Evening star., 1936-08-16
W.P.A. COMPLETING
NEW BOILING FIELD.
Army Flyers Preparing for
One of Finest Posts
in East.


new Boiling Field and assurance that
Congress will consider appropriations
this Winter for construction OF nan
pars and other technical buildings,
the Army is looking forward to the
day when it will be able to occupy
what is to be one of the finest Air
Corps posts in the East.
While a small army of more than
1000 Works Progress Administration
employees, under direction OF the Army
Ouartermaster Corps, work on the
grading of the new landing area and
the paving of runways, Air Corps pl-
lots and personnel at the old field are
carrying on training which will fit
them for operations on larger scale
at the new post.
To care for increased night opera
tions at Boiling Field, Lieut.. Col.
William Ord Ryan, new station COM
plement commander, has established
a new traffic control tower at the
edge of the landing field from which
landings and take-offs may be di-
rected by radio and signal light gun"
Link Trainer in Operation.
A Link trainer, in which instru-
ment flying operations may be con-
Quoted indoors, is in operation for
the benefit of pilots who need "brush-
ing up" on blind flying, radio naviga-
ton and similar problems.
A new pigeon loft also has been in
stalled at the field and operations are
carried on regularly in this ancient
form of communication. Despite the
advances in scientific warfare OF the
past decades, pigeons still hold their
own in the Army.
The Boiling Field control tower,
outgrowth of bit of aerial traffic con-
gestion witnessed by Col. Ryan dur
ing the course of night flight train
ing, has been erected in front OF the
field operations office. On an open
platform atop the tower is installed
a radio transmitter and receiver and
a light gun"
Because Army airplanes do not fol-
low regular schedules like the air
liners which operate at civilian air
terminals and cannot be identified sc.
readily from the ground, the traffic
control problem at the Army field Is
handled both by radio and light sig
mails.
The light gun is large metal tube
containing a powerful electric lamp,
reflector and red and green glass
screens which may be moved into
position in front of the light. Ac-
curate sights are placed on top OF the
tube, which is fitted with double
pistol grip and trigger switch.
Plane Moves Can Be Directed.
with this gun," it was explained
by Lieut.. william A. Matheny, Air
Corps, 1.-The signal man can put a
beam of light into the cockpit OF an
airplane mile away"
BY using red, green or white beams,
the man operating the gun can direct
the movements of airplanes on the
ground or in the air in the immediate
vicinity of the field. Radio is used for
communication at greater distances.
The new pigeon loft at Boiling Field
now houses 60 birds. 1t is operated
under supervision of Lieut.. George w.
McGregor, Air Corps, by Signal Corps
enlisted personnel. The birds are
flown to points IN nearby States for
training purposes and are released
from the ground or from airplanes in
flight.
The birds show unusual intelligence
In the air launchings. The motor of
the plane Is throttled down and the
birds are thrown clear. Invariably
the pigeons hold their wings tightly
closed until they have dropped clear
of the slipstream of the airplane be-
fore they attempt to fly.
Recently 80 of the birds were car
ried to Langley Field, ITO miles from
Boiling Field, and released. Twenty
nine of them returned, the first group
arriving in hours and 40 minutes
after being released. Arrivals con-
tinued for the next two hours. Poor
weather conditions and fog along the
course, with a strong prevailing
northeast wind made the flight diff
cult.
"a Released at Roanoke.
Two days later another flight of "a
birds was flown to Roanoke, Va, an
airline distance of 200 miles, and re-
Leased III GIlc IIlOA HAI46' LIN AAASo
group of eight arrived at Boiling Field
hours and minutes later. Ten
more arrived at intervals during the
aftanoon; four the second day, one
the third and two on the fourth. The
last arrival was completely exhausted,
with severe flesh wound in the
breast. The flight was made over
mountainous country, through con-
siderable fog and rain.
The Link trainer is a small airplane
freely mounted so that it moves in
any direction in response to the con-
trols in the cockpit. Complete flight
and navigation instruments and radio
are provided. The cockpit is COM
pletely covered, SO, that the pilot un-
der training cannot see out
An instructor outside operates a
radio range beacon and can exercise
control of the plane to simulate wind
effects. The instructor can keep a
close check on every movement OF the
student and determine exactly the
degree of proficiency he shows in ham
ding the plane and in working out
navigation and radio problems. The
trainer is similar to one installed
later in the Bureau of Air Commerce.