Evening star., 1957-11-01
Low-FIyinq Planes

the SKY" Inc complaints
registered by Mrs. Genevieve
Schoenfeld in her appeal for
relief from low-fiying air
craft are the same which I
and my neighbors have been
making for years. / have
heard these lamentations
from persons, not only in one
section Of the District but
many, and all Of these citi-
zens are justified in object
ing to the increasing and
dangerous nuisance caused
by low-hyings commercial
aircraft which use National
Airport.
Airplanes taking of here
are supposed to follow the
Potomac River to Chain
Bridge and then, flying at
1900 feet, turn north or
west. However. commercial
airliners. struggling to gain
altitude. just turn off any
place they please. and thun-
DER over any densely popu-
lated area Except around
the White House, at dam
gerous attitudes. In an edi-
torial in The Star of
November 4, 1855, which.
strangely enough, had the
same title as Mrs. Schoen-
fields letter. Noise in the
Sky" 1t was stated, accord
ing to Brig. Gen. Milton w.
Arnold. USAF, retired. vice
president of the Air Trans
port Association, that the
roar Of commercial airliners
was going to be shifted
southwark to the Potomac
River. 1t seems as though but
lew airlines or their pilots
ever "got the word" It is to
De imagined that this deci-
sion to use the Potomac River
was made Just to pacify the
iong-suf1ering public, hoping
tney would soon forget about
What. then. can be done
10 avert a tragedy, which
must come to Washington.
II the airlines and their
pilots do not stop, in what
amounts to buzzing densely
populated areas? Appar-
emily. the only recourse is To
bring suit against the air.
lines operating in the WASH
lngton area. Already, at
least one citizens group, the
Burleith Citizens Association.
Is considering such a move
according to Charles r.
Richey. an attorney, who is
president of this group.
Perhaps the Federation of
Citizens Associations could
tackle this very real prob
lem. The real estate busi-
ness Of Washington should
also realize that low-fiy-
ing aircraft are damag-
ing property values. In
the old days, persons were
said ito live on the wrong
side Of the tracks" Today.
thanks to the airlines, whole
sections Of Washington are
being made into undesirable
places in which to live.
Native WashingtOnian,
] own a pharmacy which
is located on the boundary
between the areas Of two Of
the citizens associations of
Washington. Naturally. I
meet many persons from both
areas and representatives
from their citizens groups.
For years. both Of these
groups have been talking and
complaining Of the noise and
danger Of airplanes flying
low over their houses.
schools. and hospitals in the
Georgetown-Burleith areas.
As i, myself, listen to these
climbing planes. loaded with
gasoline, and flying close to
neighborhood buildings, I
cannot help but wonder what
even our fire department
could do If one of these
airliners should crash into a
house. I think the best
answer to my question about
all such crashes was given
in The Star about two years
ago when a plane hit three
homes in Charleston, 8. c.,
killing at least IL. The Star
at that time. stated. "The
plane on a night fight APP
parently hit a tree in the
densely populated Liberty
Park community and struck
three homes. Flaming de-
bris was hurled over q wide
area" Is that what we have
to look forward to here?
I wonder how long I could
conduct my own business
here. II I were to make even
q half of the noise, danger
and nuisance that the air
lines are causing over Wsch-
ingtonH Harold n. Elwym.