AMERICAN AVIATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 6

AMERICAN AVIATION

TRANSPORT EFFICIENCY

ACTIVITY AT CHICAGO

WORK AT BUSY AIRPORT*

"Hello, Chicago. T.W.A. plane call, ing at 2500 feet 10 miles east 0 { ground." £

"All 0.K., T.W.A. Visibility good and air clear of traffic," replies the corurol tower at the Chicago municipal airport

About three minutes later a Douglas airliner lands and unloads passengers who boarded at New York less than five hours previously. The average speed for the journey has been 200 miles an hour.

This is a typical incident in the daily and nightly routine at the busiest airport in the United States. A close check is kept on the movements of aircraft through Chicago, and last year 64,000 machines landed or took off at the ground. This is an average of about 175 aeroplanes in 24 hours. Eight large aeroplane companies operate there, and thousands of passengers are annually transported to and from other important centres. There has been no fatal accident at the airport since it was opened six years ago. Exchange of Messages

Inside the control tower is a scene of ceaseless -exchange of messages by wireless telephony. Every few seconds voices call out the position of unseen aeroplanes, and the operator responds with his report and instructions. The control tower maintains a two-way communication with commercial aeroplanes within a radius of 10 miles. .Messages are received on loudspeakers, and a separate wireless set is kept tuned in to the wave-length of each company. At times the operator jots down the position of more distant machines in a log book, recording their progress between Chicago and the nest landing ground. All the most modern types of aircraft are to be seen at this busy and interesting airport. The famous Douglas airliner is in constant use between Chicago and New York and also on the transcontinental route. This type of machine flew with great success in the England-Melbourne Air Race, the actual aeroplane having; been taken off normal' service for the purpose of competing. The present schedule between Los Angeles and New York, if multiplied to give an equivalent distance, is flown at precisely the same speed as that taken by the winning de Havilland Comet. The Boeing Transport, which was flown by Captain Koscoe Turner and Mr. Clyde Pangborn. is also used- extensively on American air routes. Night Air Services Night air services, with sleeping compartments on each aeroplane, are features of recent development in American commercial aviation. Four different companies specialise in coast-to-coast flights over various routes. The fastest will carry a passenger across the continent in a night's journey, leaving New York at 4 p.m. and arriving at Los Angeles at 7 a.m. the following day. The journey eastwards is made in faster time because of the prevailing following wind. It was not until the air race had been flown that the rest of the world was furnished with undeniable evidence of America's supremacy in manufacturing the fastest commercial aircraft. Her transport companies have received liberal Government support and subsidies, which enabled them to place contracts for high-performance aircraft, without so much regard to the cost The wisdom of this assistance is reflected in the universal prestige which is now attached to American aircraft. The network of air lines covering the huge continent represents the most up-to-date and efficient transport svsteni that has yet been attained.