Evening star., 1941-06-16
1000 Are on Hand
As National Airport
Opens al Midnight
Three Transports Come Ir
As Capital Shifts
Landing Fields

Washington shifted airports last
midnight on the tick Of clock in
the control towers.
Before II O'Clock, passenger air.
planes droned in to accustomed run
ways on the 18-year-old Washing
ton-Hoover Airport.
Immediately after the hour, the
red and green lights of three trans
ports became visible to 1000 spec
tators lining the aluminium rails of
the new Washington National Air
port at Gravelly Point.
The airliners came in according
to schedule, guided by directions
from a new control tower on a radio
frequency surrendered only a few
minutes previously by the old air
port.
First of the regular passenger
planes to wheel up before the grand
stand was an Eastern Airlines ship
loaded to passenger capacity of 81
and en- route from New York to
Tampa. Fla. The captain at the
controls was r. w. Tucker Penn
sylvania Central and American Air
lines planes followed Capt. fuckers
ship.
Vandenburg on Plane.
The honor of being the first to
alight from the first plane went to
D. E. Chapman of Dallas, Tex. Miss
Hilda Ferguson Of New York, en-
route to Charlotte, N. c., was the
first woman passenger to disembark.
Senator Vandenburg. Republican. of
Michigan was also on the initial
plane.
A delegation from the Post Office
Department, headed by Smith W.
Purdum, Second Assistant Post
master General, was on hand to
receive the first package of mail.
With him were Vincent C. Burke,
city postmaster, and his assistant,
Sidney G Bursley; Roy M. Martin,
general superintendent of the Air
mail Service of the Post Office De-
partment; John w. Johnson, divi-
sion superintendent of Railway Mail
Service. and his assistant, Homer
Link.
An American Air Lines plane pi-
loted by Capt William Arthur was
the first plane to leave the new
airport. Secretary of Commerce
and Mrs. Jesse Jones were on hand
to bid him bon voyage.
Cake Flown for Soldier.
One of the first air shipments to
arrive at the new airport was a
cake sent from St. Louis to a soldier
at Fort George G.. Meade, Md.
1t was announced that for the
first time the Railway Express
Agency will maintain its own Office
at the airport. with 24-hour service
Figures released today by the Air
Express Division of the Railway
Express Agency showed that air ex-
press shipments handled in WASH
ington during April totaled 4975-
an increase of 66.27 per cent over
April, 1910.
This was twice the increase of
the entire country, which was 33
per cent for the same period.
Shipments throughout the Nation
for April this year were 108.697.
The gross revenue for April, 1941,
as compared with April, 1910, showed
a gain of 1901 per cent for Wash
ington and only 41.8l per cent for
the whole country.
Final Flight From Old Field.
Among spectators hanging over
the rail while the first arrivals CON-
missioned the new airport was
Samuel j. Solomon, manager of the
old field since 1888. A few minutes
before Mr.. Solomon had dispatched
the last airliner from Washington
Hoover Airport. 1t was Eastern Air
lines "Trip Five" New York to
Miami.
AS the big ship wheeled about and
headed into the wind, awaiting
orders, Mr.. Solomon addressed the
pilot from the old control tower. He
said, This is the last scheduled
flight from Washington Airport
Good luck to you" The manager
watched the ship clear away and
head south.
This is the end of an era" he
said. Washington Airport is the