The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-29
A|R TRANSPORT ENDING RECORD
 MILEAGE YEAR
Fatal Accidents Believed to Be Fewest for Dis-
 tance Flown

washington, Dec. go (UP).-Late statistics of the Buerau of Air Coin- meyce indicate that during 1887 air. lines in the United States will set up e new all-tilne record for miles flown and ct the same time estab- fish q new record of safety.
 Most recent figures point toward a total mileage of more than T6.000,- 900 compared with 73, ,303, ,830 last year, and the number of miles flown per person killed may exceed l ,0O0,O00 compared with l,SS2.4S3 last year.
 Fisnres compiled early this month showed that 47 persory, including pilots, have been killed in i've ac- cidents on scheduled airways this year. Ten fatal accidents took 66 lives last year. The bureaus statis- tics for this year do not include the Pan-Ainerican Grace crash near Cristobal, Panama, Aug. 2, in which l4 died, or the destruction of the dirigible Hindenburg.
 Radio Facilities Improved In keeping with the expanded ac. tivities of the airline companies, the bureau has launched Q three.year construction program contemplating the expenditure of 97.0O0 900 for irn- proving radio and airport facilities.
 Approximately $3,600,0 of the funds made available by Congress will be used in modernixing exist- ing radio equipment and installing new radio broadcastiiig stations for transmitting weather and flight information.
 Another allotment will go toward improving lighting conditions on the nations 2i,Ve2 miles of chart cd airways, and other funds will go toward adding 1,6O0 miles of teletype communications circuits to the 13.e8S miles which now trais- init weather bulletins to ground stations throughout the country.
 Tine program is being administer ed under the direction of Fred D, Fagg. IT,, who succeeded Eugene L. Vidal as head of the bureau after Vidal resigned last April. Dennis Mulligan is assistant director, suc- ceeding R. w. Schroeder, who re- signed July l.
 Transport Planes First
 On Nov. 1 the bureau promul- gated the first comprehensive "trafilc regulations" for the coun. try,s airways. Designed to provide maximum safety from collision for scheduled airlines, the regulations virtually turn over the air lanes to regular transports during the most dangerous weather conditions. Only those private planes which are equipped for instrument flying are permitted to operate.
 Tn addition scheduled air routes are rated according to their irl- portance and given Q color--green for first, amber for second and red for third. Similar to automobile traffic custom, planes on the green routes have preference ct airline terminals over both amber and red. Amber has precedence over red. Airport Farley Called On Dec. 6, the bureau opened Q conference of local, state and fed- eral o1licials and representatives of airplane manufacturers and oper- ators in an eort to work out . soli- ton to c national airport problem which Tagg describes as chaotic"
 A new type air transport plane to be put in service next spring or sum. mer will be so large that rtlnways on many of the nations principal air terminals may be inadequate to per- nit the new planes to land and take ofs. Thus the cities, many of them already financially pressed because of increased relief loads and bur" dened with debt following the de- precision, are faced with the possible ity of having their air service aevere- iy curtailed unless they expend large sums for airport enlargement.
 Negotiations were still In prog ress after the conference.