Eagle Speaks Again

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics MacCracken exercised his persuasive powers, induced Col. Charles Augustus Lindbergh to fly from New York to Washington last week, to tell a joint committee of Congress what sort of airport the capital ought to have. To the Committee, headed by air-minded Senator Bingham of Connecticut, Col. Lindbergh laid down the following specifications :

1) A field at least one mile square, having hard surface runways.

2) As near to the heart of the city as possible.

3) A good hotel and restaurant at the field.

4) Tunnels underground so that passengers could cross the field without danger of being run down.

Lindbergh dicta: "I do not think we have any airports in the U. S. today that may be considered models for the future. Two or three are now being constructed, but we have nothing to compare with those in Europe.

"If the port is an hour's ride from the city, it takes away the advantage of flying time. On a trip from New York or Philadelphia to Washington, the time required going to and from distant landing fields would add so much to the flying time as to leave little advantage over railroad transportation.

"Fog flying will have more effect on future air transportation than anything else. For landing we will, I think, be able to use intersecting radio beams, sonic altimeters and other instruments.

"We will be able to land on a field we cannot see. Fog flying is hazardous now, but I expect that within the next few years we will be able to fly through almost any kind of weather. So that conditions being somewhere near equal in regard to fog, I think distance from the city would be of primary importance."

Seldom a handshaker, Col. Lindbergh is even less often a "joiner." For him it has been boasted that the only air clubs to which he belongs are the Caterpillar club (parachutests) and the Q. B. (Quiet Birdmen). Last fortnight he paid $1,000 to join Aviation Country Clubs, Inc., electing as his home club the one which is to be erected at Hicksville, L. I.