Evening star., 1938-04-24
Capitals Airport Problem Is
Shared by Other Municipalities
Investments of Millions of Dollars Is Threatened,
With No Specific Standard Toward
Which to Build.


quate" for the needs Of city the size Of
Washington.
1t is recalled that, following enactment
OF the Air Commerce Act Of 1926, the
Aeronautics Branch Of the Commerce De-
partment undertook to set up standards
for the rating Of airports. These regula-
tions, issued In 1928, set the following
standards as to length of runways: Glass
l, $500 feet: class 2, 2o00 feet: class 8,
1900 feet; class 4. 1920 feet, and class 5,
less than 1920 feet.
Rating Revised.
In September. 1881, new airport rating
schedule was set up known as class T,
calling for four landing strips $500 feet
long or, alternately, two landing strips at
an angle of not less than 80 degrees and
OF length Of not less than 5000 feet. In
July. 1882, there was issued a modification
OF the rating regulations which provided
for the same basic requirements but added
the following additional alternatives for
the T rating First. $500 feet in all direc-
tions; second, $500 feet In eight direc-
tions; third, 420O feet In six directions:
fourth, 5000 feet in four directions. The
last two, Of course. called for either three
or two landing strips
In 1888, when the administration changed
the airport section OF what now is the
Bureau Of Air Commerce was discontinued
and the problem was turned over to the
Airline Inspection Division There ap-
peared among the regulations new para
graph: Terminal airports shall comply
with minimum requirements as to stand
ards for size. distractions to light etc,
which will permit the safe operation of air.
line aircraft to be used"
The precise meaning Of the paragraph
has not been made clear. Presumably. the
requirements for terminal airports had be-
come question Of pilot discretion, con.
sidering the type Of aircraft flown and
the weather conditions Of the particular
flight, in the opinion of officers of the Ma
tonal Airline Pilots Association. Assum-
Ing that it was the responsibility Of pilots
to pass upon the safety of airports, the
association condemned Washington Airport
as unsafe and precipitated a local airport
tempest which made all the previous af-
fairs seem tame by comparison.
Special Study Begun.
Within the past year an airport section
has been re-established in the Bureau of
Air Commerce and now is engaged in the
task Of reconstructing the airport require
ments which were thrown into the discard
In 1888. The section, headed by A. B. Nc
Mullen. is making extensive surveys of
sake-of and landing characteristics of
various aircraft to determine the needs Of
present-day operation.
During the past 10 years the perform
ance OF airplanes has changed very ma
terially especially as to take-of perform
ance. Today there are few airports In the
United States capable of accommodating
giant airliners now on the assembly lines
OF the manufacturing plants. Millions of
dollars worth of airports have been out
grown and the situation has become
chaotic.
II there is one fact which has been made
clear during the present hearings it is that
the time has come to decide how big future
fields must be and then compel airplane
designers to limit their designs to types
capable of operating satisfactorily out of
such fields. 1t is possible that the time NAV
come when airliners will be licensed to
operate only from airports Of a definite
class and that there will be a definite re-
lating of one to the other
The picture of Washington's '.model"
airport, as drawn by Maj Gen. Oscar
Westover, chief of the Army Air Corps
and technical member Of the late District
Airport Commission, is interesting He
envislons an airport having runways at
least 5000 feet in length in the cardinal
compass directions, with unobstructed ap-
proaches at least that long again. 1t would
have at least one instrument landing run
way miles long in the direction of pre-
vaillng bad weather" wind also with un-
obstructed approaches. Outside this land
ing area proper, he said, sufficient land
should be acquired to prevent construction
Of possible obstacles and to provide for yet
further expansion, if necessary. The land.
moreover, he said, should be high, fiat, with
good soil and good natural drainage and
should, of course, be as conveniently To-
Gated as possible.
Indorses Dual AirportS.
Mr.. McMullen told the committee that
an airport for Washington should be a
model for the country; not only techni-
cally perfect in itself, but also Handicapped
and beautiied in keeping with the develop
ment of Washington as the showplace Of
the Nation. On the vital matter of size
he recommended that under no circum-
stances should site be considered which
would not exceed the bureaus minimum
requirements for a first-class air terminal,
which now calls for at least three runWays
having minimum length of $500 feet. He
joined with President Roosevelt in advo-
eating two airports for Washington, saying
that I'VE are nearly at the point where we
will have to segregate air transport opera
tions and non-scheduled flying"
Whatever the ultimate fate of pending
airport legislation for Washington, it Is
apparent that the hearings are likely to
help considerably in clarifying the Nations
airport problems and that they are. there
fore. Of more than purely local concern.