IN ADVANCED STATE

Evening Star, Issue 21006, 21 January 1932, Page 12

IN ADVANCED STATE

FLYING IN AMERICA AIR LINE SERVICES Aviation is in a very advanced state in America at the present time, according to Flight-lieutenant G. B. Bolt, pilot-engineer to the Wellington Aero Club, who arrived at Auckland by the Sierra from San Francisco after a visit to the United States for the purpose of inspecting the latest type of American aeroplanes.

Interviewed by a ‘ Post ’ representative on his arrival in Wellington, Flight-lieutenant Bolt said that one of the most impressive features about aviation in America was the air-line services. So efficient and matter of fact had they become that passengers travelled in them with no more concern than travelling in a train. One of the most noticeable things about the conduct of the large air-iine services was that blind Hying was not practised when passengers were being carried. This greatly helped to alleviate any fears intending passengers might have. The larger passenger machines were fitted with wireless and received weather reports from headquarters every halfhour during the journey. When unfavourable weather conditions were reported ahead no risks were taken, and a landing was made at the nearest railway station and passengers were requested to finish their journey by train. Air travel had becoipe a recognised thing, and the air- services competed very keenly with the train services. In fact there had been a considerable falling off in passenger traffic on some of the latter services.

Some of the large American corporations employed aeroplanes to carry their directors and executive officers from place to place. These machines were sumptuously fitted with sleeping bunks and bathrooms. Central heating was also installed in some machines", the cabins being artificially heated in cold weather by means of pipes leading from the engines’ exhaust. Gas stoves were also fitted for cooking meals. Flight-lieutenant Bolt said that he was astounded at the number of airports in America. In Los Angeles alone there were about fifteen private and air-line aerodromes. They were scattered all over the country, so that no matter where a pilot might bo he could always find a safe landing ground. An additional feature was that all the main routes wore lighted every ten miles with beacon lights. Every air-port-had a revolving searchlight so that a pilot could distinguish it from' the ordinary lights of a city. Red lights were also installed to mark out the runways. One of the largest aerodromes in America was the United Airport, with a runway of 3,600 ft. To assist machines in landing at night eight searchlights, giving a total of 64,000,000 candlepower, illuminated the runways fiom the top of the direction tower. One could stand on this aerodrome and see a machine arrive every few minutes. It was a very exclusive landing ground, and one was not allowed to land m a cheap machine. A number of the airline pilots did not use the lights on the ground for landing at all, Tie said. They landed with the aid of spotlights mounted on the wings of their machines.

Perhaps the most interesting service was the Varney Speed Lanes, whose aeroplanes, carrying six i passengers, made two return trips each way daily between • San Francisco and Lo Angeles, covering the distance of 35' miles in lh 40mm. It was the onl; line really paying at the present time and so popular was it that one hai to book days ahead to be sure of r seat. Passenger fares by air-lines were only 20 to 40 per cent, higher than railway fares, with_ the result that the railways were feeling the competition keenly. \ Flight-lieutenant Bolt said that he was very impressed with the methods employed in gliding in America. “ They have a very safe and easy way of training the new chum,” he said. “They tow the glider with a motor car instead of launching it with rubber, so that the trainee is within 2ft of the ground and yet is actually flying. There is also less likelihood of the pilot damaging himself or the machine. It seems to be the most satisfactory way of training on level ground for the start. , They use a primary typo of glider constructed of steel, which allows for a lot of knocking about. They land at a speed of from fifteen to twenty miles an hour, and consequently can do little if any damage.”