Evening star., 1945-08-22
Plane Landing \
Strip Proposed !
Along Anacosti;
Aero Club Suggests !.
Field as Port of
Studium Project

had before them today proposal
to construct an airstrip on land fol-
lowing the Anacostia River in con-
nection with the contemplated me-
mortal stadium, now under congress
sional study.
The plan for landing park with
in the District was placed before
Washington last night by the Aero
Club of Washington at dinner con-
cluding the two-day Airport Users
Conference at the Statler Hotel. It
was pointed out the stadium land
ing field would be only one of the
several that will be needed in the
Metropolitan Area to accommodate
the wave of postwar aviation en-
thusiasts.
Don Sewers, technical chairman
of the clubs Airport Committee,
said an airstrip 5000 feet long and
300 feet wide could be built along
the narrow peninsula which sep
arates the Anacostia River from
Kingman Lake. This land area
would be augmented by filling in a
portion of Kingman Lake to con-
meet the peninsula with two small
islands.
No Repair Facilities.
Along the side of the airstrip, Mr..
Sewers said, space could be pro.
vided for parking planes and for n
terminal building and refueling
facilities. No repair facilities or
hangers would be installed, he said,
inasmuch as it is not considered adj
visable to compete with private
landing fields in this area.
Kingman Lake itself, Mr.. Sewers
explained, could be used as base
for visiting seaplanes and would
provide a 3,000-foot landing and
take-off area. A road along the
edge of the peninsula would connect
the airpark with the mainland.
Cost of the project has not yet
been estimated, but Mr. Sewers said
the project has been laid before the
joint Congressional Stadium Com
mittee, headed by Senator Bilbo and
Representative Randolph, chairman
of the Senate and House District
Committees.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III, chair
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, pointed
to several objections to the plan
which, he conceded, might be over
come.
Too Near Benning Bridge.
The proximity of Benning Bridge.
he said, would mean about 1000 feet
of the proposed airstrip would be
unusable. He also pointed out that
several large buildings, including the
Potomac Electric Power Co.'S Ben
ming power station, might be con-
sidered danger.
so far" Gen. Grant said, "the
Commission is not convinced this
Is a safe place for an airstrip. It
is possible we might find a much
better place just outside the city,
somewhere along the Suitland Park
way" With construction of the
proposed South Capitol Street
Bridge, he said, this area would
be just about as accessible to the
heart of the city as would be the
stadium site.
Gen. Grant agreed the Washing
ton area would have to furnish a
number of landing fields to ac-
commodate the great increase in
private flying expected during the
next several years. Many business
men, he pointed out, have developed
the habit of flying to Washington
on business and it is conceivable
large business houses will MAIN
tain their own planes to fly repre-
sentatives to the Capital on bust.
ness in the future.
Develop Wide Program.
Gen. Grant said his commission
was working closely with officials
OF nearby communities to develop
an airpark program, since probably
all the landing fields, except possibly
the one at the stadi,sea, will have
to be situated outside the District
in Maryland and Virginia.
This problem of providing air
fields must be solved by immediate
action" Gen. Grant said.
Other speakers included L. WEIGH
Pogue, chairman of the Civil Aero
nautics Board; Charles B. Donald
son, director Of airports of the Civil
Aeronautics Administration; B. M.
McKelway, president of the WASH
ington Board of Trade; Arthur
Boreman, director of the National
Aeronautic Association, which spon-
sored the airport conference, and
Jessie Hadley, Airport Committee
chairman of the Aero Club.
| w. L. Jack Nelson of the CAA and
vice president Of the Aero Club, pre-
sided over the meeting.