Evening star., 1936-11-08

erlooked its very obvious advantages IN
tomac River, but 1t has been equally
espect to regular air transport opera
which has stuck to the job tenaciously
Service, Bureau Of Air Commerce, and
Capt. Joseph T. Shumate, jr., Air Re.
serve, Of the General Inspection Serv-
ice, Bureau Of Air Commerce, will act
rs instructors at this meeting.
The use Of civil aids to air naviga-
ton Is playing an increasingly impor-
tant part In the peace-time training
of military pilots. It is likely that
similar aids, possibly temporarily set
up in zones Of action, will play vital
part in future air combat operations
and that bombardment and other mis-
sions will be conducted under the cover
Of bad weather.
All Reserve officers have been noh-
fed that selection for active duty
training will be based on inactive duty
training. Twenty-Five inactive credit
hours, to include . minimum Of 40
hours of Extension School work ap-
propriate to the grade and arm or
service, will be q prerequisite for IA
days active duty training during the
1898 fiscal year, it was announced.
Time spent at the regular evening
meetings, such as that Tuesday night,
Is credited toward inactive time.
A IR transport service between
= Washington and points in North
ern New England will be expedited
as . result of the delivery to National
Always of two new 10-passenger
Lockheed Electra airliners, which
recently stopped on in washington
en- route to Boston. Samuel j. Solo.
mon, manager of Washington Air
port, who also Is an oficial Of Ma
tional Airways. made the trip from
the Lockheed plant, Burbank. Calf,
to Washington in one Of the new
planes.
The new ships, which have cruis-
ing speed of more than 3 miles per
minute and a top speed Of 2l0 miles
per hour, will be used between Boston
and Bangor, Me-. covering this route
in hour and Is minutes. Sixteen
minute service from Boston to Man
chester, N. H.. and 9l-minute service
between Boston and Burlington, VT.
will be scheduled.
REARING out earlier forecasts that
air transport business during 1886
would establish new all-time annual
records, Transcontinental & Western
Air has reported that for the first
nine months Of the year 1t has made
striking gains In every department Of
its service. Similar gains have been
recorded by other airlines In all parts
of the country.
As compared with the first nine
months Of last year, TWA has gained
1887 per cent in passenger trafic,
1887 per cent in airmail and Sc per
cent in air express.
Because Of these gains, the airline.
contrary to customary policy. has
added extra employees for the Fall and
| w 6CdSUu ulotCuu Va ldyAl& VIA
personnel in anticipation Of q sea-
sonal slump during the cold months.
Twenty additional pilots. additional
hostesses and maintenance depart
ment workers have been added.
I'VE face the Winter with q de-
cidedly optimistic outlook" explained
Jack Frye, president of the line.
The company also reported a 13.5
per cent gain in passenger-miles, to
a record total of 55,272, ,452 miles. The
figures show that the average length
of the trip made by passengers on the
line was s61 miles, new national
record.
T ANDING of large formations Of
- military airplanes through thick
weather long has been q problem fac
ing the air services. Future combat
operations unquestionably would call
for a great deal of bad-weather flying
and it is possible that thick weather
will be utilized regularly for lombard
ment operations against well-defended
areas.
For this reason there Is unusual
interest in a recent bombardment mis-
sion flown from Langley Field, Va, by
Is bombers of the I'd Bombardment
Group, terminating in q simulated
landing through the clouds.
Under simulated conditions" It
was reported, this system proved
very satisfactory, and 1t is believed
| that with q few minor changes it
may be adopted by the group as q
standard indoctrination for landing
q formation through the clouds"
It was assumed that the ceiling
at Langley Field was 800 feet and
that solid clouds extended from 600
to 5000 feet. The landing was con-
Quoted in accordance with carefully
worked out instructions issued prior
to the start Of the flight.
The group commander, Lieut.. Col.
Charles B. Oldfeld, leading the for
nation, approached Langley ON the
north leg of the radio beam, on .
compass course of approximately 169
degrees, at o,OOO IeeC alIlIuoe untll
the cone Of silence over the radio
beam station was reached.
Col. Oldfeld then began circling
the cone of silence and, beginning at
the tail of the column, ordered flights
to drop out Of formation at 2-minute
intervals.
Each flight leader, after leaving for
nation, Immediately headed on COM
pass course of 253 degrees and new
this course at $50 miles per hour for
6 minutes, gradually losing altitude to
the top of the simulated cloud layer at
5000 feet. Reaching this level, fgiht
leaders made q left turn Of $50 degrees
to q compass heading Of 73 degrees
and signaled for opening Of formation.