Arizona sun., 1948-02-20
Farmers With Wings Require
Landing Strips for Safety
Improved Fields
Needed as Ranks
Of Pilots Increase
By WALTER A. SHEAD
WNU Washington Correspondent.

With the nations farmers
literally taking to the air, not
only for the thrill of flying
their own airplanes, but also
for commercial purposes,
Civil Aeronautics admins
tration is becoming concerned
about the safety of these fly
ing farmers, particularly in
the matter of take-off and
landing.
Available statistics indicate there
are possibly 10000 farmers who
own and fly their own planes -
planes all the way from small one
man light ships to heavier classifca-
tons such as the Douglas DC-3.
So, according to CAA, what the
flying farmer and the potential
farmer with wings needs Isl land
ing field on his own farm. This is
not a particularly difficult obstacle
in the wide-open spaces and the
grass pasturelands of the West, but
in the Midwest and in the East and
South proper air strips or landing
fields pose some difficulties, particu-
larly in the matter of location, sur
face of the field and hazards sur
rounding the field, such as wires,
trees and homes of neighborS.
Cooperative Principle.
First, as matter of convent
ence and economy, CAA suggests
that two or more farmers with ad-
joining farms extend the principle
of the cooperative to the construc-
ton of landing strips that is,
wherever it is possible considering
the lay of the land, two, three or
four farmers with adjoining land
select a site which would trespass
upon the lands of ALL This would
mean that each farmer would give
up less land and that the expense
of construction and maintenance
would be less upon the individual.
The flying farmer does not
need an airport in the usual
sense of the word. All he needs
is a landing strip of sufficient
length with surface sufficiently
smooth and solid to bear the
weight Of light planes.
So, in most cases, his greatest
problem is one of drainage since
sod land or pasture land with short
grass crops such as alfalfa or other
low growing grasses will provide
sufficient solidity. Maintenance of
this kind of a surface becomes a
problem only if traffic is heavy and
if many heavy planes consistently
use the field.
Limited Space.
Space for safe operation of the
personal plane can be kept to a
minimum in several ways. Simplest
method, as pointed out, is to use
pasture land, which might involve
some danger to stock, but accom-
plishes the purpose of putting the
land to dual use and gives the plane
the best sod-covered field on the
farm for landing.
Several safety factors should
be taken into consideration in
selecting the site. For instance,
if the farmer is a cOnsiderate
man his take-Off path will not
be directly over his neighbOr's
house. If he is careful man, his
approach and take-Off paths
will not be over such hazards as
trees, hills or wires which will
add danger to his flying.
Obstacles in the approach path
usually cause the most trouble, par
ticularly for beginner flyers, and
what looks like an excellent location
for landing strip Immediately may
be condemned by an experienced
dier. Another important factor is
the prevailing wind If a single strip
| is used it should be laid out as
nearly as possible in that direction,
and if two strips are prepared by
flying farmer neighbors in coopera-
ton they should be laid out so as to