Evening star. [volume], January 20, 1929, Page 11, Image 65

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
OCEAN AIR WEATHER
SERVICE IS URGED
* * * f. f r. • * -
Moffett Believes Accurate
Forecasts Necessary to
Aid Transportation.
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f '■ J "" "
• “f BY WILLIAM E. BERCHTOLD.
j (Associated Frees Aviation Editor.)
Boar Admiral William A. Moffett,
chief of the Navy's Bureau of Aero
- ’■autlcsv'believes a comprehensive ocean
weather service should be developed im
, mediately to meet the needs of future
transoceanic airship transportation.
He recommends that such a service
be developed as an international under
taking, since weather affecting airship
travel is not confined to national
boundaries.
“Air currerits are not so constant in
. . location, direction and speed from day
to day as are ocean currents,” Moffett
points out. "It is not sufficient, there
fore, to chart the average location, di
, rection and speed of air, currents by
months and years as we now do for reg
, ular oceanic shipping.
Certain Schedules Possible.
“It is necessary to know' the location,
direcfton-and speed of winds at flying
levels previous to the start of the flight,
__ ' and to select the most favorable route
on the basis of actual conditions.
“Once ocean weather service is de
veloped to the point that an accurate
forecast of the distribution of winds and
weather over the ocean can be made
each day, the schedules for airship
travel can be made with great cer
tainty.”
' To meet the needs of transoceanic air
travel, reports from ships in the North
Atlantic should be obtained three or
four times daily, so that the boundaries
between different upper wind currents
and their velocity can be determined
and followed with certainty, the admiral
says.
The reports should be spaced at ap
proximately six-hour intervals, to corre
spond as closely as possible with the
hours of observations in continental
Europe and the United States.
Radio Channels Important.
Suitable equipment for measuring at
mospheric conditions, similar to that
no# used on the NaVy's battleships and
cruisers, should be installed on all ships
at sea. Tha,t will eliminate Inaccuracies
which now, arise frequently from per
sonal estimates. !
While Washington and New York
now obtain weather reports from 5 dr
10 vessels aV sea. lt-will be necessary to
such information from dozens of
widely scattered ships in the future.
"Such a weather service would not
only give advice to airship navigators
concerning winds, but also’ would de
scribe areas covered by fog or Tain and
give the location of general storms,
squalls or hurricanes, so that the air
ship could give these violent conditions
wide berth,” Admiral Moffett says.
“The subject of proper radio channels
to enable ships at sea to file their re
ports with shore observatories is a high
ly important one that needs immediate
consideration. Regular radio traffic
from ships at sea is so voluminous as
to make speedy transmission a difficult
problem.”
Air Shuttle System Planned.
An attempt is being made to secure
the designation of cities in Georgia
and the Carolinas along the Eastern
seaboard as air mail stops. The plan
calls for a shuttle system between Sa
vannah and Greensboro byway of
Charleston. Georgetown, Wilmington
and New Bern, the cities desiring the
• new service.
lirfAGERLY BOUGHT . . .
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* ».•, . . * • ■ ? 'f'tfptr ’**' ' » i.* . **,y ‘ » < , j, :, { *
because of its greater value
- • * • - ,
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The motoring public has found some
thing in the new De Soto Six that sets it
completely apart from others in its field.
It is not surprising that a car so beauti
ful, so comfortable, so powerful and
responsive, and so safe and easy to drive
- . • ■ should find a ready market. *
< But it is significant that even such a car
should set a new sales record for the
j industry during the first five months of
? e its existence.
_ ’ . - , _ Faeton, $845; Road
the answer must he in a widespread ster Espanoi, $845;
public conviction that the genius and Sedan Coche, $845;
_ Cupe Business, $845;
■■ resources of Chrysler confer upon Sedan, tm-, Cupe de
De Soto a standard of value that is un- Lujo, ws; Sedan de
rj, . „ . Lujo,s9SS. All prices
matched by any car of comparable price. at factory.
... . 512 „ .
MAYFLOWER MOTORS, Inc.
2819 M Street N.W. Phone North 1104 '
Moneure Motor Co. , Associated Dealers
Quantico, Ya. Neumeyer Motor C 0.,. Inc. Honey Motor Co.
Moreland Motor Co. Frederick, Md.
Waldorf, Md. 1823 14th St. N.W. Phone North 7522
De Soto Six
A CHRYSLER MOTOR? PRODUCT -
OCEAN STORM CHARTS FOR FLYERS
Bg m "
Rear Admiral William A. Moffett (below), chief of the Navy’s Bureau of
Aeronautics, says the future of transoceanic air travel depends on the develop
ment of comprehensive ocean weather service. Maps should be available to
air navigators, he says. Special equipment, such as the aerological laboratories
on the U. S. S. Wright (above) would help form a network of weather stations
at sea. ,
BANDITS AND LINDY S VISIT
BUILD MEXICO'S AIR LINES
By the Associated Press.
MEXICO CITY, January 19.—Mexi
can oil field bandits and Col. Charles
A. Lindbergh inspired the establishment
and development, respectively, of com
mercial aviation In Mexico, although
neither was aware of the strange com
bination. .
Commercial planes were first used in
Mexico to avoid bandits. Regular pas
senger and mail air services evolved
as a result of the great aviation in
terest aroused throughout Mexico by
Lindbergh's non-stop flight from Wash
ington to Mexico City.
Millions of pesos for oil field pay rolls
have’been carried by air from Tampico
to. throughout the oil country,
to the discomfiture of the bandits, un
winged and impotent, able only to stand
on the ground and stare helplessly at
the money-laden messengers beyond
their grasp. This pay roll service con
tinues.
Meanwhile. Llndbergn flew to Mex
ico. The country went wild about avia
tion. George L. Rihl, an American,
originally from Washington. D. C., who
had started the air pay roll service in
the Tampico fields, decided the impetus
given aviation by Lindbergh made op
portune the launching of regular
passenger and air mail routes. His
judgment, wag justified.
The Mexican Aviation Co., of which’
he is president, now operates daily serv
ices between Mexico City and Tampico
and triweekly services between Vera
Cruz and Merida. It hopes to start
another regular service between Tam
pico and Brownsville. The Mexican
government operates another air-serv
ice between Mexico City and Laredo. s ;
THE SUNDAY STAR,- WASHINGTON, D. C..-~ JANUARY 30,. 7 029-UAT?T 4.
“If there had not been American
oil companies in the Tampico fields,
and if Lindbergh had not flown to
Mexico, commercial aviation develop
ment would not have come here so
quickly,” Mr. Rihl says.
The first commercial plane in Mexi
can service made the first Mexico
City-Taihpico flight in January. 1922,
and then began pay roll flights in the
oil fields. During the “boom” in the
Tampico fields in 1922 mid 1923 10
pay roll trips a week were made from
Tampico, carrying 500,000 pesos a week.
About three pay rolls a week are car
ried by airplane to different oil camps
at present. Mp. Rihl estimates that the
airplanes of his company have deliv
ered a total of perhaps 15,000,000 pesos
to oil field camps for pay rolls.
There has only been one loss. Sacks
containing 25.000 pesos were once drop
ped into a dense jungle instead of a
clearing where the money should have
landed.. That bit of jungle since has
been searched many times, but the
money has. not been found. The ground
is swampy, and the treasure probably
sank into the mud and water.
In addition to delivering money for
pay-?’foils, airplanes carry tools, equip
ment and supplies from Tampico to the
oti fields ana make frequent special
flights with oil men passengers to and
from the fields.
Until Lindbergh came to Mexico this
was entirely a "taxi service”—that is,
one of special trips, as ordered by cus
tomers, not a regular daily passenger
schedule. This regular service was in
augurated April 15, 1928, between Tam
pico, Tuxpan and Mexico City. Then
ALABAMA AIRPORT
CLAIMS HIGH RANK
Montgomery Making Bid to Be*
come the Hub of Southern
Aviation Activities.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (A*).— Near the
center of a circle, the circumference of
which is 800 miles and including more
than a dozen larger cities of the United
States, Montgomery is making a bid to
become the hub of Southern air ac
tivities. '<!■
Maxwell Field, local Government air
port, is the home of the 22d Observa
tion Squadron and 4th Photo Sec
tion, under command of Maj. Walter
R. Weaver. Last year the War Depart
ment insured the permanence of the
post with the expenditure of more than
$250,000 for buildings and equipment.
Maxwell Field is so situated that the
field can be expanded to almost five
times its present 4 size over territory
which is flat and sparsely wooded, ideal
terrain for a flying field. Within
stone's throw of the-Alabama River,
surrounded by a wide barren valley, the
field, airmen point out, is available for
bombing and proving grounds.
Planes from the Pensacola air sta
tion, a three-hour flight, may conduct
maneuvers in conjunction with land
planes here, using the river on which
to land.
The flying field is at the southern end
of the Appalachian chain, the surround
ing country making it especially adapt
able to flying. The field is on an air
line with Washington, Fort Bragg and
Fort Benning, both Infantry posts; New
Orleans and other centers of air ac
tivity.
“Because of the natural location and
the fine terrain surrounding Maxwell
Field,’’ Maj. Weaver says, “this is the
logical post to be designated for the
gateway for East-West air travel, Down
the Atlantic seaboard from Washington
there are no difficult mountains to ne
gotiate and from here on to the West
the country is excellent for flying; there
are no mountains and there are numer
ous localities available in the event of
a forced landing.”
An average of 28 flying days each
month is a record which Maj. Weaver
says he believes unsurpassed in any
other section of the country.
A shaft of light projected from Max
well Field may be seen by pilots for 80
miles.
TRANSPORTATION OF SICK
BY AIR TO BE STUDIED
Aeronautics Congress on Public
Health to Open in Paris
May 15. ' *
The transportation of the sick and
injured by air both in peace and war
will be considered at the first Inter
national Congress of Aeronautics as
Applied to public health, to be held in
Paris May 15 to 20. A demonstration
of ambulance planes will be held at Le
Bourget airport.
The congress will consider the use of
ambulance planes In colonial posses
sions, the use of planes to remove
wounded from the battle front, ambu
lance seaplanes, the Red Cross in aero
nautics, medicine and aeronautics,
physiology and aeronautics, the air am
bulance in times of peace and kindred
subjects.
followed the Mexican government’s
Mexico City-Laredo mail service, and
next came the Mexican Aviation Co.'s
Vera Crus-Merida, Yucatan triweekly
passenger and mall service.
CHENEY AWARD FOR BRAVERY
IN AIR GIVEN TO 'UZAL G. ENT
Valor of Army Air Corps Sec*
. ond Lieutenant Wins
Medal.
Fought Flaming Balloon in
Races to Save Body
of Comrade.
Second Lieut. Uzal G. Ent, Army Air
Corps, stationed at Langley Field, Va.,
has been, designated to receive the
Cheney award for the year 1928 for the
year's outstanding deed of valor and
self-sacrifice in aeronautics, it was an
nounced last night by the War Depart
ment.. Lieut. Ent, in addition to the
Cheney riled*!,, will receive a Cash award
of SSOO.
, . The incident, which won the Cheney
award for the,.young balloon officer oc
curred during the national elimination
balloon race which started from Bettis
Field, Pittsburgh, May 30.. Lieut. Ent
flew' in'the 'race as aide to Lieiit. Paul
Evert, pilot of the Army Air Corps' en
try in the race.
Shortly after the start of the race,
and while at an altitude of 1,200 feet
over Youngwood, Pa., the Army balloon
ran into a severe electrical storm and
the balloon was struck by lightning.
Lieut. Evert was killed, the balloon set
afire and Lieut. Ent shocked so-that his
left leg and right arm were paralyzed
temporarily.
Tries to Revive Comrade.
Despite his own injuries and the
gravity of his situation, Lieut. Ent tried
to revive his companion, thinking he
was still alive. Meanwhile the burning
balloon was descending at an alarming
rate of speed, with the likelihood of ex;
ploding at any moment. Had he con
sidered his personal safety alone Lieut.
Ent could have jumped from the bal
loon and landed safely with his para
chute, but, relieved of, his weight, the
balloon would have ascended and. after
burning, would have had a dead fall of
several thousand feet, destroying what
ever spark of life might have remained'
f* Eoonomlettf Tmntpot**#*•
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. , *;
, ■ •■* M * ” - . j > w*- .«
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f ,T
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I
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\
I.IEUT. VZAL G. ENT,
•Army Air Corps, who has been awarded
the Cheney medal for the oustanding
feat of aeronautical heroism during
1028. The medal is shown below.
.in Lieut. Evert’s body, declared the
Army board whifh made the award.
Not being certain of Lieut. Evert’s
condition, Lieut. Ent risked death when
■he chase to remain with the balloon.
By throwing out of the balloon basket
all the available ballast he succeeded
In checking its rapid descent and
landed on the bank of a stream with
but little jar. When the balloon was
about 15 feet off the ground, the gas
bag had completely burned away from
the basket.
Second in Air Corps Honored.
Lieut. Ent is the second member of
the Army Air Corps to receive the
Cheney award, the first one being pre
sented to Master Sergt. Harry Chapman
last year for conspicuous bravery in
the airship Roma disaster of February.
1921. The medal was awarded to
Lieut. Ent by a board composed of
Brig. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulouis. as
sistant chief of the Air Corps: Maj.
L. W. Mclntosh, executive, and Maj.
Ira Longanecker, chief of the informa
tion section, with the approval of Maj.
Gen. James E. Fechet, chief of the
Air Corps. . ... .
The Cheney award was established
in memory of Lieut. William H. Cheney.
Air Corps, who was killed in an air
collision at Foggia. Italy. January 20,
1918. The donors are Mrs. Mary L. C.
Schofield, Peterboro, N. H., and Mrs.
Ruth Cheney Streeter, Morristown,
N. J.. mother and sister of Lieut, Che
ney., who set aside a trust fund of
$15,000 to be used in making up the
award.
Lieut. Ent was born at Northumber
land. Pa.. March 3, 1900. He left
school to enlist in the aviation section
of the Signal Corps during the World
War. serving through the enlisted
grades in the lighter-than-air branch
of the Air Corps until he was appointed
as a cadet at the United States Mili
tary Academy, from which he was
graduated in 1924. He was graduated
from the Balloon and Airship School,
Scott Field. 111., and was rated balloon
observer and airship pilot on June 29,
1926.
The heroic conduct of Lieut. Ent also
won him the distinguished flying cross,
which recently was awarded.
TEST RADIO ON FLIGHTS.
Several test flights were made re
cently at Wright Field, Ohio, in the
Fokker C-2 radio laboratory plane of
the Army Air Corps to measure antenna
characteristics, it has been announced
here. Approximately six more hours of
flying will be required to complete these
measurements.
A new radio beacon receiver which
utilizes a six-foot vertical antenna also
has been installed in an 02-C plane and
has been found much more suitable for
radio beacon work than the one using
a trailing wire antenna. The beacon
zone is narrowed nearly one-third and
the directional effect,of the antenna is
eliminated, making the zone more
sharply defined.
FLYING INSURANCE
RATES ARE LOWER
ar — V
Policies Are Now Being Written
at 40 Per Cent Less Then
in 1922.
--- - *
Aeronautical insurance policies of all
classes are being written today ( at an
average premium rate 40 per cent
lower than when the first policies were
written in 1922, seven years ago, ac
cording to a survey just completed by
the American Air Transport Associa
tion.
One of the outstanding developments
recently In the aviation insurance field
has been the entrance of new under
writing firms, which now are compet
ing with the old-line life insurance
companies in writing this type Os in
surance.
The selling of airplanes on the in
stallment plan, the same as automo
biles, recently has come into vogues and
the insurance companies now are pre
pared to cover such transactions. Time
buyers of airplanes make a mjnjmum
down payment of one-third plus stand
ard finance charges.
Os the 50 leading insurance compa
nies in the United States and Canada,
42 have eliminated the former prevail
ing anti-airplane travel clauses, and
the remaining 8 have more oi leas
modified clauses.
Insurance coverage for airplanes is
inclusive, repaying for losses by Are,
theft, winds, crashes, public liability,
property damage and passenger haz
ards if passengers are carried for' hire.
In case of a plane costing 121,000. the
present Insurance rates against all haz
ards cost $3,750, more or less, depend
ing upon three main factors—type of
plane, pilot’s record and character of
proposed service.
■ •
Enters Aircraft Engine Field.
The Lycoming Manufacturing Co., a
subsidiary of the Auburn Automobile
Co., has entered the aircraft engine
field, after nearly two years of experi
menting, it has been announced. The
company has on display at the New
York Automobile Show a 185-horse
power nine-cylinder radial air-oooled
motor and plans to be m production on
a basis of 175 engines per month by
April 1. ;
11