The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1948-04-15

On the other hand we quote
from a letter and report from
Charles S. King, district air.
port engineer, and John F. Bull
lard, general airport engineer,
Civil Aeronauties authority, Hell
ena, comparing the county air
port and the Playground strip
as follows:
"a cost estimate concerning
the development of the fair
ground site has been tentively
set at approximately $4,000. The
expenditure would supposedly
provide a landing strip about
200 feet wide by about 1000
feet long with a 50-foot gravel
stabilized strip along the CEN
ter, part of which would be
oiled. Our experience in high
way work and in airport de
velopment leads us to believe
that the above estimated cost
is somewhat low. The provision
of a sufficient and adequate
amount of gravel to provide
sufficient stability and the pro-
vision of an oiled surface that
would have any adequate stabil-
ity and life could not in our
opinion, be accomplished with
in that amount of money. An
inadequate amount of gravel
and oil would be a waste of
money and effort. We would
be inclined to believe that the
most practicable type of de-
velopment on this site, if &C
complished at all, would be to
provide a we'll crowned drain
able strip with a dense turf
that could be relied upon for
use ah-high percentage of the
time. This site, even when de-
veloped to the extent discussed
above, would not be, in our OPP
inion, a good site for aero
nautical training purposes and
student work. 1t certainly would
not be a suitable site for a
lighted airport involving night
operations. This is all due to
the proximity of existent OBJ
StructionS such as buildings,
pole lines, towers, etc."
We might sum up our own
opinion in this way-The fair
grounds air strip is the site of
the present-the county airport
is the site of the future. Heavy
planes will not be able to land
on either airport under present
DEVELOPMENT plans-eXcept for
emergency landings. A start on
the county airport will make it
easier to develop it for heavier
faster planes-Which may well
be the private planes of the
future, with much less effort.
We feel that the airstrip on
the fairgrounds could be de-
veloped sufficiently to be useful
to local and county flyers at
very little cost. The rancherS
cannot take off from their own
private strips in bad weather,
and an all-weather strip here
would mean little to them. 1t
would be of value only to the
transient flyer. It is therefore
our opinion that expenditure
for an all-weather strip on the
Playground is probably not just
flied. Well hear and publish
any arguments to the contrary,
Our correspondent fails to
understand what the student
training program being urged
is. The big argument along that
line is flight training under the
I. Bill of Rights, and that,
can assure you, will cost
the trainee far less than SIS an
hou:.
We are a trifle irritated at
the remark about the golf
club. Our correspondent should
really attend the meetings
where this matter is discussed
if he is so interested in the af-
fair. The persons who have
been most active in supporting
the county airport are not
golfers. The Fort Custer Golf
club has not at any time taken
any aggregate action in the
matter. So far as we know, it
has not even been brought up
at any meeting Of the club. 1t
was certainly not discussed at
the first spring meeting this
year. We were there and we
know. A road to the county air
port would also serve the golf
club, of course, but the present
road is easy enough to get over
in any weather that is dry
enough for golf anyway-and
as far as the club is concerned
the road is anything but a vital
issue. r."
Now as to the matter of
roads. Whether our correspon-
dent believes it or not, the
money in the airport fund can
not be transferred to the road