based upon studies
made by Lieut.. S. X. Robinson, Boil
ing Field communications officer, and
other officers of his department at
Washington Airport, Newark and
Cleveland.