Evening star., 1937-01-17

facilities at Cleveland, made q new
contract desirable, it was explained.
Those who have not had occasion
10 visit the Cleveland Airport recently
Will be astonished with the vast i'm
provement in that field" the N. A. A.
explained. The area has been greatly
enlarged and the grand stands have
been moved approximately 1000 fee,
west and north of their old location.
Parking facilities for automobile
are unsurpassed in any other place in
the country. There Is room for 1900
automobiles on the field itself withou
IN any way interfering with the f1yine
The grandstands are permanent i
character and are 900 feet long, 80 fee.
wide and IS tiers high. At the tim
OF the air meet these will be expanded
with temporary stands to $500 feet"
The Cleveland Airport is now about
mile and three-quarters long, cas-
TO west, and more than a mile from
north TO south. The air races will use
about half the field, leaving the other
half clear for scheduled operations.
A permanent club house is to be built
and will be available throughout the
year for meetings, conferences, lunch
cons, dinners and other social affairs.
A 1R travel on the route between
Washington, Detroit and Mil
waukee established new records in
every department of operations dur
ing 1896. Mileage flown passed the
100000 mark. Revenue passengers
totaled 1886, airmail, $40, ,48l pounds.
and air express, 1854, ,538 pounds. These
totals represent increases of IS per
cent in passenger travel, AZ per cent
in airmail poundage and II per cent
in air express trafic, as compared with
1885.
The most important development OF
the year on this route was the merger
of Pennsylvania Airlines, pioneer
American transport line, and Central
Airlines to form the present Pennsyl-
vania- Central Airlines.
The airline has announced purchase
Of new fleet of 10 200-mile per hour
transports and extension of its service
TO Flint, Mich.
ERESH fruits from the United
States now are being distributed
to interior points in Colombia by air
express. This business is increasing
rapidly, and shipments totaling about
5000 pounds arrived at Bogota within
two weeks, the Commerce Department
has been advised.
Heretofore, very little business in
fresh fruits from the United States
was possible in centers distant from
the South American coastal ports be-
cause Of the lack of refrigerated ship
ping facilities.
American grapes, apples and pears
now are being handled, and Scadta,
the principal Colombian airways sys.
tenn has established special rate
for flying fruit shipments. New mar
ketS now receiving fresh American
fruits by air are Bogota Medellin,
Bucaramanga, Pereira and Aremnia.
/ THERE has been slight decrease
in the number of airports and
| landing fields in the United States
| during the past year, according to
the annual survey just completed by
the Bureau Of Air Commerce. On
January l there were 2,342 airports
and landing fields, as compared with
1853 on the same day of last year.
There are 705 airports partially or
fully lighted for night use. The total
includes 1913 municipal airports, 451
commercial airports, 296 Department
of Commerce intermediate landing
fields, 622 auxiliary fields, Is naval air
stations, 81 Army airdromes and l48
miscellaneous Government, private
and State airports and landing fields.
The status of the District again
remained unchanged. 1t Is credited
with three airports-Bolling Field. the
Naval Air Station and Washington
Airport-all lighted for night opera
tions.