Evening star., 1936-02-02

, their efforts and bring into play all
of the equipment under test"
The automobile strip map" plan
has been made available for the en-
tertainment and instruction of air
transport passengers flying on the
routes of American Airlines. The line
has issued an aerial road map" which
includes on one side a colored relief
map Of the United States showing
every air transport route and on the
other set of l3 strip maps showing
in detail all of the 6,845 miles of routes
operated by American Airlines from
Atlantic to Pacific Coasts and from
Canada to Mexico
The strip maps show such details
as 460 airports of all types. the exact
positions of more than 500 visual bea-
cons for night operations, the location
of more than 200 Government and
airline reporting stations, air.
ways radio stations and the scenic and
historical points of interest along the
routes.
The strips show not only the regu-
larly flown route, but also alternative
routes over which operation is author
lied by the Department of Commerce
in case of bad weather along the regu-
lar route. Compass directions and a
visual mileage scale appear on each
strip. so that passengers may try their
| hand at the elements of air naviga-
tion If so inclined.
The maps will be distributed to all
I passengers on planes Of the line as
flight souvenirs and as means Of
contributing to the interest and en-
/ joyment of the trip.
Through the use of facsimile. the
remarkable new development of radio
| which permits the transmission of
written or printed messages or maps,
pilots of airliners in fight soon may
be given written and authoritatively
signed messages or the latest weather
information in map form.
The new facsimile method Of com.
munication now is being Used expert
mentally by Transcontinental and
Western Air between two of its radio
ground stations with view to its
I application to communication between
| the ground and airplanes. Results
which have been obtained are very
encouraging, it was reported here by
T. w. A. officials.
For routine message communication
by facsimile, a high-speed typewriter
is used, the message being broadcast
almost as rapidly as it can be written
through a process similar to the wire
photo method employed by the AS
soclated Press in transmitting the
photographs used daily in The Star.
Although the normal method will
be the use of typed messages on white
tape, it makes no difference in trans
mission whether the message be typed
or written. Whatever appears on the
tape will be picked up and trans
mtted
Through use Of the new radio proc
ess.' T. w. A. officials explained.
captains and first officers Of the air.
liners would be provided with records,
written automatically, of all messages.
This would be of particular value in
all long weather messages and would
eliminate the necessity upon the part
of either of those members of the
crew Of writing the message by hand
or OF remembering the contents
thereof"
Elimination of all elevated electric
llght wires and cables. telephone and
telegraph lines and power cables ad-
Jacent to all important airports in the
United States has been designated as
the primary aeronautical activity OF
1886 for the National Aeronautics
Commission of the American Legion.
The overhead power line system in the
vicinity OF airports constitutes one of
the great aviation hazards. it was
pointed out by the commission in an
nounucing its program.
Inc group is expected to throw It's
weight into the fight for burial of the
last remaining overhead wires in the
vicinity OF Washington Airport. After
several years of agitation, wires we're
buried along the section of the air.
port lying within the area now in dis
pute before the District-Vireinia
Boundary Commission. Efforts are
oeing made to have the situation
cleaned up along the whole extent of
the flying field.
The commission also will work for
an increase in National Guard avia.
tion facilities. There now are Guard
observation squadrons in 19 States.
each assigned to a Guard division.
The Legion will advocate creation of
Guard aviation unit in each State.
Elimination or revision of State
gasoline taxes in those States which
do not allow refunds on gasoline pur-
chased for aviation use also is one of
the goals OF the Legion commission.
-Four residents or former residents
OF Washington. all of them familiar
With the local airport situation we're
among the eight members of the COM
mission present when the program was
adopted. Those attending the meet.
ing were Dudley M. Steele of Los An.
geleS, chairman: Col Weir Cook. re.
Gently stationed in Washington, di.
rector of the commission: Sumpter
Smith of Washington, S. Russell Hal.
ley, Rapid City, S. OAK; Harry w,
Berdie. Los Angeles; William Jarosch.
Amesbury, Mass: Hainer Hinshav.
former airline representative here.
and Sigmund Janus. former traffic
Of American Airlines in