Smyrna times., 1947-01-16
AIRPORT PLANS
ARE UNDERWAY
Town Council and Chamber
of Commerce Hold Con-
ference With Engineer
TO SERVE 500 PEOPLE

The proceedings necessary to get
federal appropriations for an air
port for Smyrna We're outlined at
conference held January with
Thomas A. Bradford, Baltimore
district airport engineer, Civil Aer-
onautics Administration; ]. P,
Scott, Bridgeville, member of the
Delaware Aeronautics Commission,
Mayor Ennis and members of town
council, and a committee from the
Smyrna-Clayton Chamber of Com
merce. A committee was named
to select four sites from which the
CAA will select the best. j. Wells
FAIRIES is chairman and it includes
w. L. Wheatley and E. w. Coving-
ton. The government would con-
tribute 25 per cent of the purchase
of the land and so per cent fol-
construction of the field and an adj
ministration building; the town to
furnish so per cent for construc-
tion and rs per cent for the land
A Glass one airport requires two
turf landings 2000 by 300 feet. The
town would have the privilege OF
leasing out concessions, such as
mechanics repair shop, school OF
instruction, gas and oil, and lunch
room, provided the concessions
were divided and not given to one
person. Long before the question
of an airport arose locally the
government had made a study OF
this peninsula, with the result that
Smyrna was picked as an zeal To-
cation and proposed as a possile
site. 1t is figured that a local air
port would serve 5000 people in
this area, and it is predicted that
within few years it would have
to be enlarged. Smaller airports
act as feeders to larger ones in air
freight transportation of such pro-
ducts as live chickens and fresh
vegetables. In addition to picking
four sites the newly-appointed
committee will also inform the
GAIA of the number of pilots with
in six miles, names of service men
in the locality, and the number OF
potential business places for air
freight business. The CAA will
act as consultant in the entire pro-
iect. Mr.. Scott attended the meet
ing in the absence of Stewart
Poole of the state Aeronautics
Commission.
Plan Submitted
It was recalled that last fall
Smyrna submitted a statement tc
the CAA that it was interested ir
obtaining an airport, on the fina
day for such applications. The
Smyrna-Clayton airport would be
one of 800 smaller fields scheduled
to be built or improved in the first
year of the CAA program, at 6
cost to the federal government oil
1899, ,265 and to sponsors Of
$37 1892, 900. When Congress pass.
ed the national airport act last
year, it called on the agency tc
outline first the entire program
covering seven years and calling
for a federal outlay of $500,0O0,'
900.
No Large Fields
No provision was made for large
airports, Administrator T. P.Wright
said, because of a provision in the
act requiring that Congress ap'
prove all expenditures on sucf
fields. And the act did not be-
come law in time to obtain thai
approval for the current year, end
ing June 80, he added. President
Truman's budget message had this
to say on the subject: 'The detail
ed (CAA) estimates do not include
a recommendation for the federal
aid airport program. An estimate
for this item will be submitted fol
lowing completion of the natlona
airport plan" His message die
note, however, that the number o1
registered aircraft in the country
is expected to increase from 57,OOt
in 1916 to 117,00O in 1947 and tt
171,O00 in 1948. Three-fourths o.
all money provided by Congress
must be allocated among the states
according to a formula set up by
Congress. Any states share il
based half on its area and half OF
population. The remaining one
fourth goes to a discretionary funt
to be spent by the agency regard
less of state lines.
Oak Hill Social
A social get together will be helt