Evening star., 1937-04-11

L4N yCdlo o1GCl a llI6A4U IL Jill 1NS w
York to Paris by long-leg-
ged, unknown young airmail
Il pilot had opened new era In
tir transport history; l6 years after
The first flight by any airplane be-
tween the United States and Europe
the North Atlantic is about to become
the scene of one of the last remaining
great aviation pioneering ventures.
At Hamilton, Bermuda, mechanics
and pilots are tuning up great trans
port airmail. This is the Cavalier, one
of the British empire flying boats now
going into service on the far-fung
airlines of Imperial Airways.
A sister ship, the Caledonia, has
been fitted with special fuel tanks and
ts being used around the British Isles
on range tests and for training of
crews, looking toward survey work in
the Atlantic.
At the mouth of the Shannon River
In Ireland transatlantic airplane
IL being established where ships from
Canada and the United States may
unload passengers for Ireland and re-
fuel for the remainder of the journey.
Over Caribbean waters are flying
bronzed, keen-eyed, alert young men
who, as they carry ever-increasing
numbers of passengers and mounting
cargoes of mail and express over the
routes of United State foreign air.
lines, are keeping their eyes on the
broad Atlantic over which they soon
will be flying.
Diplomats, aviation executives,
pilots, business leaders, all are watch
ing the Atlantic. For there lies the
greatest Of the remaining fields to be
conquered by air transportation. Very
coon the actual work is to begin.
At Baltimore hundreds of Works
Progress Administration employees are
busy on terminal facilities for trans
Atlantic flying boat service. The ter
m1nal Is going forward as a result of
negotiations between Pan-American
Airways and the city government. 1t
is located at the edge of Logan Field,
the municipal airport which was Gre
sted by filling in river fats similar to
those at our own Gravelly Point. Had
the filling of Gravelly Point been I'M
oertaken at the time Baltimore went
to work on Logan Field, Washington
probably would have been looking
forward today to the Inauguration of
direct air service to Europe.
FAIRLY this week Glenn L. Martin,
aviation pioneer and builder of
The giant clipper boats now flying the
Pacific and Army bombardment planes
that have been making military avia-
ton history for more than l8 years,
announced his intention to establish
nonstop transatlantic air trans
port service
Martin intends to go into Atlantic
service in competition with PAN
American Airways and Imperial Air
ways. For this service he has designed
the worlds largest transport flying
boat. capable of carrying 40 pas
sengerS, 5000 pounds of mail and ex-
press and fuel for 5000 nonstop
miles, at cruising speed of IT'S miles
per hour. This would mean that pas
sengerS could cross to continental E11-
rope in about 18 hours and return
against prevailing winds in 81 hours.
For five years preliminary studies
nave been in progress looking toward
an Atlantic air transport service. As
result, detailed weather data and
other information now is available.
Inc fruit OF years of apparently aim
less and purposeless flights which fol-
lowed the Lindbergh epic now is being
gathered
Pan-American Airways, which is to
share with British Imperial Airways
the work of opening the North At
lantic to airline service, has been en-
gagged for years in the great prelim
mary work. 1t now has trained crews
and suitable aircraft available. Even
larger flying boats are on the way
weather and terminal studies have
been made. International negotia-
tlons have been concluded.
Today the terminal facilities are
being prepared and preparations are
being made for the installation of
the weather reporting and informa-
tlon services and the communications
facilities, which are the lifeblood of
the modern air transport system.
Last week the Department of Com
merce sent to the Canadian govern
ment letter approving the designa-
ton OF New York and Montreal as
bases for the joint Pan-American-
Imperial service. Alternative weather
bases" are now being built not only
at Baltimore but at Charleston, S. C.
An initial appropriation of $750,0o0
Tor establishment of trans Atlantic
Alrmail service has been included in
the Treasury-PoSt Office appropria-
ton bill, now pending in Congress.
The details of Federal cooperation in
the great effort are being completed
by the State, Commerce and Post
Office Departments.
NO DATES have been set for the
opening of either the trials or
OF regular service. It is understood
however, that the British are ready to
undertake trial service between Ber-
muda and New York very soon. I'M
perial now has giant flying boat at
Bermuda in readiness to undertake
experimental operation between there
and New York and Montreal. Al
though this service is held to be indie
pendent of the transatlantic opera
tlon, it is regarded as a necessary
and invaluable preliminary to that