Evening star., 1940-08-20
Aviation Leaders Urge
Landing Fields as
Vital 10 Defense
Point to Probability
Of Destruction Of Big
Airports in War
Nv JOSEPH s. EDGERTON.

BY JOSEPH ,. EDGEhlON.
While German dive bombers
smash the world famous Croydon
Airport at London, the British r.
A. F. retaliates on once-beautiful
Schiphol Airport at Amsterdam and
work crews make good German
damage to LIE Bourget at Paris,
American aviation leaders are unit
ing in a demand that the United
States construct more landing
fields. not airportS,' to make this
country safe.
La Guardia Field, New York,
could be bombed into uselessness
within an hour. they contend, while
the $4,000 900 poured into this one
proiect could have provided hun
dreds of scattered landing areas
which would provide military oper-
ating bases which might be safe for
weeks or months. The 100000
going into Washington National Air
port at Gravelly Point and the mil
lions being expended for the new
Philadelphia civil air terminal and
other large municipal projects would
take care of many other emergency
airports, they pointed out.
There is no desire to abandon or
to condemn the expenditure of
funds on such projects as La
Guardia or the Gravelly Point air
center, but these are regarded as
pure peacetime airports which
might have to be abandoned or face
destruction in time of war.
c. A. A. Surveyed AirpOrtS.
One of the first duties of the
former Civil Aeronautics Authority
was to undertake a national airport
survey to determine civil and mill
tary requirements. On March 13,
1899, the C. A. A. submitted to Con-
gress report proposing national
airport projects on three scales OF
development.
The first involved expenditure Of
s128, 100000 to bring to " a properly
high standard of quality the air
ports designated as airmail stops.
Although 236 points had at that
time been designated as airmail
stops, only 179 were actually re-
ceiving service, because of airport
shortcomings at the other locations.
The second proposal would ex-
tend adequate airport development
to some $50 airports, providing not
only for future air transport re-
ouirements but also for private fly
ing and pilot training, at cost of
about S230000000.
A completely adequate airport de-
velopment program for about $500
airports, as compared with the q
174 airports and intermediate fields
then in operation. would cost some
S435 900 900, according to the esti-
mates. The C. A. A. reported that
such a system would place an air
port within 80 minues' drive of
every reasonably compact popula-
ton group of as many as 5000 per-
sons and would provide facilities
for rural areas.
Urged Sl25,000,000 Immediately.
For immediate expenditure. the
c. A. A. recommended that $l25,-
100000 be made available. AL
though no effort was made by the
c. A. A. to strike "a dollar balance"
for any of the three systems, it
was stated in the report to Congress
that "the balance would be con-
clusively weighted in aviation's
favor by its Importance to the ma
tional defense
Nearly year and a half has
gone by without congressional ac-
ton on the report, although Presi-
dent Roosevelt has approved an air.
port program.
All the airport projects recon-
mended by the C. A. A. would have
both civil and military Importance
and would be permanently useful
to the Nation. A strictly military
system of temporary airdromes
could be improvised at far less ex-
pense, but would have no peace
time value.
Declaring that the Nation today
faces a serious emergency, the Ma
tional Aeronautic Association has
undertaken a national campaign to
make good existing deficiencies.
pilot training and other defense
activities are seriously overtaXing
the facilities of existing fields" the
N. A. A. declared. Private flying
has been disrupted In some regions
and difficulties soon may arise as
to scheduled airline operations at
overcrowded ports"
Reports Requested.
N. A. A. membership throughout
the country has been called upon
to report as to specific instances of
overtaxing of airport facilities and
Gripping of flying by lack Of suff1-
cient airports.
The Private Flyers Association,
pointing out that Poland, Belgium,
Holland, even France, lost their air.
ports in the first hours of fighting,
said that although La Guardia and
such terminals ARE doubtless need
ed" they doubtless would be de-
stroyed in an hour were we at
tackled"
What we need Is thousands. and
more thousands, Of flying fields
60 many that no invading force,
aided by internal sabotage, could
possibly destroy them ALL the Prl-
vate Flyers Association said in
bulletin to membership made public
today. Fifty thousand airplanes
would be useless if they could not
get off the ground, or had no serv-
ice and fueling bases.
Furthermore, if we do not get
the flying fields, we are going to
start killing pilots, and airliners
will be in serious jeopardy. Certi-
Heated pilots have jumped from
21,00O, to 10000 in year. c. A. A
trained students are graduating
daily and an equal number are
taking to the air at their own ex-
pense. There is little control. and
need not be, of the movements of
certificated pilots in the air, off the
airway system. No amount OF traffic
control at and on airports, however.
will stop the death and destruction
that is coming there in the next