Evening star., 1937-10-08
{. A. |. PILOTS ASK
ABANDONMENT Of
WASHINGTON FIELD
81 Urge Shift of Operations
to Boiling as Breach
Is Indicated.
RlCKENBACKER REQUEST
is IN DIRECT CONFLICT
Pennsylvania Airines Oppose Ex-
tension of Limitations to
Lighter Planes.

Immediate abandonment of Wash
ington Airport by air transport lines
and transfer of airline operations to
Boiling Field is requested in a petit
ton signed by 81 pilots of Eastern
Air Lines, now pending before the
Commerce Department.
The new petition, it was learned,
was submitted through the National
Air Line Pilots Association during
yesterdays star chamber session held
by the Bureau of Air Commerce.
The new petition was regarded as
evidence OF a serious disagreement
among pilots of Eastern Air as TO
safety of Washington Airport.
One of the chief reasons for yes
terday's meeting was petition signed
by three first pilots and six co-pilots
Of the hourly Washington-New York
'merry-go-round" service maintained
by Eastern asking that the Commerce
Department revoke restrictions on
the use of Douglas DC-2 transport
alrplanes at Washington Airport.
Calls Airport Unsafe.
The new petition, directly in op-
position to the earlier petition, char
acterized Washington Airport as un-
safe and argued that the "common-
sense solution" Of the problem would
be to move operations to Boiling
Field at once pending establishment
here of a permanent, adequate air
transport terminal, it was said.
The text of the petition has not
been made public, and it was not
mentioned in a Commerce Depart
ment statement issued following the
meeting. The statement, of only two
paragraphs, said merely that a fur
ther discussion of the present limita-
tions affecting Washington Airport
had been attended by representatives
OF the various groups concerned.
The meeting, it was stated, Twas
highly constructive in character, and
many helpful suggestions were made" ="
indicating "the earnest desire of all
to arrive at the best solution posi-
ble." 1t was explained that no i'm
mediate action would be taken until
all suggestions had been studied and
analyzed.
The new Eastern Air pilots petit
ton also indicated a breach between
the flying personnel and Capt. Ed
ward v. Rickenbacker, general man.
ager of the airline
Rickenbacker, in support of the
earlier petition, asked the Commerce
Department to lift restrictions on
the use Of the DC-2 type and on
landing Of the DC-3 type at Wash
ington Airport. This request, it is
understood, he renewed yesterday.
Demand Is Renewed.
The National Air Line Pilots As
sociation renewed its demand that all
air transport operations at WASH
ington Airport be discontinued and
that Boiling Field be used until a
permanent airport is provided.
Rickenbacker, although admitting
that Washington Airport is not en-
tirely satisfactory, contends that it
is safe for use under existing regula-
tions of his company. He urged that
Washington Airport be improved,
voicing the opinion that it could be
made entirely satisfactory within a
year at fifth the cost of a new air.
port and in fraction of the time
Representatives of Pennsylvania
Central Airlines, it is understood, ap-
peared at yesterdays meeting in OPP
position to extension of the existing
airport limitations to include lighter
types of airplanes. There is no justi-
flcation, they contended, for limiting
the operation of airplanes of less
than $4,000 pounds gross weight.