Evening star., 1936-04-12

each pilot carrying a passenger OF q
cruising speed; other phases Of the
race at the most furious pace the con-
teStants can achieve.
| Upon signal from the starter, con-
| testants are to make normal take
| of. Time will be taken as the COM
peting airplanes pass over the College
Park clubhouse, newly completed by
the association. From the clubhouse,
the contesting pilots will set direct
course for Boiling Field, circle that
field, return to College Park and pass
again over the clubhouse so that re-
turn time may be taken.
Landing, the pilot will taxi to the
line, cut his motor and will go with his
passenger to the clubhouse, where plot
and passenger will play two furious
hands Of high-speed bridge.
Back to the airplanes the contest
ants will run, lope or walk very fast
and take of for Congressional Air
port. Returning, they will land and
the lady will HE herself to the club
house to knit 120 stitches, or whatever
\ they are called.
Galloping back to the airplanes, the
contestants will take of again and
circle the Department Of Commerce
intermediate field at Bowie, Md, re-
turning for the final time 70 College
Park. Landing. pilot and passenger
will take it on what is quantity known
as "the lam" for the clubhouse. Here
the lady will fry one egg, slice two
pieces Of bread, salt and pepper the
egg and make a sandwich, which pilot
and passenger will eat with their hands
behind their backs. Time will be
taken at the final gulp.
Timers and judges will 60 into
action while contestants settle back
to digest the egg sandwiches they have
so hurriedly consumed (perish the
thought OF Fletcherism) and the win
ners will be determined by species OF
computation peculiar to the judges of
such scrambled events. There will be
| trophies.
Derby association members may buy
luncheon at the College Park club
house at noon for Is cents per lunch
con. The association has opened q
membership campaign, dues being $40
q year for flying members and half
that amount for non-flyers. Any one
interested in aviation and the promo
tion of private flying In this vicinity is
eligible for membership.
Newly-elected directors of the Wash
ington Air Derby Association are
George L. Vass. Brintnall H. Mer-
chant, J. Earl Steinhauer, George C.
Brinckerhoff, DR.. B. M. Jarman, H. A.
L. Barker, A. D. Wick. Harrison Som
erville. Miss Helen Frigo, Miss Har-
riett Sackett, Mrs. E. Gardner Kidd,
Robert Guest, J. Elmer Kreiss, Miss
Elsie Shannon, Clarence S. Bruce. r.
Rawson, Paul E. CARRIER. Edward H.
Young, Whitney Leary. E. c. Graham,
William P. McCracken, jr.; ]. A. Re-
mon, r. B. Swope, DR.. v. B. Murray
and Chester H. Warrington.
Despite the increasing Importance Of
radio aids to air navigation. the Ma
tionS transport pilots in general still
believe the airway beacon lights, blink
ers and airway approach lights are an
indispensable part of the Federal air
ways system.
The pilots expressed their views on
/ the airways lighting program in re-
sponse to a recent QUESTIONABLE of the
Bureau Of Air Commerce, to which a
majority of the pilots flying the sched-
uled air transport service Of the Ma
ton replied.
| To the question whether the present
beacon lights are properly located
along the airways II per cent Of the
pilots replied in the affirmative and
lO.5 In the negative, the others not
reporting.
The pilots were asked whether they
favored the beacons in valleys or on
points of best visibility on the ridges
in mountain country. OF those re-
plying. a great majority favored plac-
ing the lights on the ridges.
On the question Of proper distance
between beacon lights along the air.
way, 295 per cent Of the pilots favored
location of lights at intervals Of 10
miles or less: 31.7 at intervals Of be-
tween 10 and IS miles; 8.6 more than
Is miles and 302 per cent expressed
no opinion. A great majority Of the
pilots advocated lower-powered bea-
cons at closer intervals rather than
fewer but more powerful lights. An
even larger majority of pilots ex-
pressed satisfaction with the present
setting of the beacons with respect to
the horizon.
Asked whether they consider course
lights of material assistance, 63.9 per
cent of the transport flyers replied
that they do. 141 that they do not
and % per cent did not report.
Virtually all of the pilots who re-
piled to a question as to approach
lights outside airport boundaries re-
piled that they favor such lights. q
ma jority of them expressing prefer
ence for a double row of lights mark
ing the extension of the runway
boundaries. A majority also favored
runway lights and the retention OF
airport f1oodlights. OF the % per cent
who were not in favor of fioodlights
many said they would be in favor OF
such lights If they were placed and
handled so as not to blind the pilot
A few said they were no good at all
as they gave a false ground level. BY
far the greater majority, however
said that floodlights perform a valu-
able function and said they did not
want them to be discontinued.
majority Of the pilots gave clean
bill of health to private aeronautical
lights, such as that on the Wardman
Park Hotel, although II per cent
found such lights q source of confu-
sion at times. A majority of the
flyers expressed the opinion that when
such lights are used in city they
should be supplemented by directional
projectors pointing toward local
airport.
The u. s. 8. Yorktown, fifth United
States Navy aircraft carrier and seconc
| dae{opad and hililt as a carrier from