Evening star., 1938-10-06
MEASURES TAKEN
FOR AIR SAFETY
Direction Finders Will Be
InstalIed-Cruising Speed
to Be Reduced.

Immediate purchase and installa-
tion of new radio direction finding
ground stations at key points through
out the country as an additional safety
aid to the domestic airlines was ap-
proved today by the Civil Aeronautics
Authority following a meeting Of air
transport operation managers with the
Authority's Air Safety Board.
At the same time the airlines agreed
to number Of safety provisions dur
ing the coming winter months, most
important OF them being a voluntary
reduction in cruising speed of air
transport planes on all major routes.
The safety program agreed on by
the operators and the Air Safety Board
is even more conservative than that
riod last year.
Pilots will be instructed to operate
their planes, all of which have a
maximum rating Of 1,100 horsepower
or more, at not exceeding $50 horse
power for normal cruising They will
be allowed a permissible maximum of
600 horsepower in case of strong head
winds. Operation Of the engines at
half their take-off horsepower is ex-
pected to increase their reliability and
greatly reduce any possible danger due
to engine failure.
Other Provisions Studied.
Ralph S. Damon, chairman of the
committee representing the Air Trans
port Association, informed the safety
board that other provisions of the
safety program are under considera-
ton and will be put into effect before
the bad weather period begins.
The direction finders will be used as
a supplement to existing radio beacons
and other airway aids. Use of these
finders will make it possible for ground
stations to take bearings on airplanes
in flight and to further check the nav
igation of the pilots. Such direction
finders play an important part in the
trans-Pacific operations of Pan-Amer-
lean Airways. but have not yet been
adapted to domestic airways opera
tions.
ton finders will be located will be the
.subject Of further discussion between
the C. A. A. and the industry. They
will be located at points which will
make possible the taking Of triangular
cross bearings on aircraft in flight,
thus giving a definite fix on the air.
plane position at times when static
or other interference with radio bea-
con signals might make it difficult for
pilots to ascertain their own bearings.
Preliminary studies have been under
taken by engineers of the Authority
in cooperation with an airlines COM
5nunications committee composed Of
radio experts and technicians.
Subcommittee to Meet.
A subcommittee of the air transport
operators group will meet in Chicago
during the week of October II with
Earl F. Ward, chief of the airways
operation division Of the Authority,
to discuss recommendations on air
traffic control. The committee is
composed Of Larry G.. Fritz of Trans
continental & Western Air; Hugh
Smith of American Airlines, Frank
Caldwell of United Air Lines and
Larry Pabst of Eastern Air Lines.
Members of the Airline Pilots Asso-
, citation, Civil Aeronautics Administra-
tor Clinton M. Hester, and Col. Sump-
ter Smith and Thomas o. Hardin of
the Air Safety Board will meet in
Chicago october 13 for further discus
sion of the problems discussed at the
meeting here with the men who ac-
tual1y fly the Nations airliners.