Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-02-17

Joseph I. Geuting, jr., man.
ager of the Aerospace Indus
tries Associations utility air.
plane council, will be more than
glad to document his recent
report on the spectacular
growth Of the business and
utility aircraft business.
One Of his better close-to-
home examples likely would be
the two-year-old East Coast
Flying Service, originated here
and now operating out Of Ma
tional airport and the Martins
burg, w. Va, airport.
Two years ago, the strictly
hometown talent Of Ross Lips
comb and r. L. Calhoun, start
ed the operation with a small
flying school and taxi service
Mr.. Lipscomb, president OF
Barber g. Ross, building sup
plies company, is an avid flyer;
owns his own Aero Commander
Mr.. Calhoun, an eager pilot
who holds every certificate the
FAA can offer except that Of
traffic controller, is an on-leave
instructor for Capital Airlines
The beginning came with a
leased Aero Commander.
Late last month, East Coast
took over operation of the air
port at Martinsburg, dividing
its fleet of four light twin
engine planes, three single
engine BOnanzas and a dos
between National and Martins
burg. operating on a 24-hour
basis with airline transport
rated pilots.
Basic reasoning of the busi-
ness founding seems simple
enough in retrospect: Belief
that by selling contracts or
blocks Of time to companies
that wanted and needed per-
sonal air transportation, but
didn't utilize the plane enough
to make it economically feas-
ible, I'VE could build a profit
able business"
Bread and butter" phase of
the operation is contracts with
several firms which guarantee
East Coast a minimum number
Of hours per month with no
maximum.
-
One day last week, Gilbert
Illch stepped outside the Aero
Chevrolet showrooms at King
and Henry streets in Alexan-
dria to have his picture taken
along with a few Of his wares.
Forty years ago to the day,
his father, william G. Illch
assumed a similar pose, also
with a few of his wares, in
GLIDING Chevrolets whose run
ming boards and continental
kits were standard equipment.
In the years between, Aero
has sold some 10000 new and
used cars. more than twice as
many as there were automo-
biles registered in all of WASH
ington in 1920. Taking the
good old days" with the bad
old days." Aero became the
areas Oldest Chevrolet dealer.
Through the good and the
bad years, the firm has stead
lastly refused to sell one par
ticular Chevrolet - a 400
Model, circa 1920. which Will
liam G. nlch bought from a
Pennsylvania tourist who was
waylaid by a mishap here
while enroute to Florida.
The elder nlch is now chair
man Of the board, but If it's
"reminiscences you want, Vice
President E. Eyrle Harrington,
one Of Aero's original en-
ployes, is there day-by day to
produce it.
In its 144-year-old building,
which was dressed up in a new
stone facade in 1850, the firm
Is observing its 40th anniver-
sary with a month-long OBJ
servance.
Motor Life Magazine, which
last month reported results of
a poll voting the 1860 Ford as
the tops, is reporting in It's
March issue that Ford is ZEN
ergetically working on a front
drive design for its next big
engineering change"
In many a press conference,
auto builders have been asked
how the transmission hump"
can be taken out of the auto
floor.
The front-wheel drive is usu-
ally listed as one possibility by
most of them. but none has
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