Evening star., 1937-02-04
NEW TYPE RADIO
SEEN FOR PLANES
Vidal Sounds Warning
Equipment May Be Com.
puIsory on AirIinerS.

Warning that all domestic 'airlines
In the United States soon will be re-
quired to equip their transport planes
with new types of radio equipment,
which will overcome rain and snow
static, was sounded by Air Commerce
Director Eugene L. Vidal today at the
opening of a three-day national aVl-
alton safety conference at the Com
merce Department.
The conference, called as result OF
q serious Of airline accidents which
began shortly before Christmas,
brought together several hundred OF
the Nations leading airline operators
and Federal and private aviation ex-
perts.
Device Described.
Following detailed descriptions by
Harlan Hull, chief pilot of Trans
continental g. Western Air, and
Reeder Nichols, Air Commerce Bureau
airline radio inspector, of new type
Of shielded loop radio antenna Whlch
eliminates static effects, Vidal said:
You probably have guessed that we
are on the verge of requiring loop
antenna as good or better than this
and possibly homing antenna, on
every airline plane. We know that
rain and snow static has contributed
to several of the recent airline acci-
dents, and we regard the problem as
very serious"
Rain and snow static Is caused by
the bombardment 'of electrically
charged rain drops or snow flakes
upon the antenna, it was explained.
The same effect also is caused by
charged dust or sand particles. and
has been duplicated in wind tunnels
with the use of talcum powder. This
static has interfered with radio range
beacon reception aboard airplanes lost
in storms and also has destroyed COM
munication between pilots and ground
stations, it was explained.
Friendly Conference.
In opening the conference, regarded
as the most important Of the kind yet
held, Assistant Secretary of Com
merce johnson declared the meeting
was not called with the intention of
placing the blame for these accidents
on the shoulders of any one present" ="
but was being held in a friendly
spirit" with view to improving the
safety of flying.
If the Air Commerce Bureau is given
suficient funds by Congress, it will at
once undertake complete moderni-
zation Of all radio facilities along the
Nations airwayS, the conference was
told by Assistant Air Commerce Direc-
tor Rex Martin. The modernization
work will include installation OF Simul-
taneous radio range and weather
broadcasting equipment, installation of
positive cone of silence indicators" to
notify the pilot when he passes over
the station and duplicate standby
equipment to prevent a breakdown of
service at any time.
Strong defense of the present Bureau
Of Air Commerce radio range beacon
system was made by number of air
line representatives. They opposed
suggestions that the beacons be aban-
doned in favor of radio compasses
aboard the planes for ground radio
direction finding stations. The radio
range beacons had been violently criti-
cized as responsible for some of the
recent accidents.
Roper Opens Conference.
The conference opened with a
promise from Secretary of Commerce
Roper that there will be no restric-
tions on discussion and nothing will
be lodged or covered up.
Roper said that he will make a
personal statement to the conference.
requesting that the whole field Of
safety, from basic Federal rules to the
final details Of operations procedure,
be covered as thoroughly as possible.