Airports & Airfields History

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COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURELIBRARY


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Cornell UniversityLibrary

The original of tiiis book is intine Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions inthe United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924015365657


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Municipal LandingFields and Air Ports

With chapters by the Chief of theArmy Air Service, the Director ofNaval Aviation, and their officers incharge of Landing Field Operations

Compiled and Edited byGeorge Seay Wheat

Illustrated and With a Map

G. P. Putnam's SonsNew York and LondonZbe fcnicltecbocftet ptess

1920


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Copyright, 1920BY

GEORGE SEAY WHEAT


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Cornell University LibraryTL 725.W56Municipal landing fields and air ports; w

3 1924 015 365 657

{TOTHE WRIGHT BROTHERS


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FOREWORDTransportation is an ever-present problem of

civilization, and every improvement in the meansof transportation has brought about a markedadvance in the intelligence and comfort of civilizedpeople. Looking at the present day developments,it is hard to believe that the first steamship crossedthe Atlantic only about one hundred years ago, orthat the first railroad crossed this continentscarcely fifty years ago, or that the first Americanautomobile was made in 1893.

Great as has been the efiEect upon the life ofAmerica of the development of each of these modesof mechanical transportation, yet greater still maybe the ultimate effect of aerial transportationin time to come. The rapidity and ease withwhich aeronautical transportation is developed inAmerica is largely dependent upon the intelligence


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FOREWORDand thoroughness with which the way is preparedfor this development. At the present time aero-nautical transportation is confronted with thesolution of certain great problems, which may begrouped in general as follows

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.

Development of the science of aeronauticsincluding the design and use of aircraft, bothlighter and heavier than air, of motive power, ofinstruments of control, communication, obser-vation, and navigation, and of all ground equip-ment required in connection therewith. Thetechnique of aeronautics has now reached astage of perfection sufficient to make it a thor-oughly practical mediimi of transportation formany purposes.

2. Application of aeronautics in all of itsaspects to the national defence, including theprocurement of the proper equipment, thedevelopment of the science of aerial warfare, andthe procurement, organization, and training ofthe personnel necessaq^ to make up the aerialarm of the national defense.The world war has given all participants an

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FOREWORDopportunity to become quite proficient in aerialwarfare in terms of present day practice, but theprogress of this branch of national defenseduring the next few years will probably continuenearly as rapidly as during the war.

3. Development and organization of thepolitical and governmental agencies for theadministration and control of commercial andcivilian aeronautics for the well-being and safetyof the general public.Much more thought has been given to this

phase of aeronautical development in Europeancountries than in America. Practically everyone of the principal powers participating inthe world war now have well defined gov-ernmental departments charged with the de-velopment and encouragement of commercialaeronautics.

4. Development of the jurisprudence of theair by which aeronautical transportation will begiven a recognized position in the affairs of theworld.

This aspect of aeronautical development iscomplex and difficult and will require seriousconsideration. At the present time it is receiv-

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FOREWORDing attention from the State and local BarAssociations of America.

5. Development of the use of aircraft forpurposes of commerce, and of facilities for mak-ing commercial transportation practical and abusiness possibility. This involves particularlythe development of national air routes withflying fields located in every town and city overwhich they pass.Of all the problems facing commercial aero-

nautics today the need for flying routes andlanding fields is the most acute and immediate.Until these are provided, not much progress canbe made in the solution of other aspects of thegeneral problem. If these facilities are provided,commercial transportation by air will followmore rapidly than we can now realize.

This volume has been written in an effort topresent to the public in concrete form the entireproblem involved in the creation and administra-tion of flying routes, landing fields, and air ports.

General Menoher, Chief of the Army AirService, and Captain Craven, Director of Naval

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FOREWORDaviation, have gone into the reasons for theseflying routes, landing fields, and air ports in twosplendid chapters.We desire to express our appreciation for the aid

furnished in the preparation of this volume by theArmy and Navy Air Services, the authors of var-ious chapters of this volume, and particularly toMajor H. M. Hickam and Captain Ernest Jones.

George H. Houston.Member of American Aviation Mission to France and President of

the Wright Aeronautical Corporation

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CONTENTSCHAPTER

I. The Need for Landing FieldsII. The Present Plight of Flight

III.How TO Construct a Fieldrv. Aircraft HangarsV. Aerial Routes .VI. Naval Air Ports

VII. Airplanes and SeaplanesAppendix .

PAGEI

4123547496271

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ILLUSTRATIONSPAGEA Type of Field Having Possibilities for a

Central Terminal for Transportation byTrain, Water Craft, Flying-Boats, Air-planes and Airships . . . Frontispiece

A Race Track Used for a Landing Field . loA Landing Field to which Access by eitherRail or Automobile could be ReadilyMade ....... i6

A Race Track Used for a Landing Field.The Limits of this Field are AlreadyEstablished because of the Surround-ing Buildings . . . . . i8

An Active Commercial Landing Field,Rectangular ...... 24

A Type of Field with Adjacent Land Suit-able for Emergency Landings in Case ofMotor Failure on the Take Off . . 24The Result of an Attempt to Take Off outof a Small Field Surrounded by Obstruc-tions ....... 28

A Drawing for the Standard Aviation WindCone 30xiii


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ILLUSTRATIONSPAGEA Tent Hangar Just Large Enough toAccommodate One Airplane ... 34Tent Hangars for Dirigible Airships atCamp Eustis, Va. . ... 40

Steel Frame Wood Cover Dirigible Hangar 42Steel Frame Corrugated Metal Cover Sea-plane Hangar...... 48

Steel Frame Dirigible Hangar ... 52A Modern Airship Hangar on the EastCoast of the United States ... 56

A Splendid Landing Field in Process ofConstruction ...... 64

An Active Field with Possibilities ofGreater Expansion .... 64Map At End


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Municipal Landing Fieldsand Air Ports


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Municipal Landing FieldsCHAPTER I

THE NEED FOR LANDING FIELDSBy Majoe-General Charles T. Menoher, Chief of theArmy Air ServiceThe World War brought aircraft and their en-

gines to a very advanced state of development in ashort space of time ; but it did nothing to developlanding fields in America. Aeronautics is in theposition of a railroad with its right-of-way andequipment but no terminals.Landing fields are as essential to flying as yards

and stations are to railroads, as docks and harboursare to steamships, and when fields are establishedthere is no question but that aircraft will utilizethem. Remember there are around twenty-five

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MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDSthousand one time army and navy fliers in theUnited States. Landing fields will get them backinto the "game."The example of automobilists who patronize the

towns and cities blessed with good roads will be fol-lowed by fliers in establishing air routes from pointto point connecting all the cities which havegood landing fields. One thing is without argu-ment. The locality failing to provide an aerialport will certainly be without this means of trans-portation.Landing fields should be estabUshed under

municipal control by cities and towns. Many in-dividuals and corporations are ready to purchaselarge numbers of planes and airships for passengerand express service, when assured of the establish-ment of these landing fields. The traverse of theUnited States by regular lines running airplanesand airships carrying passengers, express, mail, andlight freight is deoendent directly on the speedwith which our country provides these facilities.The element of risk, unnecessarily associated

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THE NEED FOR LANDING FIELDSwith flying, is at once removed by a wide-spreadnetwork of airdromes. Safety in cross countryflying depends upon the possibility of being able toland conveniently upon properly prepared ground.The problem of insurance for aircraft, crew, pas-sengers, express, and freight is directly modifiedby the number and character of landing fieldsover any particular route.The business and industrial interests of the

country are reminded that by aiding in the develop-ment of commercial flying they are contributingin no small way to national defence. The futuredevelopment of aeronautics and the allied sciencesdepends on the growth of commercial, sport, andgovernmental flying. Inventions are sure tofoUow commercial demand. With the best en-gineering thought in the country centred uponsuch problems, the United States, the birthplaceof flying, is sure to keep in the van of aeronauticaldevelopment.


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CHAPTER IITHE PRESENT PLIGHT OF FLIGHT

By F. B. Rentschler, Vice-President, Wright AeronauticalCorporation

We are confronted today by a system of trans-portation which is failing to function satisfactorily.Food and clothing and other necessities of life maybe transported with difficulty. Prices are risingand are continuing to rise despite optimistic re-ports to the contrary. Commissions and investi-gating bodies are digging down deep into theseproblems and are suggesting remedies. That mostfrequently suggested is, "Improve the transporta-tion situation; then the essentials of life may bepromptly transported from the source of supply tothe seat of demand."Such a suggestioi^at the present time, however,

might be compared to a physician who writes aprescription which he knows the chemist cannot

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THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF FLIGHTfill. The railroad situation cannot possibly begreatly improved, because, due to labour conditionsand a volume of business far exceeding railroadmileage growth, therailroads literally are swamped.High prices of labour and materials make rapidgrowth next to impossible; that is, a building pro-gram adequate to supply the increased demand fortonnage transportation is out of the question.Not a little bearing on this phase of the situationis the attitude of the present-day investor. Hedoes not know what is going to happen to the rail-roads and he is careful about investing in them.

In view of the general pubhc knowledge gainedof aeronautics during the war, I think I can safelysay, and that the reader will agree with me, thatthe aeroplane has a great potential bearing on thesolution of the transportation problem in theUnited States. He must admit that the airplaneis speedy, but how about its economical use and itssafety? In the first place, compare the amotmtinvested in airplane routes and those of the rail-roads. The only investment required for the

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MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDSformer is the engine and plane and the landingfields at flight terminals, while the latter musthave a right of way, grading, crossties, rails,cars, locomotives, and all the enormous expenseof upkeep and maintenance. Of course, the rail-roads will always have their place, for I amnot one of those who sees in his own professiona panacea for aU evils. The railroads will, sofar as we can see now, transport coal, heavymachinery, and bulk commodities more cheaplythan the plane, but the latter can, at this verymoment, transport passengers and the lighter typesof express much more rapidly, and, as soon ascertain problems, easy of solution, are taken up bythe business men and the government and solved,the airplane can handle passengers and expresswith greater safety than the railroad and moreeconomically when the factor of actual time savedis taken into consideration.These problems,fgo easy of solution when the

importance of the matter is nationally realized, are:I. Adequate and proper legislation by the

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THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF PLIGHTfederal government regulating the manufactureand flight of aircraft.

2. The construction of landing fields in everymunicipality, insuring a large number of terminalsfor air routes, and emergency landing fields be-tween such terminals where airplanes in troublemay safely land in an emergency.

Included in both problems is the great factor ofsafety. To take the first: An airplane should be"government inspected" and "certified" like asteamship or steamboat. So should the pilotand crew stand government tests and measure upto government requirements. A man may not bethe skipper of a marine vessel unless he holds a"ticket" and this ticket isn't given until after astringent examination. On the other hand, at thepresent time, any crank inventor may "invent" anaeroplane; he can designate any one to fly it; andif a catastrophe results to the flyers or to innocentmen and women upon whom it may fall, why, theinventor is "sorry" and there is an end of thematter. No, not quite the end, for the reading

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MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDSpublic stores up in that section of the brain devotedto "risky things" the entire art and science offlying. Aeroplanes and aeroplane engines, properlyconstructed, are safe. Properly flown they aresafer, andhere's where the second problem comesinwith the proper number of landing fields, avia-tion, as a dangerous science, will compare morethan favourably with automobiling.

It is with problem No. 2 that this book deals.It is problem No. 2 which the business men andcommercial organizations of this country can solveor certainly greatly help in the solution. We be-Heve that when the business men, say of Hagers-town, Maryland, realize that as passengers theycan save time (which after all in these days ismoney) by taking passage in an airplane whenthey want to go to Cleveland or Atlanta, or thatthey can get clothing from New York or theNew England miU centres quicker and cheaperby airplane they ijill quickly construct a Muni-cipal landing field. But, unfortunately, thatis putting the cart before the horse. The auto-8


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THE PRESENT PLIGHT OP PLIGHTmobile could never have hoped for its present-dayuse and success if good roads had not been con-structed. Railroad locomotives and coaches andPuUmans would never have been built and linesstarted if the roadbed and rails^if the roadway,had not been possible. So air routes connectingHagerstown with New England and the Southwill not become realities until all the Hagerstownson the route build suitable landing fields.That is the end we are trying to further. In this

book will be found all the information necessaryfor a municipality, commercial organization, orbusiness house to construct a landing field andbuild a hangar. The idea of getting out this in-formation was suggested by the large number ofinquiries of various commercial clubs on this sub-ject and the genuine interest displayed over vari-ous parts of the country in the question. Weknow that aviation is on the eve of its greatestdevelopment and the far-sighted town which ar-ranges now for its landing field will favourably com-pare in enterprise to those towns in the long ago

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MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS40 's and 50's which held torchlight processionsand municipal rallies to raise the money to"buy enough bonds to get the railroad extendedhere." Some old-timers, particularly in the West,can remember those days, can recall how"business grew" once the locomotive began todraw the passenger and freight cars into the town.It was the way the town "got on the map."

If your city has a municipal landing field, it willalso " get on the map, ' ' the aerial map of the UnitedStates, which is shown at the end of the volume.And don't worry about planes not coming if youhave the field. Some of the twenty-five thousandofficers and pilots in the army and navy air serviceduring the war live in your town or near it. Theywill get into the game again if properly encouraged.The Post Office Department is almost daily extend-ing the aerial mail service, and a landing field isthe best possible invitation to induce a daily mailplane to call on you, and the army, constantlyconducting cross country flights of various kinds,will call at your field frequently.

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A Race Track Used for a Landing Field.


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THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF FLIGHTThe American aeronautical industry and mem-

bers of our Congress expect to attend to ProblemNo. I at an early date. With proper inspection ofplanes and engines, with the necessary licensing ofpilotsand crew will come ' ' safe flying, ' ' provided thelanding fields are there. With safe flying will comepublic confidence and with public confidence pro-duction will increase by leaps and bounds, and withuniform production will come economical flying.Another feature of this development which is aU

important I will touch upon briefly. It is that ofnational defence. Remember, a commercial planecan be converted into a war plane within a fewhours. Remember, Britain, France, Italy, Japan,Roumania, and even Germany have solved Prob-lem No. I and are rapidly solving No. 2. Don'tforget the enormous waste immediately followingour entry into the late war, all due to the factthat there was no such thing as an American avia-tion industry with any sort of organization at all.

Don't forget that we cannot afford to be behind-hand in this country, the birthplace of flight.

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CHAPTER IIIHOW TO CONSTRUCT A FIELD

By Lieutenant F. O. Carroll, Landing Field Officer, ArmyAir ServiceThe landing field of the future will assume equal

value with the railroad station and the shippingdock in the important matter of public transporta-tion. A railroad corporation or a shipping com-pany spends a great amount of time and money inselecting sites for its terminals which will provideeasy access to the pubUc, having at the same timedue regard for future expansion of business. Theproblem of aerial transportation is a new one. Ittakes little imagination to conceive that in a veryfew years this new system, established for the morerapid movement q men and merchandise, willform aerial lanes from all the important commercialcentres of this country and of the world. But,12


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HOW TO CONSTRUCT A FIELDsince this agent of transportation floats in theocean of air surrounding the world, the questionis immediately raised as to where and how contactwith earth wiU be made. And herein lies theanswer as to whether this form of transportationwill develop and expand until its lines cover theearth, or whether it will shrivel and die away withthe passing of war.

Trains have their stations, ships have theirdocks, but, so far, very few terminals have beenconstructed for the taking off and landing of air-planes. Landing fields are absolutely essential tothe operation of airplanes. During the war thegovernment spent vast sums of money for thebuilding of fields and hangars from which airplanescould be flown and kept in flying condition, butwith the coming of peace many of these have beenclosed, and today this country is practically with-out facilities for the operation of airplanes on acommercial basis. What, then, is to be done?The solution of the problem is to arouse the inter-est and secure the co-operation of the cities in this13


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MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDSimportant national enterprise, and make them seethat their future and the future of the country-depends on the estabHshment of landing fields,each field having the proper aeronautical facilitiesfor handling the aerial commerce that comes downto it.Developments so far are following the com-

mercial routes of the country, just the same as thefirst continental railroads followed the routes of theConestoga pioneers. These early western settlers,in their picturesque prairie schooners, chose theeasy and natural land routes leading from theEast to the West. Cities along these routesshould be the first to establish fields, for if they donot, they may awaken to the fact that the pilotsof the air, who are not hindered by mountain bar-riers, deserts, and streams, have chosen a morehospitable route, and the opportunity that wastheirs has been grasped by other cities.Assuming, then, hat the cities see that they

are in need of landing fields, the question willarise as to the manner of constructing a land-14


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HOW TO CONSTRUCT A FIELDing field and what facilities should be placedthereon.

Probably the most important point is the loca-tion of the field. The field should be situatedclose to transportation faciUties of either railroadsor shipping, and in cities having both, readily ac-cessible to either. The movement of passengers,mail, and express by air will be interlinked withthese two prime movers of commerce. It, there-fore, should be easy to transfer from one to theother. Valuable mail and express may need to beshipped into an aerial centre by rail or water andthen transported to a great distance by air in aminimum space of time. Business men or govern-ment officials may be required to meet in distantcities within a few hours' notice, and they wiUdemand that little time be lost in transferring fromone type of transportation to another. It mayhappen that medicine and supplies may be neededimmediately by some section of the country tocombat pestilence, or disaster, and no time shouldbe lost in changing from a surface to an aerial

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MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDSroute. The successful defence of the nation maydepend on minutes gained in the transfer of troops.So it is seen that these systems should be so cor-related that all will work together as one greatsystem, and this will depend on the location of oneterminal with respect to the other. Proper atten-tion should also be given to the question of electricpower and water supply. In the future electricpower will be needed for lighting the hangars,repair shops, and the field. It will be needed forrunning the machinery, and for the operation ofthe gas plants at every field handling lighter-than-air ships.With due consideration of the above, the selec-

tion of the location of the field should be madewhere it is unlikely to be later surrounded by build-ing operations. As time progresses a city will un-doubtedly increase the volume of its aerial traffic,and if this point is not considered at the beginning,it may find itself handicapped for lack of space.Many cities are cdiverting the race tracks of theirfair grounds into landing fields. Most of these

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