Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-09-13
'Skyway' Dinner
Told Of Start in
Marking Route
Guide Signs Pointed
Before First Survey
Flight, Reilly Reveals

How the marking of "Skyway
No. l" began even before the first
survey planes flew the route from
Los Angeles to Washington was
described last night at dinner at
the National Airport, welcoming the
survey party to the Eastern terminus
OF the new skyway for private flyers.
The actual painting Of official signs
to guide pilots on the course has
begun in some Western States, while
active support Of the project spon-
sored by the Washington Board Of
Trade and the Los Angeles Chamber
of Commerce was pledged by civic,
trade and veterans groups along
the way, according to John A. Reilly,
president of the Board of Trade.
Mr.. Reilly, who accompanied the
survey squadron of three planes
from st. Louis, told several hundred
members of the trade board, the
Junior Chamber of Commerce, the
Aero Club of Washington and guests
that success of the project seems
assured, and he is confident the
skyway will bring many visiting air.
men to Washington.
Haste in East Urged.
c. S. Beesemyer, president of the
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce,
declared that Western volunteers
would do their part and advised
those on the Eastern end of the
route to get busy or they might be
left behind.
A progress report was made to
the dinner by Mrs. Blanche Moves.
chief of air marking for the Civil
Aeronautics Administration, which
has approved the skyway, and pilot
of one of the three survey planes.
Mrs. Moves said the party was
received with enthusiasm and
pledges Of cooperation on almost
20 stops along the route from Los
Angeles to Abilene. Tex, and thence
on the northern leg of the skyway
through Oklahoma City, st. Louis,
Dayton, Columbus and Pittsburgh.
Publishers of leading newspapers
in Arizona and other prominent
citizens, Mrs. Moves said, promised
that every town Of more than 100
population and every city would be
suitably marked along the 40-mile-
wide route, and that work on the
signs already has begun in Okla
homa.
Testifies to Need.
The veteran woman pilot, who
has supervised the marking of air
ways for the last u years, spoke
from personal experience of the
need for suitable signs to guide
pilots who lack the equipment or
experience to navigate by other than
visual means. Most of the old air
way markers either were eliminated
as q security measure during the
war or have become so weathered
they cannot be read from the air,
Mrs. Noyes said.
In addition to welcoming the
survey group, the dinner was called
to focus attention on the need for
an airport for private flyers within
the District, especially in view of
the fact that about $132 900 has been
earmarked for Washington under
the Federal-aid airport development
program.
The District Commissioners so far
have made no move to match any
part of this sum to get the project
under way, although local flyers and
CAA officials are agreed that one or
70 hi q
Federal land here.
Nothing Definite Offered.
+. While declaring that the time has
come for the District Commissioners,
the Board of Trade, the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion and other groups to get together
on a plan for development of small
airport, Brig. Gen. Gordon r. Young,
Engineer Commissioner, offered the
enthusiasts at last nights dinner
nothing definite as to the Commits
sioners' plans for matching at least
part of the Federal sum now avail
able for the second year.
He said, however, that Washington
is the logical Eastern terminus for
a skyway for non-scheduled aircraft
like the one projected and con-
graduated the promoters on an ex-
cellent beginning.
The need for an airport for pri-
vate flyers near downtown Wash
ington was emphasized by w. L.
Jack Nelson, chairman of the trade
boards Aviation Committee.
New Flight Starts Tuesday.
Mr.. Nelson and other officials OF
the trade body will accompany a
second survey flight leaving here
Tuesday on the Southern leg to
Abilene by way of Richmond,
Greensboro, Spartanburg, Atlanta,
Montgomery, Jackson, Shreveport
and Dallas.
In his first public address since
taking Office, John r. Alison, Assist
ant Secretary of Commerce for
Aeronautics, complimented the trade
groups on their initiative and imag-
nation in launching a project
which will encourage private flying,
benefit communities along the route
and perhaps serve as model for
similar skyways throughout the
country.