U.S. AIRPORT WILL RIVAL THOSE OF RAIL AND SEA TERMINALS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6804, 7 January 1929, Page 10

U.S. AIRPORT WILL RIVAL THOSE OF RAIL AND SEA TERMINALS

| Transport by Plane Develops Rapidly PASBBKOBBS, MERCHANMSU MAILS DEALT WITH Air transportation is developing so rapidly in the United States that airports to-day. are taking on the activity of railway and shipping teiminals, with planes coming and going,_ passengers arriving and departing, mail bags ana merchandise maintaining their old intimate relations with sturdy trucks, ticket windows, bulletin boards, porters ana annpunccrs all performing rheir familiar functions but tor a now and swifter medium. Typical of the larger air terminals spread over the United .States, ships drop out of the sky, unload, reload and climb up again to disappear to a dozen points of the compass with matter of-i'act regularity at the Chicago Municipal Airport. The business of transporting passengers and freight over the airways goes on here throughout the full round of the clock in a manner that suggests that it has been going on for ages rather than for the very few years of its development. Actually, a spectator stationed in the middle of the licld might count 30 scheduled arrivals and departures daily, with a considerably larger number of unscheduled flights. . Terminus for Eight Lines. According to AY. P. MacCraekcn Jr., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, the Chicago airport is the busiest one',in the United States. If is a tranfer point and terminus for eight major lines operating on fixed daily schedules, with a number of taxi and sight-seeing services, two aviation schools aud many private activities. On a fair day 5000 people visit the airport with an average of 500 taking flights in more than 30 planes used in the sight-seeing service. As many as J 2,000 people havo been counted at the airport in a single week, moro than 1000 taking rides in 200 flights. Prom the middle of the nearly milesquare field, ..10 hangars arc seen, six on the cast side aud four on the south side. Automobiles crowd the parking spaces at the sides of the hangars. Visitors are kept from swarming over the field by chains strung along in front of the hangars. AVhen a plane is brought out of ’the hangar to bo warmed up, these chains and the supporting posts arc let down to open the way to the field. Wait for “All Aboard!” ' Passengers waiting for the cry of “All Aboard!” stay in waiting rooms provided in the hangars by the various lines, or join, the throngs of eager spectators and friends who must see everything that goes on. Take an ordinary day. Ono of tho giant Pord tri-motored monoplanes is bc-ing warmed up for tho flight to Minneapolis. The propellers are started and soon all three arc harmonising iu the same key. Bags of mail arc hustled out from tho post office, which has a special building ail its own; express packages arc delivered from a truck, the pilot signing for their receipt. During this lime the passengers have been saying good-bye to their friends or watching tho proceedings. Finally they get the word to board, and they climb in, one by one, each with a single piece of baggage. Twelve enter this big* plane. Then the pilot, who has been working with his mechanic in the cockpit, climbs out and disappears. Gets Reports and Starts. Where has ho gone? Either ducked 'into telephone booth to call up tho field office of tho United States Weather Bureau, or walked over to that office himself. If he walks over, he gets a written report describing the weather he is likely to encounter at each stage Of his journey. Ho gets details as to ceiling, visibility, wind, temperature, barometer readings and any remarks. He also gets a report cn what to expect in different layers of air, every 1000 feet or so up to OSOO feet. Stuffing the report into a pocket of his overalls, the pilot hastens back to the ship, climbs in, calls for tho blocks to bo removed from the landing wheels, speeds up his propellers and heads toward the centre of tho field. He follows (ho directions indicated by the flags of a traffic officer iu the centre of the field. The flagman points out tho runway which will enable the ship to take off into the teeth of tho wind. AVilh a sudden increase) in the speed and roar of tho engines, the ship shoots down the runway. Shortly in its rush it begins to leave the ground. It makes a left hand turn of the field and then settles on its course. No Waiting for Tides. It takes vastly less time to put a ship into the air, with its passengers and its cargo, than it does to put a ship to sea. There is no waiting for tides, no tooting of whistles, no long trip down the bay or down the river saluting all passing ships, and no tugs to sec that the ship keeps in the channel. At the airport it is all over in a few seconds—a rush and the ship is away. Coming down it is ;he same. Suddenly a ship swoops down without warning, lands, and taxics up to its homo hangar and unloads. It will be inspected by a crew of mechanics, oiled and refueled while the pilot eats lunch, goes to town or takes a nap. In a few hours it is loaded again and oil' it goes.