Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-06-08
An Airport for Every Town viii Be Possible if Plan
Before Congress, Granting Federal Aid, Is Passed
u. S. Funds Would Match
Community's, Dollar for
Dollar, in Building
BY Walter A. Shead
XNu Stafi Correspondent.

wNU stan Correspondent.
Taking a page from the book
of the public roads administra-
ton, the civil aeronautics adj
ministration is asking congress
for an appropriation to provide
for a billion-dollar postwar air.
port construction program to be
allocated the states as federal
grants on a fifty-fifty cost basis.
In asking for this federal aid or
subsidy for the development of air
transportation the CAA is not with
out precedent. Declaring that we are
entering ian air age of transporta-
ton vital to the unified growth of
the nations commerce." it points
out that the government has al
ways aided all forms of transporta-
ton in their early stages.
CAA estimated that it will cost
approximately 81 $50, 900, 1000, spread
over to 10 years to carry through
a national airport program ade-
quate to the nations aviation needs,
including purchase of land and
construction of terminal buildings.
A detailed survey of the nations
airport facilities by CAA indicates
that for this billion and quarter
dollar cost, 1,625 of the country's
existing 3,255 airfields can be i'm
proved, and $3.50 new airports can
be constructed for total of 6,305
airports.
Five Classes of Fields.
For the basis of allocating funds
to the several states, the CAA has
made study of community needs
and set up five classifications for
airports necessary for communities
on the basis of population and need.
These five classifications are:
Glass 1-suitable for private owner
small type aircraft with two L.
shaped airstrips 1900 to 2,70O feet
long, 800 feet wide. Class 2-for
larger type private owner air
craft and smaller transport planes
for local and feeder service, with
A-shaped airstrips 2,700 to 5000 feet
long and 500 feet wide. Class 3-to
accommodate present day twin-en-
CINE transport aircraft with several
landing strips 1900 to 4,70O feet long
and 500 feet wide. Glasses 4 and s.
to serve the largest aircraft now in
use and these planned for the i'm.
mediate future, with multiple land.
ing strips 1900 to $500 feet long
and 500 feet wide.
The proposed national plan of the
CAA would provide for improvement
of existing airports as follows: 30a
class l; 699 class 2; 349 class 3; 21a
class 4, and 81 class S. In addition
construction of new airports is pro
vided as follows: 1887 of class l;
1,1O1 of class 2; 101 class 8; 52(
class 4, and 1856 class S.
According to this CAA survey o.
the $4,000 towns of under 5000 popu
lation, only $500 now have airports
of which 313 are not now disable
The proposed program would i'm
prove existing ports and build 3,74.
new airports in these towns for {
total of 4,008.
In setting up the total cost of thes'
proposed airports, CAA did not in
CluuG COSI VI ldIlu VI UululllSS. 1
does include, however, preparation
of the land such as clearing, grub
bling, excavation and grading
drainage, surface conditioning ant
fencing, paving of runways, taxi
ways and aprons, installation of al
lighting including beacons, obstruc
ton, runway and taxiway flood o
contact lights; radio facilities an
miscellaneous, such as approach
clearing, access roads, marking an
landscaping.
Small Ports Get 60 Per Cent.
Approximately SO per cent of tn
total appropriation would be spen
for new airport facilities, with 4
per cent for improvement of exis
ing airports. Funds for class l an
airports comprise 60.6 per cent {
the total proposed appropriation, Q
approximately $155, $50, 1928 for elias
l airports and $463, 443,567 for tn
class ports.
The legislation now before cor