Evening star., 1962-01-10

Now that the Civil Aero
nautics Board has given the
airline customer recourse in
event Of overlooking, the pas
senger is turning his attention
to an old complaint.
National Airport's telephone
operators have an average Of
so telephone calls per day from
travellers seeking information
on what airline flies from here
10 Somewhere.
Years ago, under the Civil
Aeronautics, Administration,
National had. an information
center similar to that operated
by the railroads at Union Sta
tion-a central answering point
with information on all pas
senger train movements in and
out of the terminal.
At the time it cost CAA about
$14,8000 a year to maintain
an answering staff of four on
an 18-hour day basis. Then it
was discontinued for economy
reasons.
With the airlines now strug-
Cling to find a way out of the
economic forests, this may not
be the proper time to consider
s an airline-f financed informa-
tion center, but the customers
are talking.
National Airport operators
usually refer queries to an in
dividual carrier. Airline offices
in Washington are generally
cordial with information on
flights, even those of the op-
position lines.
The airlines and the Federal
Aviation Agency are in their
second day of negotiations over
the use of Dulles International
Airport today.
AS has been pointed out, no
airline has announced def
initely that 1t will use the new
civil jet base, but Northwest
Orient has asked the CAB for
authority to discontinue
Friendship Airport and renew
service to Washington with
jets-which could only mean
Dulles.
Tsut when they start count
ine. "firsts," honors for the
initial request for counter space
and operating rights must go
to Washington based Pilgrim
HelicOpter Services, Inc.
Almost two years ago, Pill
: grim made its request for space
in the terminal and in hangers.
Trans World Airlines this
week has been showing off its
Bendix Doppler navigation sys-
tenn to airline representatives
In Kansas City.
The Doppler system, in case
you came in late, is basically
this: The system projects four
radar beams from the aircraft
to the ground Cor water). A
sensor aboard the plane pin
points the ground speed, head
ing and how much it may have
drifted off-course. A navi-
gational computor aboard en-
ables the pilot to set a pre-
determined course. TWA has
been using Doppler on its over
seas aircraft.
The fourth annual Army
Aviation Contract Services
symposium will be held at the
Hotel Washington January 20,
sponsored by the National
AerOnautical Services AssOcia-
tiOn.
The association is an organ
ization of major firms over the
Nation performing aircraft
maintenance, m o dific a ton,
flight and technical training,
base maintenance and the like
under Government contract.
i
American AirlineS, which last
week set new, one-day pas
senger traffic record of 27.5
million miles, has taken de-
livery of the first of its Or
dered fleet Of Convair $50
AstrojetS.
Jack M. Slichter, vice .presi-
dent Of traffic for the Air
Transport Association, has
named four directors to head
the service section into which
the Associations traffic de-
partment is being reorganized.
They are: George A. Bu-
chanan, director of passenger
services; Robert b. Minogue,
special market services: Gerald
j. Godbout, cargo services, and