Evening star., 1937-05-12
.A.A.DENOUNCES
CAPITAL AIRPORT
Commission Meets TODAY in
Office of King to Pick
New Site.

On the eve Of meeting Of the Dis
trict Airport Commission at which
it is expected choice will be made of
a site for an adequate air transport
terminal for Washington, the National
Aeronautlc Association editorially de-
nounced Washington Airport yester-
day as probably the most hazardous
in the whole country"
The commission last week narrowed
down to four the number of airport
sites it has had under consideration
for more than a year At a meeting
at 2 pm. today in the Office of its
chairman, Senator King, of Utah, the
commission expects to select from
among these four the site or sites it
will recommend to Congress for de-
velopment.
Blame for the lack Of proper air.
port facilities for Washington is laid
to Congress by the N. A. A.
Visitors Disappointed.
"One of the most netting incon-
sistencies of our American form of
government is noted Immediately by
every aviation enthusiast upon his
first visit to Washington" it was
stated by the association. This is
especially true If he comes from a
city which is justly proud of its mu-
nicipal airport. After the thrill he
experiences at the first glimpse of
Washington's Monument, the Capitol
and all the other imposing Federal
buildings, he starts perceptibly as he
finally locates the so-called airport
and buckles down to the precarious
task of effecting a safe landing.
"Of course, he knows nothing of the
particular difficulties incident to the
provision of suitable field for the
National Capital, and Furthermore he
isn't at all interested in alibis. After
all, these Federal people came out
and told him and the officials Of his
home town just what they had to have
in the way of an airport, and refused
to compromise on area, approaches.
improvements, etc, if the local boys
wanted air transport service.
And so our enthusiast, who right
fully expected some aeronautical in
spiration at the National Capital.
gets his business taken care Of and
breathes sigh of relief as he makes
good on a take-of over nasty OBJ
structpns or the busy highway which
cuts quite a chunk off the field"
Situation Full Of Dynamite.
The situation here would be funny
If it weren't 50 packed with dyna-
mite" the national aviation body
pointed out.
In the first place." it was stated,
"there is no public airport for civil
aviation. It is all well and good for
some 500-odd cities throughout the
Nation to have their municipal air
ports. but Washington-well, it's a lit
tie different here That's laugh
Show us one city which has not had
some particularly individual problem
to solve in connection with its airport
development and we wouldn't get so
lathered up over this subject.
''The silly part of It all is that it
just isn't good form to mention the
airport. Any newcomer who ventures
to comment on it is very promptly and
properly shushed. Washington air
port talk is tabooed. There is some
guarded talk about bigger airport
farther down the river which may be
ready about the time the Passama-
quoddy project and the Florida canal
are completed, but no one will hazard
. guess as to just when.
In the meantime scheduled air
transport operations are being con-
Quoted from private airport which
Is probably the most hazardous in
the whole country. The Washington
Airport has just one thing to recon-
mend 1t, and that is its accessibility.
But on every other count it just
doesn't rate"
1t was charged that the landing
area Is too small and that there are
dangerous obstacles in the vicinity,
especially in the event Of low over
cast.
THE present airport has one good
runway-if pilots get on it and stay
on it," the editorial continued. But
woe be unto any one who drifts of
it in a westerly wind! Buildings to
the south, and hills risi1 abruptly
to the west and southwest, leave the
field with but one good approach, and
that Is from the north. And yet the
book says q terminal airport should be
an all-way field"