Evening star., 1937-11-07
NEW REGULATIONS
MAY BRING TRUCE
IN AIRPORT BATTLE
"Breathing Spell" Possible
Before Renewing 11-Year
Fight in Congress.
IR0NCLAD RESTRICTIONS
ON TRANSPORTS LIFTED
Relatively Few Transfers to Boil
ing Field to Be Necessary, Ac.
cording to Reports on Contents.

New Commerce Department regula-
tions- Tightening the iron-clad restric-
tions on the uhe of larger-type air.
liners now in effect al Washington
Airport are expected &C permit a
breathing SPELL prior to renewal
Of the 11-year-old fight this winnter
for a permanent solution by Congress
Of the local airport problem.
The new regulations are expected tc
make Washington Airport usable by ali
transport planes practically all the
time except under cross-wind cond:-
tions at night, There should oe rela-
lively few times wnen transfer OF
operations to Boiling Field will become
necessary, airport and airline officials
said ON basis of oral reports of the
contents Of the new regulations. which
they are not expected to receive off,
cially until later in the week
Although the new regulations we're
expected to relieve the immediate
pressure for closing OF Washington
Airport. there Will be no let-up in the
hght for permanent solution of the
long-standing airport problem. it va,
said late yesterday by representatives
Of local civil and aviation organiza.
tons and of the organized airline
pilots.
Il am entirely pleased with the new
regulations" said Samuel J. Solomon
manager of Washington Airport
"They appear to be far more just snc
reasonable than those nov in effect
Under these new rules WASHINGTON
Airport should be able to continus in
operation with as good a safety record
As it always has enjoyed"
Lines officials Pleased.
Local officials of Eastern Air Lines
and American Airlines, botn of which
use Douglas DE- and DC-3 airliners
expressed belief informally that the
new regulations would prove far more
satisfactory than those now in effect
They said official comment would have
to come from headquarters of their
lines in Newark, N. j., and Chicazo
after copies of the new regulations
have been received.
Ofncials of Central
ATlines, operating twin -eneined Boe-
ing 247-D airliners. operation OF
which is affected for the first time
By the new regulations, we're inclined
to believe that there will be little
actual interference with their opera
tions. They also withheld Official
comment, however, until the new reg.
ulations have been examined by air.
line heads at Pittsburgh.
The, only possible Joker in the new
regulations. it was said by airline
personnel after preliminary examina
ton OF the new rules, is in a section
applicable to the Boeings and both
types OF Douglas airliners, which
prohibits take-offs from the short
runway "if the wind is 'gusty plus
according to the current ofiicia
weather report"
There Is no very clear understand.
Ing in the minds of airline personne
Of the precise Interpretation of the
"gtsty plus" phrase, it was said
Operations personnel of one airline
said 1t was their understanding the
phrase applied to gusts which nuc.
tuated by more than Is miles pei
hour in velocity. An official ruling
on the point will be asked.
Not Restricted to Paving.
One entirely new section of the
regulations, hailed with satisfaction
by both airport and airline personnel
repeals the restriction on landings
and take-offs to the paved surface Of
the runways. Under the new ruling
the term runway" is defined as
incfuding "the usable part of the field
adjoining the actual runway if the
effective length of such part is equaI
to that of the actual runway"
This definition will render a major
portion Of Washington Airport usable
1t was said. Capt. Edward v. Ricken.
backer. general manager of Eastern
Air Lines, and Airport Manager Solo.
mon had united in condemning thu
present regulation limiting operations
to the paved runway surfaces, saying
1t was a source Of danger rather thar
safety.
The most unexpected section of tn,
new regulations is that prohibiting tn,
Use of the short runway by Dougla
airliners of either type during hour
Of darkness. This section, it, is un
derstood, was insisted upon by tll
organized pilots, who fought any light
ening of restrictions on the airpor
and demanded that it be closed to al
airline operations.
Extension of restrictions to tn
lighter Boeing airliner while at tn
same time partially lifting restriction
on the heavier Douglas types also wa
unexpected. It had been anticipate
generally that if the Boeings were in
cluded. there would be no lightenin
of the limitations on the Douglase,
or If the Douglas restrictions wer
lifted, the Boeings would not be af
fected.
Cross Wind Rule Changed.
Another surprise to most observer
was the increase of the "cross win
velocity component" on the long run
way from 10 to Is miles per houl
Figures of the cross wind componen
involves consideration both Of win
velocity and direction. The increas
is expected to. 60 long way towar
bridging the gap between use of th
long runway and the short runwa,
The short runway may be used -onl
when the wind is blowing in the gen
eral line Of its axis at velocity {
not less than Is miles per hour.
the wind angle in relation to th
center line of the runway exceeds /
degrees, the runway may not be uset
either by Boeings or Douglases.
The new regulations cover all type
q airliners now operated out Of Wash
inston by the three local airlines wit
one exception. This Is the Stinso
tri-motor, a smaller type used b
American Airlines in local service 0
its southern route. No restrictions o
Hhe use Of this ship were imposed.