Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-03-06
Group contends-
Airport Doubtful
But Need Grows

Although it appears less certain that Mont
gomery County will build commercial airport,
at least one county organization has taken the
position that an airport is needed now more than
ever before.
1t is the unshakeabIe belief of the MontgonA
cry County Airport Committee that economic PROV
gress in Montgomery County is being stalled by
the lack of adequate airport facilities
At least half a dozen big businesses would
jump at locating in the county if there were an
airport here according to Cyril c. Thompson,
executive secretary of the committee.
Thompson, former vice. president of United
Arlines and an aircraft industry consultant with
offices in Washington, spelled out his views re-
Gently to the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.
"By industrial standards today Thompson
asserted "any community without an adequate
aircraft landing strip is isolated"
He told the Chamber that there are 5000 bust
ness organizations in the nation that use .26,000
airplanes for buying, selling and for administra-
tive travel MANY of these companies could be
attracted to Montgomery County to add much
needed industrial property to the tax rolls if the
county had an attractive closein small airport"
Thompson said.
AS evidence for this argument Thompson
offered a letter from the New York Wire Cloth
Co., which has acquired the old Lofstrand factory
in Rockville
Stanley c. Smith, vice president of the COM
pany, wrote: "In our business we rely upon time
saving modern transportation by airplane. We
have established our subsidiary plant (here) with
the understanding that there will be improved
airport very soon for use by ourselves, our Gus
toners and related industries.
with the main plant in York, Pa, members
of our staff have frequent need for transporta
ton BY rail and taxi through the congested Dis
trict of Columbia, such trip takes from three to
four-anda-haf hours one way.
'"The company-owned airpIane, kept at Con-
gressiOnal Airport enables us to make the 6O-mile
trip-Office door to office doOr-in As minutes,
That includes only 20 minutes in the air.
with our own airplane we can travel at any
hour of the day without waiting for the infre.
quent schedules of any form of public Transports
ton. We are very hopeful that the county plan
ners will arrange an attractive and improved
county airport somewhere near the location of
the Congressional field.
"The ground time needed in getting to and
from an airport can very easily cancel out the
advantage of travel by air" Smith said.
Within a radius of 400 miles of Rockville,
Thompson said, is the most thickly populated
and best general market in the United States
All cities in this zone from 10 minutes to two
hours flying time from Rockville he said
Shortly after the Committee was formed two
years ago, Thompson said approximately 100 air.
craft owners expressed e ire to rent either
hangar space or tie-down space at close-n air.
port.
Approximately 300 well-known corporations
indicated they would use a county airport Thomp
son revealed. Some of those which probably
would use county airport were Aluminium Com
pany of America, Bethlehem Steel, Crane Co.,
Dow Chemical, Eastman Kodak Fruehauf Trailer
Co.. etc., Thompson told the Chamber
Only two weeks ago. the Civil Aeronautics
Administration informed the county that not
enough progress has been made in order to qualify
for Federal matching grant of $275,OOO for an
airport The CAA asked the county to relinquish
its claim on the money
The county has until March 81 to submit con
structon plans and specifications to the CAA A
project application must be submitted to the CAA
by May Is in order to qualify for the tentative
Federal ALLEGATION