Evening star., 1953-05-24
Would Andrews Air Base Fill the Bill?
By Hugh Humphrey

gets uIlQ6E way WcO0CSOdy.
Omcials of the Civil Aero
nauticS Administration and
the Air Transport Association
will confer on the possibility
of converting Andrews Air
Force Base into a civilian-mili-
tary field.
National Airport, planned in
the late 1930s and opened in
1941, has outgrown itself.
Oddly, the runway space is
adequate for increased traffic.
Because of the latest equip
ment for navigation and land
ing airport officials estimate
they can handle a plane every
two minutes in rough weather
and more under good condi-
tions. That could mean at
least 720 planes day. The
average is about 600 now.
But, passenger and freight
facilities are overtaxed. More
than 246, 900 airline passengers
were handled last month. The
size of airliners is increasing
steadily. requiring greater sep
aration between them at the
terminals passenger gates,
which must be expanded soon.
More baggage space and
speedier handling is needed.
Cargo takes up a big chunk of
loading area. And the Mill
tary Air Transport Service
adds to the congestion by re-
quiring two large hangers
which could be used for civil
ian aircraft.
Executive Flying
Added to these reasons for
the rapid rise in National Air
port business is executive"
flying-the use of medium-size
airplanes by officials of big
business and industry. Hun
dreds of these planes, plus
dozens Of small private craft,
pour into National Airport
each week.
With the Burke, Va, alter
nate airport project apparently
dead of congressional refusal
to appropriate funds, Air
Transport Association, Spokes-
man for the scheduled air.
lines, and the Civil Aeronau-
tics Association have come up
with the Andrews proposal.
From an economic and operat-
ing standpoint, it seems to be a
better prospect than Burke.
The big military field is al
ready cleared and graded.
Similar processes make up a
large part of the expense in
the Burke plan. Reasonably
good access roads are available
and better highways are in
sight. While the base eventu-
ally might become a second Ma
tional airport in plush facili-
ties and appearance, it could be
put into operation with less
elaborate trappings.
Some experts enviSion its
primary use as an air cargo
terminal with facilities for the
non-scheduled airlines and the
executive" planes. They also
propose transfer of MATS to
the field. thereby releasing Ma
tional Airport buildings for air.
line use. With these conges-
ton factors eased, they feel
that National Airport could
handle the straight airline
traffic for many years, despite
plans to increase these flights
into Washington.
If some airlines are forced to
use the Andrews base, they
could operate a much-simpli-
fled terminal there, using their
established facilities at Ma
tional to handle most of the
traffic.
The CAA says aircraft traffic
control would have to be sep
arate from National because
Of safety factors. Plans for
administration of the new air
port, however. are somewhat
nebulouS now. 1t is possible
that an overall airport au-
thority could be set up to
administer operations at both
fields.
lrote Citizens
While the Alta and CAA
discuss their plans, an irate
group OF Prince Georges
County residents near An
dreWS will be mastering forces
to tight the project. Citizen
groups have branded the pro-
posal a menace to life. prop
erty and the pursuit of peace
and quiet in their neighbor-
hoods. They don't want civil
ian and military airplanes
mixing" over their homes.
According to the .CAA. An
dreWs' military flights are only
a third as large as the civil
ian traffic at National. If a
third of the flights at National
were diverted to Andrews, both
fields would be more OF less
balanced in their load. The
CAA discounts any hazard in
mixing" military and civil
ian flights by citing Chicago,
Miami, Cleveland and Denver
as a few large cities where
both types are handled by the
same alrports. 1t also points
out that in 1949. bicycles killed
II persons in the Nation while
airplaneS accounted for only
Is deaths through hitting
people on the ground.
From a safety point, there
seems to be little doubt that
commercial airline standards
are higher than military. But,
while there may be no danger
to lives and property in the
Maryland area. it's a sure bet
that the steady drone of air
liner engines over Andrews