Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-06
Grave||y Point Airport
And Boiling Field
To Aid Each Other
Runwoys, in Line, Will
Serve as Emergency
Lending Fields

Plans for the Washington Ma
tlonal Airport at Gravelly Point
provide that the new air terminal
and Boiling Field. across the Poto-
mac, each may serve as an emer-
gency landing area for the other
in case of engine failure on cross
river take-offs, thus increasing the
safety of both fields, it was learned
today.
Plans now are being completed for
unified traffic control covering the
two fields and the Anacostia Naval
Air Station. Control will be exer-
cised over incoming and outbound
traffic from all three airports by
personnel in tower at the GRAY
ely Point site commanding a view
OF all three fields, according to pres
ent plans.
The Washington National Airport
and Boiling Field will be made mu-
tually supporting for emergency
purposes by continuing the line of
the existing paved Boiling Field run
ways across the Gravelly Point air.
port in two directions. Fortunately,
this is possible In the direction of
the shorter runways at both airports.
Emergency Runways Ahsad.
| BY this means. airplanes taking of
across the Potomac from either
field win find an emergency runway
directly ahead in their line of take
on for emergency landing In case of
engine failure during the critical
moments Of getting the first 500 feet
of altitude.
It is a standing aviation maxim
that in case of engine failure be-
fore reaching minimum altitude of
500 feet, it is far safer to continue
straight ahead to landing in bad
terrain than to attempt to turn
back to the airport. Instead of bad
terrain here, however. pilots taking
Oh across the river would find the
best possible landing AREA paved
runway-directly ahead in the line
OF flight, 1t was pointed out.
The Gravelly Point layout has
been planned so that the 4.5O0-foot
east-west runway is a prolongation
OF the line of the Boiling Field east
west runway. At Boiling Field this
runway is at the north end of the
field. At Gravelly Point it will bor-
der the southern edge of the field.
The 5,300-foot NOTWITHSTANDING
east runway crossing Gravelly Point
dlagonally also is prolongation of
the similar runway at Boiling Field.
Third to Be 1000 Fl. Long.
The third major runway at GRAY
ely Point will be north and south
with a length of 1000 feet. making
1t one OF the longest runways in the
United States. This runway is long
enough In itself to permit emergency
landing straight ahead of modern
alrplanes in case of engine failure
during or Immediately after take
OH, 1t was explained by Civil Aero
nautics Authority officials.
Coupled with the mutually sup
porting safety features of the two
airports, the fact that the Gravelly
Point layout will make possible glid-
ing angles of 40-to-1 from all run
way approach directions is expected
to make the new Washington Ma
tional Airport one of the best planned
OF all Eastern airports from a safety
standpoint.
The proposed airport is bounded
on three sides by water, it was point
ed out. making possible fiat ap-
proacheS from north, south and
east. On the west side, fortunatel
the maximum width of the pro-
posed airport is in the line of Four
Mile Run valley, which provides
fiat approach through the rolling
ground along the Virginia shore.
The 4.500-foot east-west runway will
be along this line.
To Be Above Flood Levels.
Present plans for the airport call
for filling the landing area above
the highest recorded flood level In
Potomac River history. Record
flood elevations at the new airport
site were go feet in 1897, ia feet
in 1886 and Ill feet in 1888. There
is a slope of the flood levels from
these heights at the north end of
the airport site to a foot or more
lower at the southern end.
Present engineering plans call for
a seawall level of II feet at the north
end Of the airport seawall along the
Potomac River channel and an ele-
walton of II feet at the southeast
corner. The field will slope down to
these seawall heights from a level of
Is feet at the shore side and maxi
mum elevation of II feet in front
Of the terminal building and load
ing platform in the center of the
west edge of the field.
The crowned centers of the run
ways will be considerably above the
seawall levels and so will be high
above the greatest flood levels ever
known here.
As compared with the record level
of ia feet at the Gravelly Point
site. the flood level of Columbia
Island near Washington Airport
vas 131 feet in the 1875 flnod Wash.