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COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
LIBRARY

Cornell University Library

The
tine

original of

tiiis

book

is in

Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions in
text.

the United States on the use of the

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

13

<

Municipal Landing
Fields and Air Ports
With chapters by
the Chief of the

Army

Air Service, the Director of Naval Aviation, and their officers in charge of Landing Field Operations

Compiled and Edited by

George Seay Wheat

Illustrated

and With a Map

G. P. Putnam's Sons

New York
Zbe

and London
ptess

fcnicltecbocftet

1920

Copyright, 1920

BY

GEORGE SEAY WHEAT

Cornell University Library

TL 725.W56
Municipal landing fields and air ports;

3 1924 015 365 657

{TO

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS

FOREWORD
Transportation
civilization,
is

an ever-present problem of
in the

and every improvement

means

of transportation has brought about a

marked
civilized

advance in the intelligence and comfort of

people.
it is

Looking at the present day developments,

hard to believe that the first steamship crossed

the Atlantic only about one hundred years ago, or

that
the
first

railroad

crossed

this

continent

scarcely fifty years ago, or that the first

American

automobile was made in 1893.

Great as has been the

efiEect

upon the

life

of

America

of the

development of each of these modes

still

of mechanical transportation, yet greater

may

be the ultimate
in time to come.

effect

of aerial transportation

The

rapidity

and ease with

is

which aeronautical transportation

developed in
intelligence

America

is

largely dependent

upon the

FOREWORD
and thoroughness with which the way
for this development.
is

prepared

At the present time aerois

nautical transportation

confronted with the

solution of certain great problems, which

may

be

grouped in general as follows

Development of the science of aeronautics

including the design and use of aircraft, both

lighter

and heavier than

air,

of motive power, of

instruments of control, communication, observation,

and navigation, and

of all

ground equip-

ment required

in connection therewith.

technique of aeronautics has

stage of perfection sufficient to

The now reached a make it a thor-

oughly practical mediimi of transportation for

many
2.

purposes.

Application of aeronautics in

all of its

aspects to the national defence, including the

procurement

of

the

proper

equipment,

the

development of the science of aerial warfare, and

the procurement, organization, and training of
the personnel necessaq^ to
of the national defense.

make up
all

the aerial

arm The world war has given

vi

participants an

FOREWORD
opportunity to become quite proficient in aerial
warfare in terms of present day practice, but the
progress of this branch of national defense

during the next few years will probably continue

nearly as rapidly as during the war.
3.

Development and organization

of

the

political

and governmental agencies

for the

administration and control of commercial and

civilian aeronautics for the well-being

and safety

of the general public.

Much more

thought has been given to this

phase of aeronautical development in European

countries than in America.
Practically every

one of the principal powers participating in

the world war

now have

well

defined gov-

ernmental departments charged with the de-

velopment and encouragement of commercial

aeronautics.
4.

Development of the jurisprudence of the

will

air

by which aeronautical transportation

be

given a recognized position in the affairs of the

world.

This aspect of aeronautical development

is

complex and
consideration.

difficult

and

will require serious

it is

At the present time

vii

receiv-

FOREWORD
ing attention from the State and local Bar
Associations of America.
5.

Development of the use of

aircraft for

purposes of commerce, and of

facilities for

ing commercial transportation practical

makand a

business possibility.

This involves particularly

the development of national air routes with

flying fields located in every

town and

city over

which they pass.

Of

all

the problems facing commercial aero-

nautics today the need for flying routes

and

landing fields

is

the most acute and immediate.

Until these are provided, not

much

progress can

be made in the solution of other aspects of the

general problem.
If these facilities are provided,

commercial transportation by air

will follow

more rapidly than

we can now

realize.

This volume has been written in an effort to

present to the public in concrete form the entire

problem involved in the creation and administration of flying routes, landing fields,

and

air ports.

General Menoher,
Service,

Chief of

the

Army
of

Air

and Captain Craven, Director

viii

Naval

FOREWORD
aviation,

have gone into the reasons for these

flying routes, landing fields,

and

air ports in

two

splendid chapters.

We desire to express our appreciation for the aid

furnished in the preparation of this volume

by the

Army and Navy

Air Services, the authors of var-

ious chapters of this volume,

and particularly to

Major H. M. Hickam and Captain Ernest Jones.

George H. Houston.
Member
of American Aviation Mission to France and President of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation

IX

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I.

PAGE

The Need for Landing Fields

II.

The Present Plight of Flight

4
12

III.

How TO Construct a
Aircraft Hangars

Field

rv.

35 47

V.
VI.
VII.

Aerial Routes

Naval Air Ports

Airplanes and Seaplanes

49
62
71

Appendix

XI

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE

A Type

of Field Having Possibilities for a Central Terminal for Transportation by Train, Water Craft, Flying-Boats, Airplanes and Airships Frontispiece
. .
.

A Race Track Used

for a Landing Field

lo

Landing Field to which Access by either Rail or Automobile could be Readily

Made
The

.......
.
. . .

i6

A Race Track

Used for a Landing Field. Limits of this Field are Already

.

Established because of the Surrounding Buildings

i8

An Active Commercial Landing

Rectangular

......
. .

Field,

24

A Type

of Field with Adjacent Land Suitable for Emergency Landings in Case of Motor Failure on the Take Off

24

The Result of an Attempt to Take Off out

of a Small Field Surrounded by Obstructions
28

.......
xiii

A Drawing for the Standard Aviation Wind

Cone
30

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE

A Tent Hangar

Just Large Enough to

Accommodate One Airplane

Tent Hangars for Dirigible Airships at Camp Eustis, Va.

.

... ...

34

40
42

Steel Frame

Wood Cover

Dirigible

Hangar

Steel Frame Corrugated Metal Cover Seaplane Hangar Steel Frame Dirigible Hangar

......
... ...
Possibilities

48
52

A Modern A

Airship

Hangar on the East

56

Coast of the United States

Splendid Landing Field in Process of Construction

......

64

An Active Field with

Greater Expansion

....

of
64

Map

At End

Municipal Landing Fields

and Air Ports

Municipal Landing Fields

CHAPTER
By Majoe-General Charles
Army Air
I

THE NEED FOR LANDING FIELDS

T.

Menoher,

Chief of the

Service

The World War

gines to a very

brought aircraft and their enof

advanced state
;

development in a

short space of time but

it

did nothing to develop

landing fields in America.

Aeronautics

is

in the

position of a railroad with its right-of-way

and

equipment but no terminals.

Landing

fields are as essential to flying as

yards

and stations are to railroads,

are to steamships,

as docks

and harbours

and when

fields are established

there

is

no question but that

aircraft will utilize

them.

Remember

there are around twenty-five

I

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

thousand one time army and navy
United States.
into the
fliers

in the

Landing

fields will get

them back

"game."
of automobilists

The example
lowed by
to point

who patronize the

will

towns and cities blessed with good roads

fliers in

be fol-

establishing air routes

all

from point

connecting
fields.

the

cities
is

which have

good landing
ment.

One thing

without argu-

The

locality failing to provide

an

aerial

port will certainly be without this means of transportation.

Landing

fields

should be estabUshed under

municipal control
dividuals
large

by

cities

and towns.

Many

in-

and corporations are ready to purchase

airships for passenger
of the establish-

numbers of planes and

service,

and express

when assured

ment

of these landing fields.

The

traverse of the

United States by regular

lines

running airplanes
express, mail,

and airships carrying passengers,

light freight is

and

deoendent directly on the speed

facilities.

with which our country provides these

The element

of risk, unnecessarily associated

THE NEED FOR LANDING FIELDS

with
flying, is at

once removed by a wide-spread

Safety in cross country

network of airdromes.
flying

depends upon the possibility of being able to

land conveniently upon properly prepared ground.

The problem

of insurance for aircraft, crew, pas-

sengers, express,

and

freight is directly modified

by the number and character

over any particular route.

of landing fields

The
ment
in

business

and

industrial interests of the

country are reminded that by aiding in the developof

commercial flying they are contributing

no small way to national defence.

of aeronautics

The

future

development

and the

allied sciences

depends on the growth of commercial, sport, and

governmental
flying.

Inventions

are

sure

to

foUow commercial demand.

With the

best en-

gineering thought in the country centred

upon

such problems, the United States, the birthplace

of flying, is sure to

keep in the van

of aeronautical

development.

CHAPTER
By

II

THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF FLIGHT

F. B.

Rentschler,

Vice-President, Wright Aeronautical

Corporation

We are confronted today by a system of transportation which

is failing

to function satisfactorily.
life

Food and

clothing

and other necessities of

difficulty.

may

be transported with

Prices are rising

and are continuing to

ports to the contrary.

rise despite optimistic re-

Commissions and

investi-

gating bodies are digging

down deep

into these

problems and are suggesting remedies.

frequently suggested
is,

That most

"Improve the transportalife

tion situation; then the essentials of

may be

promptly transported from the source of supply to

the seat of demand."

Such a suggestioi^at the present time, however,

might be compared to a physician who writes a
prescription which he

knows the chemist cannot

4

THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF FLIGHT

fill.

The

railroad situation cannot possibly be

greatly improved, because, due to labour conditions

and a volume

of business far exceeding railroad

mileage growth, the railroads literally are swamped.

High

prices of labour

and materials make rapid

is,

growth next to impossible; that

a building pro-

gram adequate

to supply the increased

is

demand for

tonnage transportation

out of the question.

Not a
is

little

bearing on this phase of the situation

the attitude of the present-day investor.

He
rail-

does not

know what is
is

going to happen to the

roads and he

careful about investing in them.

In view of the general pubhc knowledge gained

of aeronautics during the war, I think I
say,

can safely

and that the reader

will agree

with me, that

the aeroplane has a great potential bearing on the

solution of the transportation problem in the

United States.
is

He must

admit that the airplane

speedy, but

how about its economical use and its

first place,

safety?

In the

compare the amotmt

rail-

invested in airplane routes and those of the

roads.

The only investment

5

required for the

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

former
is

the engine and plane and the landing

while the latter
crossties,

fields at flight terminals,

must
rails,

have a right

of

way, grading,

cars, locomotives,

and

all

the enormous expense

of

upkeep and maintenance.

Of course, the

rail-

roads will always have their place, for I

am

not one of those

who

sees in his

own

profession

a panacea for aU
far as

evils.

The

railroads will, so
coal,

we can

see now, transport

heavy

machinery, and bulk commodities more cheaply

than the plane, but the

latter can, at this very

moment, transport passengers and the lighter types

of express

much more

rapidly, and, as soon as

certain problems, easy of solution, are taken

up by

the business

men and

the government and solved,

the airplane can handle passengers and express

with greater safety than the railroad and more

economically
is

when the

factor of actual time saved

taken into consideration.

These problems,fgo easy

of solution

when the

importance of the matter is nationally realized, are:

I.

Adequate and proper

6

legislation

by the

THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF PLIGHT

federal

government regulating the manufacture

and
2.

flight of aircraft.

The

construction of landing fields in every

municipality, insuring a large

for air routes,

number

of terminals
fields be-

and emergency landing

tween such terminals where airplanes in trouble

may safely land in an emergency.

Included in both problems
safety.
is

the great factor of

airplane should be
like

To

take the

first:

An
So

"government inspected" and "certified"

steamship or steamboat.

should the pilot

and crew stand government

tests

and measure up

to government requirements.

A man may not be

the skipper of a marine vessel unless he holds a

"ticket" and this ticket isn't given until after a

stringent examination.

On the other hand,

any one to

at the

present time, any crank inventor

aeroplane; he can designate
if

may "invent" an
fly it;

and

a catastrophe results to the flyers or to innocent

it

men and women upon whom

inventor
matter.
is

may fall, why,

is

the

"sorry" and there

an end of the

No, not quite the end, for the reading

7

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

public stores

up in that section of the brain devoted

and science of

to "risky things" the entire art

flying.

Aeroplanes and aeroplane engines, properly

Properly flown they are

constructed, are safe.

safer,

and

here's where the second problem comes

of landing fields, aviawill

in

with the proper number

It is

tion, as

a dangerous science,

compare more

than favourably with automobiling.

with problem No. 2 that this book
deals.

It is

problem No. 2 which the business

men and

commercial organizations of this country can solve

or certainly greatly help in the solution.

We

be-

Heve that when the business men, say of Hagerstown, Maryland, realize that as passengers they

can save time (which after

all

in these days

is

money) by taking passage

in

an airplane when

they want to go to Cleveland or Atlanta, or that

they can get clothing from

New York

or the

New
by
cipal
is

England miU centres quicker and cheaper

ijill

airplane they

quickly construct a MuniBut,

unfortunately,

landing

field.

that
auto-

putting the cart before the horse.

8

The

THE PRESENT PLIGHT OP PLIGHT

mobile could never have hoped for its present-day
use and success
structed.
if

good roads had not been con-

Railroad locomotives and coaches and

built
^if

PuUmans would never have been

started
if

and

lines

the roadbed and

possible.

rails

the roadway,

had not been

So

air routes

connecting

Hagerstown with
will

New

England and the South

the Hagerstowns
fields.

not become

realities until all

on the route build suitable landing

That
book

is

the end

we

are trying to further. In this

will

be found

all

the information necessary

for a municipality,

commercial organization, or

business house to construct a landing field

and

build a hangar.

The

idea of getting out this in-

formation was suggested by the large number of

inquiries of various commercial clubs
ject

on

this sub-

and the genuine

interest displayed over vari-

ous parts of the country in the question.

We
ar-

know
ranges

that aviation

is

on the eve of

its

greatest

development and the far-sighted town which

now for its landing field will favourably com9

pare in enterprise to those towns in the long ago

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

40 's and 50's which held torchlight processions

and municipal

rallies

to

raise

the

money

to

"buy enough bonds

here."

to get the railroad extended

Some

old-timers, particularly in the West,

can

remember

those

days,

can

recall

how

"business grew" once the locomotive began to

draw the passenger and freight

It

cars into the town.

was the way the town "got on the map."

If

your city has a municipal landing

' '

field, it will

also " get

States,

on the map, the aerial map of the United

is

which

shown at the end

of the volume.
if

And

don't worry about planes not coming

field.

you

have the
officers

Some

of the twenty-five

thousand

and pilots in the army and navy air service

it.

during the war live in your town or near

will get into

They

the

game again if properly encouraged.

daily extendfield is

The Post Office Department is almost

ing the aerial mail service,

and a landing

the best possible invitation to induce a daily mail

plane to
call

on you, and the army, constantly

flights of

conducting cross country

will call at

various kinds,

your

field frequently.

10

A Race Track Used

for a

Landing

Field.

THE PRESENT PLIGHT OF FLIGHT

The American
aeronautical industry

and mem-

bers of our Congress expect to attend to Problem

No.

at

an early date.

With proper inspection

of

planes and engines, with the necessary licensing of

pilots and

crew will come safe flying, provided the

' ' '

'

landing fields are there.

public confidence

With safe flying will come

and with public confidence pro-

duction will increase by leaps and bounds, and with

uniform production

will

come economical

flying.
is

Another feature
important
I will

of this

development which
briefly.

aU

touch upon

It is that of

national defence.

Remember, a commercial plane

can be converted into a war plane within a few

hours.

Remember,

Britain, France, Italy, Japan,

Roumania, and even Germany have solved Problem No.

I

and are rapidly solving No.

2.

Don't

forget the

enormous waste immediately following

all

our entry into the late war,

due to the fact

that there was no such thing as an American aviation 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.

II

CHAPTER
HOW
By Lieutenant

III

TO CONSTRUCT A FIELD
Officer,

F. O. Carroll, Landing Field

Army

Air Service

The landing field of the future will assume equal

value with the railroad station and the shipping

dock in the important matter

tion.

of public transporta-

railroad corporation or a shipping comof time

pany spends a great amount

and money in
will

selecting sites for its terminals

which

provide

easy access to the pubUc, having at the same time

due regard for future expansion of business.

The
It

problem
takes

of aerial transportation is a

new

one.

little

imagination to conceive that in a very

few years this new system, established for the more

rapid

movement

men and
and
12

merchandise, will

form aerial lanes from all the important commercial

centres of this country
of the world.

But,

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
ocean of
is

FIELD

since this agent of transportation floats in the

air

surrounding the world, the question

immediately raised as to where and

how contact
lies

with earth wiU be made.

And
form

herein

the

answer as to whether
will

this

of transportation

develop and expand until

its lines

cover the

earth, or

whether

it will

shrivel

and

die

away with

the passing of war.

Trains have their stations, ships have their

docks, but, so far, very few terminals have been

constructed for the taking

planes.

off

and landing

of air-

Landing

fields are absolutely essential to

the operation of airplanes.

During the war the

of

government spent vast sums

building of fields

money

for the

and hangars from which airplanes

could be flown and kept in flying condition, but

with the coming of peace

closed,

many

of these

have been

and today

this

country

is

practically with-

out

facilities for

the operation of airplanes on a

commercial

basis.

What, then,
is

is

to be done?

The
est

solution of the problem

to arouse the interof the cities in this

and secure the co-operation

13

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

important national enterprise, and make them see
that their future and the future of the country-

depends on the estabHshment of landing

each
field

fields,

having the proper aeronautical

facilities

for handling the aerial

commerce that comes down

to

it.

Developments so far are following the commercial routes of the country, just the same as the
first

continental railroads followed the routes of the

Conestoga pioneers.

These early western

settlers,

in their picturesque prairie schooners, chose the

easy and natural land routes leading from the

East to the West.

should be the
not,
first

Cities

along these routes

fields, for if

to establish

they do

they

of the

may awaken to the fact that the pilots air, who are not hindered by mountain barand streams, have chosen a more and the opportunity that was
cities.

riers, deserts,

hospitable route,
theirs has

been grasped by other

Assuming, then, hat the

are in need of landing
arise as to the

cities see

that they

fields,

the question will

manner

of constructing

a land-

14

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
ing field
thereon.

FIELD

and what

facilities

should be placed

Probably the most important point

tion of the
field.

is

the loca-

The

field

should be situated

close to transportation f aciUties of either railroads

or shipping,

and

in cities having both, readily ac-

cessible to either.

The movement
air will

of passengers,

mail,

and express by

be interlinked with
It,

these
fore,

two prime movers

of

commerce.

there-

should be easy to transfer from one to the

other.

Valuable mail and express

may need

to be

shipped into an aerial centre by

rail

or water

and
a

then transported to a great distance by

air in

minimum space of time.

ment
cities
officials

Business

men

or govern-

may

be required to meet in distant

within a few hours' notice, and they wiU

demand that little time be lost in transferring from

one type of transportation to another.
It

may

happen that medicine and

supplies

may be

needed

immediately by some section of the country to

combat
be

pestilence, or disaster,

and no time should

lost in

changing from a surface to an aerial

15

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

route.

The

successful defence of the nation

may

depend 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 great

system, and this will depend on the location of one

terminal with respect to the other.

Proper atten-

tion should also be given to the question of electric

power and water supply. power

will

In the future

electric

be needed for lighting the hangars,

repair shops,

and the

field.

It will

be needed for

running the machinery, and for the operation of

the gas plants at every field handling lighter-thanair ships.

With due consideration

of the above, the selec-

tion of the location of the field should be

made

where it is unlikely to be later surrounded by building operations.

As time

progresses a city will units aerial traffic,

doubtedly increase the volume of

and if this point is not considered at the beginning,

it

may find itself handicapped for lack of space. Many cities are c diverting the race tracks of their
grounds into landing
i6
fields.

fair

Most

of these

<

J3

1-1

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
fields are of siafiicient size to

FIELD

accommodate the few

airplanes of today, but these cities should take

warning that the limits of such

established,

fields are already-

and

in

few cases can they be enlarged

because of the surrounding buildings and other

aerial obstructions.

The next
of the
field.

point of great importance

is

the size
fields

The

size of

municipal landing

depends upon so

many factors that it is impossible

it.

to prescribe exact regulations concerning

is

It

also realized that every city will not be able to

establish

an ideal

field,

and that many

will

not be

able to meet the requirements of government

specifications.

The problems

will

be individual
city will face

to the city or the locality

and every

a different one.

It will naturally

not be possible

for cities situated in hilly or

mountainous country

to find a site with the ease that will be experienced

by
be

cities in level

country.

Likewise,

it is

going to
of suf-

difficult in large cities

where property
purposes
will

ficient size for

landing

field

be very
less

expensive.

Small

cities

will

perhaps have

17

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

trouble

and expense.

The minimum

size

recom-

mended at the present time and with present types

of airplanes is

one that will allow

six

hundred yards

"runway"

in

any

direction

from which the wind

field

may be hkely to
any type

blow.

Such a

would permit

of airplane at the present

pilot,

day to be

landed by an average

and

to be taken off

without accident, should there be no failure of the

motor.

But

this size field should

be selected only
a
field of

after long search

and

failure to find

larger dimensions.

No

doubt in a few years

airplanes will increase in

power and

size

almost

beyond our present conception.

They

will

be of

such dimensions that the passengers

will

be numwill

bered by the score and the express and freight

be weighed by the ton.

To have a

field large

enough to enable the average

all

pilot to take

any and

types of airplanes

away from the field and keep

the airplane always in such position with reference

to the field as to be able, in case of failure of the

motor, to return to

it

and to land the airplane

without accident, would require a "runway" of at

i8

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
least

FIELD

one thousand yards in any direction from

is

which the wind

Hkely to blow.

Fields comply-

ing with these specifications are designed to take care of present airplanes of
all

types under

all

conditions of traffic and weather.

These

specifica-

Diagram showing space unavailable for landing on ing over obstacles of given height.

"runway" when land-

tions are not intended to discourage the establish-

ment of small fields, as the presence of small fields en

route
is

of vital importance, and, as such, they will

function as emergency fields for small and slower

types of airplanes.

They will have an important role

main
fines.

as feeder stations to the

in

Aerial routes

England are contemplated having small emergfields

ency

every ten miles, in which case an

air-

plane would almost never be out of gUding distance

19

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

of

field.

Should there be obstacles around the

field available for

field,

the portion of the

use will

be shortened by a distance depending upon the

height of the obstacle.
feet high

An

obstacle one hundred

wiU make at

least seven

hundred

feet of

the

field

unavailable for use.

The

length of the

"runway"

available for use should be

computed
of the ob-

by subtracting seven times the height

stacle

from the length

of the field in the direction

is

in

which the "runway"

being computed.

Anis

other factor which enters into the size of fields

the question of the surrounding country.

Should

field

be situated in a locality where there are

available for

fields

emergency landings immefield,

diately adjacent to the municipal landing

the danger of accident due to failure of motor,

immediately in the vicinity,

will

be much lessened

and the need

is

of

a one thousand yard "runway"

Should the country surrounding
||e

not so urgent.
field,

the

however,

covered with buildings, or

it is

be of such a character that

impossible to land

upon it with safety, the best interests of aeronautics

20

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
demand
enable the pilot to circle
it

FIELD

that the field should be large enough to

in

any type

of airplane,

keeping always in such position as to be able to

return in case of necessity.

There are present-day types

which
it is

of airplanes with

possible for the average pilot to land in

of accidents,

a field, without chance

with

much less
It is also
air-

than a

six

hundred yard "runway."

good
pilots to

possible for

land any type of

plane in

fields

of smaller dimensions
if

than

five

hundred yards,
structions.

there are no surroimding ob-

It is not advocated,

but rather

dis-

couraged, that any city go to

much
six

expense in

preparing a

field

with

less

than

hundred yards

"runway," as
in such a field

it is

feared that accidents will result

will be-

and that pubHc sentiment

come adverse
ity.

to aerial operations in that

commun-

The

selection of a landing field of dangerous

dimensions, which
of
life,

may

result in unnecessary loss

should be discouraged at aU times.

An

examination of the Ust of landing

fields

recorded in this book wiU indicate that the greater

21

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

percentage of

them

are listed as emergency

eflfort,

fields.

This

is

merely an indication that no

aside

from

selecting them, has

been made to make them

of these fields

first-class

airdromes.

Many

are

ideally located, are suflEicient in size to

accommo-

date

all

types of airplanes, and have smooth, level

surfaces,

but no supplies are available at the

is

field

and no protection
weather
if

afforded an airplane from the

the pilot wishes to stay over night.

fields

Others are small

that need development to

make them
fields.

of

commercial importance as flying

of these fields are unsuited
still

Although some

for

many

types of airplanes,

they are a great

asset to aeronautics, in that they are a centre about

which interest in that community

may be aroused
meet the
Small

and an

effort

made

to develop a field to

present-day reqtiirements of aeronautics.

fields wiU
tics.

always be of value to commercial aeronauwill

They

be needed in case of trouble which

will force
will feel
fields in

an airplane to the ground.

if

The

pilot

more at ease

he knows that there are

which landings are possible in case of

22

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
trouble.

FIELD
if it is

Small

fields

should not be selected

field,

anyway

possible to select a large

is

but

if

the

larger one
will

not available the emergency

field

be of great aid along the route.

Landing

fields so far established are of all sizes

and shapes,

SqUARE/ySLO
Sizes

L dHAP-/lFlD
as sufficient to

and types of fields recommended present day airplanes.

accommodate

all

ranging from small race tracks to large square or

rectangular
fields.

The

best shape for a field

is

that of a square.

A square field permits of an easy

Many times, how-

return in case of motor failure.

ever, the condition of local terrain does not permit

the selection of a square field that wiU be large

enough for flying purposes.

23

In some cases an " L " -

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

shaped field

may be chosen,

provided each arm has

a satisfactory length of "runway."

of each

The width

arm should be not

less

than a third of the

field,

length of the arm.

The "L "-shaped

how-

ever, does not offer all the

advantages for a return

in case of

motor

failure

which are possessed by the

square
It

field.

would be well to equip the

While one
is

field

with a landing

cross.

not absolutely necessary and

can very well be made a part of a development

scheme to be provided for after a

use

field

has been in

and the

traffic

warrants,

it

will

become a more

and more important factor as the

traffic increases.

Such a cross can be most easily made by excavating

a path 150 or 200 feet wide, the length according to
the size of the landing
field.

This excavated path

dress-

must be thoroughly drained and given a top

ing of cinders, well watered,
surface

and then

rolled.

The

must be

flush with the rest of the field.

The width
feet,

of the cr(^s

may

be narrower than 200

even down to fifty feet, but a good wide path is

highly desirable.

24

An

Active Commercial Landing Field, Rectangular.

A Type

of Field with

Adjacent Land Suitable for Emergency Landings Case of Motor Failure on the Take Off.

in

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
sides of the lines

FIELD

During the war the military airdromes on both

had concrete

service

runways and

crosses built especially for the starting

of the
terial

and landing

heavy bombing planes.

would be
ideal

A cross of such mais

and

it

believed that such

crosses will

come

into

CONCRETE LANDING CROSS

existence for
cial

commer*~S0'-*

work when the

warrants
it.

traffic

The

thickness of a concrete
cross
is

entirely

de-

pendent upon the nature of the soil

upon
but
it

which

it is laid

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

Landing speeds
quite
of

from 45 to 75 miles per hour are

It is therefore

common in modern airplanes.

easily seen that

an airplane rolling along the ground

at the speeds above mentioned

would require

smooth, firm
should

soil to

prevent accident.
all

The ground

be firm under

weather conditions.

A light, porous soil with natural drainage is recommended

as the

most

suitable.

The adequate drainage

of landing fields

is

of

the utmost importance, especially in parts of the

country where the precipitation

or the land used
if

is fairly

heavy,
field,

is

low

lying.

In selecting a

one can be found where the sub-soil or the posiis

tion of the field gives natural drainage this

to be preferred.

much

However

it is

often the case that

other prerequisites of a landing field require the

selection of a site

which needs thorough drainage

so that

it

may

not be boggy at any time.

Ade-

quate

tile

drainage such as would be used for the

sub-soil drainage

0% a

football or baseball field

should be satisfactory, except that the drain should

be rather more closely spaced.

26

On most

athletic

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
fields

FIELD

the object

is

to drain the ground for a short

it

period of time and not necessarily keep

as possible

as clear
city

from water at

all

times.

The

engineers in

any

municipality could give the

necessary information regarding drainage of any

particular local
site.

If

a drainage system

is

provided the ground will dry out very rapidly,

thus making
it

safe for airplanes to use the field

in a very short time after a rain.

field

that

remains soft and

muddy

is

likely to cause

many

wrecks of a minor character, resulting in damage to

wings, radiators,

and propellers due to turning over

or landing.

when taking
tem
will

oflf

A good drainage sysfields

be of great advantage to northern

in the spring

when the

frost is

coming out

of the

ground.

Many
soft,

fields at this

time of the year befrost

come very

due to the fact that the

soil

on

melting remains in the

ing out except

and has no way

of dry-

by evaporation.
will

The

field

should
air-

be covered with sod, which

prevent an

plane from sinking into the ground on an otherwise soft

field.

The

surface should be level

and

27

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

very smooth, in order that the airplane can normally
land upon and taxi across
it

without injury.

Many
field,

accidents have been caused

by

airplanes

striking against trees, poles,

and wires about a

off.

either

when landing

or taking

field

should be selected as free as possible from any

surrounding objects that

in getting into or out of

may obstruct an airplane

it,

or else one where such

obstructions

may

be removed.

Some

fields

have

been established in deep

field

valleys.

This type of

should be entered with care owing to the

irregularity of the

wind currents that eddy into a

These currents

valley during high winds.

so.

may be

strong as to carry a low-powered airplane into

obstruction.
field

some

Especial care should be taken

is

about a

which

located near high tension Build-

wires due to the increased danger from fire.

ings erected on a field should be designed with

special care so as not to obstruct the approaches.

Buildings should neuer be erected with high towers

or flag poles on top of them, for at times these

obstructions are very hard to see from the

air.

28

WiW^

t:

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
Tall chimneys, wireless

FIELD

and observation towers

field,

should be erected away from the

because

they are very dangerous when fog or low clouds

obscure them.

15'
Design for a landing
field

LETTERS HIGH y. 3' THICK

marker.

When
it is

flying across country the pilot will see

many fields that look very much alike, and at times

very hard to locate the proper
field if

some

distinctive

marker
of

is

not displayed.
field,

There are

several

methods
a white

marking a

but one of the

best

is

circle,

one hundred feet in diameter,

29

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

with a band three feet wide.
readily attracts the eye

This type of marker

and can be seen at almost

clear visibility.

any attainable height with

By

digging out the earth to a depth of about six inches

and

filling

in with

crushed rock a very

S!

substantial

and

eco-

nomical marker can

Design of lettering for landing field number to be placed in northwest corner.

Kg made
also

'

It HiaV
''

be

made by
keep
well.

using whitewashed gravel.

the marking clear white to

It is necessary to

make

it

show up

This can be done by whitewashing from time to

time.

The name The

of the station should

be made

in white letters fifteen feet

high and three feet

wide.

official

number

of the field should

be

placed in the northwest corner and should be of

the same dimensions as the

name

of the station.

wind

indicator, such as the standard aviation of the

wind cone, should be placed at one corner

field thirty feet off

the ground.
lighting of landing fields for

The marking and

30

AWI*

'C

eg
Fo

At//y f^'of

n^ftf

i*flm fa ftetif/

^L/fA/

o^

a^/fC/^G

AS^/T^o^

*^oo/"

A Drawing for the

Standard Aviation Wind Cone,

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A

FIELD
much
atten-

night operations has never been given

tion in this country outside of a few
fields

government

where night flying was carried on during the

war.

The system

used, for the

most

part,

was the
field

very simple one of placing

oil flares

on the

arranged in such a manner as to indicate to the

pilot the existence of the field

and illuminate the

and design
of

landing area.

The

position

the

arrangement was such as to show the

direction of the

pilot the

wind and the exact place to land to

avoid obstructions.

Red

lights

were hung on

towers and other dangerous objects.

The system

in use at Ellington Field, Texas,

of five

was to have units

of

Davis flood

lights,

four

which were arranged in

line to the left of the

landing area parallel with the direction of the

wind, and the fifth facing the wind.
in

The

four

Hne were

set

at decreasing angles into the

fifth
light,

wind as they approached the

which the
pilot landed.

over

This arrangement was

used so that the glare of the lights would not

be thrown in the

pilot's face.

series

of col-

31

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

oured lights were also used for signals to the pilots
in the
air.

Other

systems

have

been

proposed

where

O Cj
Field connection

oo

Colored
.

wlth^power plant

^^ OO

,^?..

OO

QTQT/QtQ

Diagram

of

Davis Sood light system used at Ellington Field, Houston, Texas.

strong lights were placed in pits on the

field

and

covered over with neavy plate

glass, so

that their

rays woxild be thrown straight up and thus afford 32

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A
distinctive
lights are often

FIELD
Flood
field

markers for the incoming pilots.

used about the edge of the

to

light the landing areas.

The

greatest problem in lighting a field arises

is

when the airdrome

covered with a heavy fog.

will

In this case a system" is required which

light
will

throw
they

beams upward through the

pilot as

fog, so that

be seen by the

soon as he passes

down

from the clear air above into the upper layers of the
mist.

The

difficulty

in

this

system comes in

obtaining a ray powerful enough to pierce the fog,

and one which

strikes

will

not be dispersed when

it

on the heavy fog masses.

However, with
it

present-day searchlight equipment

should be

possible to indicate the outline of the field

by

means

of Ughts placed at intervals along the edge

and throwing powerfid rays

It is also
field at

vertically

upward.

proposed to station kite balloons over a

such altitudes as to clear the upper layers

of the fog.

Another system for locating a landing

night or
3

field

at

when the ground

33

is

obscured by fogs and

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

low clouds
experts.
is

now

being perfected by government

air-

By

the use of radio instruments an

field
is

plane can locate a

restricted area that

by keeping within a by apparatus

energized

stationed on the

field.

34

c
OJ

CHAPTER
By Lieut.
M. Knight,

IV

AIRCRAFT HANGARS
C. Buildings and Grounds Section, Property Division,

Army Air

Service

A HANGAR is a tent or building in which aircraft

are housed for minor repairs

and

for supplies, or

for protection against the weather.

hangar
air-

may
craft
of.

be

of

any

size,

depending on the type of

of

and the number

machines to be taken care

is

The

smallest type in use at present

a tent

hangar built just large enough to hold one airplane.

Where the owner has only one

of

airplane this type

it

hangar

is

a very good one, since

costs

but

little, is

easy to erect and maintain, and

place to place
if

may
if

be

moved from

he happens to be

engaged in exhibition

flying.

However,

more
field

than one airplane

the

is

used on an established

wood or steel hangar is to be preferred, because

35

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

of its
steel

more permanent

construction.

The wood or
accom-

hangars are built in various

sizes to

modate the number

of airplanes in use, or to take

traffic.

care of anticipated aerial

They are usually

and about

built in sections of twenty-foot length

A
fifty to

good type

of

hangar

seventy feet wide.

The standard

steel
is

hangar used by the United States Air Service

sixty-six feet wide

and one hundred and twenty feet

It has a

long,

made up

of five twenty-foot bays.

clearance overhead of about eighteen feet

and

will

house

six airplanes

very conveniently.

The stand-

ard wooden hangar of the Air Service is of the same

dimensions.

A still larger

steel

hangar, having a
is

width of I ID feet and a length of 140 feet,

large

used for

bombing or commercial machines.

36

Hangars

AIRCRAFT HANGARS
of this latter type will house very nearly all airplanes
of the present day.

The hangar should be

of the field.
poles,
will

erected on one edge

The
and

building should be free from

all

towers,

other obstructions that

field.

tend to cut

off

the approach to the

hangar should have

sufficient fire fighting ap-

paratus placed at convenient points about the

building.
It is believed that

field to

be able to handle

ten to fifteen airplanes per day should be equipped

with gasoline storage capacity of about two thousand

gallons of high test gasoline,
of mineral

and about 250 gallons

and

castor

oils.

The

gasoline will reless

main at a more even temperature and with

risk

from

fire

if

stored in underground tanks.

oil

Both gasoline and

tanks should be located

near the starting line for the airplanes so that

the gas and
oil

may be pumped

directly into
oil

them with the standard commercial gas and

pumps.
All oil

and gasoline storage tanks should be

37

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

placed at least fifty yards

away from the hangar.

windows and a good

sufficient

number

of

lighting system are very necessary in order to

properly repair the airplanes and aid in their

inspection.

Naturally, two hangars are preferable to one and

the

army

specifications suggested for the "ideal"

field

municipal landing

include two steel buildings,

floors.

approximately 66

120 feet, with concrete

Of course, these are expensive, and the cheaper

types can be

made

to do until a sufficient

number

of planes warrant the

more expensive

field.

tentative
field

list

of

equipment for a municipal landing

unit has recently been

drawn up which

fixes

the probable cost at figures approximating $60,000.

I

hesitated at giving this figure for fear

it

might

make some

of the smaller municipalities give

up

at once as financially impossible

lishing a field

any idea

of estabfield

and to them

must say that a

with a smaller amount of equipment can be

made
is

very

efficient.

What we want them

However,
38
it is

to do

to

make

start.

well to

know

just

AIRCRAFT HANGARS
what the equipment of an ideal, though expensive,
field consists of,
full

and therefore the

be noted that

list is
it

given in

below.

It will

includes per-

sonnel as well.

HANGARS
2 Steel Hangars, approximately 66 x 120 feet

with concrete

floors.

BUILDINGS
I

Machine shop and supply house, approximately 30 X 40

feet.

Low building for office, hospital, and radio combined, of approximately 15 x 150 feet.
Oil house, approximately 10 x 10 feet.

I 1

Garage, approximately 20 x 50

feet.
officers,

2 Double quarters, non-commissioned

married.
I

Bachelor quarters to accommodate 15 non-

commissioned

officers

and

enlisted

men.

TRANSPORTATION
I

Light truck, i3^ ton.

Truck, 3 ton.
39

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

I I

Aviation

trailer,

2 wheel.
car.

Motorcycle with side

Ambulance.

ACCESSOiaES AND EQUIPMENT

I

Complete unit

of radio telephone, telegraph,

and
I

directional finding.
set.

Field flood lighting

*i
I

Signal system, including signal.

Machine shop equipment including

I I
I I I I

wood lathe. band saw.

forge.

grinding wheel.

welding

outfit,

hand

tools, etc.

drill press.

Office equipment.
Filling station of

approximately 2000 gallons

gallons of
oil.

of gasoline

and 250
oil

(This probably might be installed at the ex-

pense of an
I I

corporation.)

Field marker.

"Tee."

3 "Socks"

and supports.
40

AIRCRAFT HANGARS
personnel:
I

Field manager.

Should have had practical experience as

flier
I
I
I I

a,

and

as

an engineering

officer.

Chief mechanic (non-commissioned

officer).

Rigger (non-commissioned

officer).

Engine expert (non-commissioned

Balloon mechanician.
(This
is

officer).
officer).

Radio mechanic (non-commissioned

only to be provided for the future

are commercial lighter-than-air

when there
craft.)
I

Mechanic (metal worker) Mechanic (wood worker)

(private). (private).

4 Helpers (privates). 2 Chauffeurs (non-commissioned

I

officers).
officer).

Hospital sergeant (non-commissioned

total cost $60,000.

Approximate

A smaller commercial field might make out verywell with the following personnel, which

would

reduce the expense considerably

a manager

who

understands the handling of

aircraft,

an experi-

enced aircraft engine man, one rigger and one gas

41

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

man at lighter-than-air fields, a good metal worker,
and a few general
on the volume
helpers, the

number depending

of traffic handled.

Hangars for balloons and

will

lighter-than-air craft
air

be needed in the future along the main

routes of the country.

The

airship with its great

radius of action will require very few hangars,

and

these will usually be established at the ends of very

long

flights.

On such routes

as the transcontinen-

tal there will

probably be a hangar on each coast

in the central west.
of this

and one located somewhere

A building to house aircraft

large structure,
long,

type

is

a very
feet

some

of

them being looo

250 feet wide, and 180 feet high.

Huge

structures of this type, however, are not required

for the smaller airships in use at present in this

country.

Due

to the enormous surface an airship

it is

presents to the wind

very hard to handle them

in a cross wind near the ground, so it is

customary to

buUd the hangars

of the prevailing

np,raUel to the general direction

winds in that section of the coun-

try in which they are located.

42

Sometimes the

AIRCRAFT HANGARS
wind

may be blowing

at

an angle to the

axis of the

hangar, and to provide for such an emergency wind

screens are built twice the length of the airship on

each side of the space at the entering end of the

hangar.
free

At

least

two more ship lengths should be

trees, houses, poles,

from obstructions such as

and wires.
These hangars
will

have

all

the

facilities for

the

repair of the gas bags

and the framework

of the

airship, for the filling of the gas

bags with hydrogen

or helium,

and all other machinery for lighting and

operating the building.

Large tent hangars have been constructed for

airships,

but these are usually of a temporary naas the

ture

and may be moved from place to place

requirements of the service demand.

Many airship fields may be estabhshed that will

act as connecting points with other aerial routes.

The

airships operating through these stations

may

not be required to stop but a short time, and in

such cases

it

would not be necessary to run the

airship into a hangar.

On
43

fields of this

type a

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

mooring mast

may be erected to which

the airship

may be moored
for that point.

for the short time it will stop to

its

take on fuel and passengers and discharge

cargo

In places having moderate winds

such masts might take the place of expensive

hangars.

The mooring mast

small airships.

illustrated

is

built to

moor

The masts

of the future, neces-

sary to handle airships of from five to ten millions

of cubic feet of gas capacity will
for refilling the gas bags

have equipment
This
oil

and

oil

tanks.

will

be accomplished by forcing the gas and

pipes running
filling

through

up the mast and connecting with

pipes installed on the airship, which run out

to the point of attachment between the ship and

the mast.

In concluding this chapter

wish to draw the

reader's attention to the fact that, after all

and

despite

what may seem a wealth

of detail in con-

nection with the subject under discussion, a location for a landing field of a good type will not be

hard to find in the average community in the

44

'

'

'>s.
>

VV

Rotating mechanism to which

airship
Is

moored

AIRSHIP
Counterweight

Mast

'Eight cables

Steel

spaced 45 degrees)
apart

mooring
cables

D
Steel

mooring mast to which airships may be anchored

is

for

a short time where a hangar

not available.

45

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

United States.
It

has been shown that the

first

considerations are the size

and surroundings; the

next, the character of the soil

and drainage; the

question of the convenience of the location, and,

finally,

the markings and the field equipment.

stated, a

As previously
a fairly good
furnishing
it

municipaHty

may have

field

without going to the expense of

all

with

the modern and variegated

specifications given in

equipment which the formal

this chapter call for.

Quite naturally, the better

flyers it will attract.
is

the

field is

equipped the more

However, what we desire municipalities to do

to

make the start.

If

you can't afford a complete field,

its

put in a small one and increase

aerial traffic increases.

equipment as

To
'
'

use a slang expression, the municipalities

either through governmental or civic agencies

start the ball rolling" in this matter.
aircraft

must

The federal

government and the

willing to

manufacturers are
help,

do

all iiL their

power to

but the

project

is

too big for the manufacturers and federal

agencies to handle at the present time unaided.

46

CHAPTER V
AERIAL ROUTES
By John
R. Cautley

As

the automobilist seeks the best roads from

city to city, so will the aerial traveller seek the best

routes

when engaged

in a cross-country flight.

An

aerial route is

determined by the character of

the various
cities

the landing

fields in

over which

the pilot chooses his course.

In a

flight across-

country

it is

necessary to take into account the

oil,

places where supplies of gasoline,

and spare

parts

may
all

be obtained, where proper protection

is

from the weather

above

afforded for the airplane,

fields.

and

where there are good landing

With the increasing reliabihty of aircraft engines

the character of the terraili between the landing
points
is

not of such great

moment as the condition

47

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

of the terminals at the
fore,

end

of the flight.

There-

those cities that will prepare landing fields

will surely

reap the advantage of controlling the

course of the aerial routes across the country.

Attention
Race.

is

called to the great Transcontinental

flight

This

needed good

fields to

accom-

modate the

fifty or

more airplanes that started

across the continent.

The

originators of the race

selected those cities that had, in

most

cases, alof the

ready established landing

flight was,

fields.

The route

more or

less,

already determined before

the race was proposed.

Other similiar cases could

is sufficient

be pointed out, but this one

to

illus-

trate the fact that the aerial routes

depend on the

establishing of fields.

Aircraft companies are only waiting until land-

ing field facilities are available to launch a large

number

or projects that will in time connect

all of

the important commercial centres of this country

with a rapid system of transportation.

48

B M
(I,

CHAPTER

VI

NAVAL AIR PORTS

By Lieut. W.
H. Green, U.
S.

Navy

Just as

is

a landing

field for

land planes, the

is

site of air ports for

seaplanes and flying boats

of
air

prime importance.
port
is

The

best location for

an

one at a safe distance from the haunts of

shipping, bathing beaches, or pleasure grounds.

The average
amount
off,

flying water craft needs

no great

of water

depth for landing or taking

is

so

it

usually

not

difficult to select

site

where piers and the anchorage

eliminated.

of

vessels

are

The

reason for avoiding ships, both of the meris

chant and pleasure craft type,

obvious.

flying boat lands at too great a speed to enable

vessels to get out of the way.

It is desirable to

49

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

locate the station,
all

other things being equal, on

in-

a comparatively narrow stretch of water, an

land bay or river being preferable because there

is

practically

no seaway.

For instance,

it

would

be

much more

desirable to locate a seaplane sta-

tion

on Hempstead Bay or Oyster Bay than to

locate one on

Long Island Sound.

is

On

the sound

the waves are big and there

a considerable sea-

way
rents

in

any

sort of

windy weather.

Water

curit

added to the natural

air currents

make

doubly hard to get the seaplane to the beach,

for the purposes of drawing
fueling, or repairs.
it

into the hangar, re-

Another item to be taken into consideration

the selection of a
site,

in

which

is

of

more importance

to a commercial air port than to a naval station,

is

that of proximity to an aeronautical landing

field.

In other words, freight, express, or passen-

gers crossing the water

by seaplane

will, in

the na-

tural course of aeronautical development, desire to

continue the trip b5%)lane, so it would be advisable

to have the air port near to the landing
field.

As

50

NAVAL AIR PORTS

a matter of
two.
fact, it

would be well to combine the

Another important consideration should be the

proximity of good roads so that supplies

may

be

brought to the station with

ease.

For such pur-

poses the spur of a railroad track might be desirable.

Any

mtuiicipal commission, or committee

is

appointed by a civic association, which

into the question of air ports

going
fields,

and landing

should spend a very considerable time in selecting

the best
possible
site.

Meteorological

reports

should be careftdly studied in order to gain a

knowledge of the prevailing winds in the particular

port,
all

and the

station should be arranged so that

planes

may

conveniently take

off

and land

in

the face of the wind.

The

size of

an

air port quite naturally

depends

upon the number

will use
it.

of seaplanes

which

it is

expected

An

inland stretch of water, one mile

desirable.

square,

would be extremely

This would

enable any reasonable

or

number

of planes

a dozen

more

to operate with safety at the same time.

51

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

However, such a large stretch of water, while
desirable, is not absolutely essential.

Naval avia-

tors

have found that they can make a landing with-

in a channel four hundred yards long

and not

less

than

five times the

span of the wings in width,

providing the wind parallels the channel.

expert pilot can do
it

An

successfully in three times

the span, but the very least that the ordinary

driver of a plane should attempt
is five.

A good

boat ought to get

off at its slowest

speed and within

a distance

of four

hundred yards.

As yet the Navy Department has had insufficient

request for plans for municipal air ports to warrant

drawing them up.

Of course plans and

specifica-

tions for naval air stations

have been drawn with

the utmost care and from

fairly

them one may draw

accurate conclusions as to the hangars,

shops,

and personnel necessary

I

for the average

municipal air port.

am not

attempting to give

any estimate
of the

of the cost of

such a station because

wide range in the price of labour and ma-

terials in different parts of the

United States

52

NAVAL AIR PORTS

The
following
is

a brief description of a Class

naval air station which has a complement of sixty

officers

and 550 men, and the

repair

and

police

force necessary in the operation of twenty-four

planes with an average of ninety-six feet wing span

2 buildings 112' x 20' for pilots' quarters

6 buildings 105' x
building
" "
19'

20'

dormitories
force

for

working

x 20' for mess hall

I I

105' X 20' for carpenter shop 120'

X 30' for machine shop

Hangar
I

200' x 150' x 50'

105' 36'
test

building
"

20' for garage

I
I

X 80' for technical storeroom

motor

shed

Navy design for a two motor

to reduce such a station conit

overhaul

One would have

siderably to

make

available say for five pilots

instead of sixty and for from five to ten planes as

against twenty-four planes.
for pilots

No

living quarters

would be necessary nor would there be a

force.

need for dormitories for the working

53

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

small building in which the pilots could rest
essential.
is

However

this

might also serve as a

waiting-room for passengers and an express transfer station.

There would be need

of

a carpenter
specifica-

shop.

However, instead of the navy

it

tions of 105' X 20'

could be reduced to 50' x 20';

the technical storeroom to about 20' x 30', while the garage need not hold more than one truck and

one small touring

car.

These buildings should be

is,

of fireproof construction, that

steel

frame with

corrugated iron cover.

Of course the be ideal but

it

Army Type
It is

A steel hangar would

would be too

expensive for the average munidpaHty.

desirable to use asbestos lining in the buildings.

The hangar might be reduced

100'

to around 75' x

21'.

None
The

of these buildings should be

very high.
possible,

field

should

be

equipped,

if

with underground tanks of galvanized

iron for fuel storage.

The navy tanks hold a

gallons.

maximum

of ten

thousand

This could

be easily cut in

half, if

not reduced to 3300 gallons,

for a municipal air port.

At the newest type naval

54

NAVAL AIR PORTS

stations the gas
is

pumped up with an
one

electric
its

pump, which
desirability

is

extremely desirable.
best be had
if

Proof of
tries to

may

pump

150 gallons of gas by hand in re-fueling a flying

boat.

The amount

of fuel to

be kept on hand must be

judged by the number of flying boats and the type

of engines

which they use which go in and out

of

the station.

For instance, a 150 H. P. Wright

motor would use about ten gallons per hour while

one of the Liberty 400's would consume twentyfive gallons in the

same

time.
for oil storage.

There

is

no standard
oil

Most
it

naval stations keep

out as needed.

in steel
it is

drums and draw

well to
oil

However,

be equipped
of

with one of the small portable

and gas tanks

the type usually found at a good garage.

The hangar should be

wind and

located, as I

have previ-

ously stated, so that planes can take off into the

prevailing
also land into the wind.

In

order to reduce taxiing as

much

as possible,

it is

good idea to have the hangar arranged so that the

55

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

plane can be taken

down the runway into the water

off

and prepared to take

taxiing into position.

immediately without

The question of tides has an

site of

important bearing on the

the hangar.

It

V\f\V\^'\^

<

^j:^'il_

L_

NAVAL AIR PORTS

exceedingly difficult to draw up a uniform plan of

hangar with

its

apron and runways.

It is desir-

able to have the apron, or front porch as one gob

called
it,

constructed of concrete, while the same

material naturally makes the best runways.

Con-

crete aprons f aciHtate the handling of the machines

for
rule

minor

repairs,

re-fueling,

etc.

One

general

may be followed in constructing the apron and

is, it

that

should be deeper than the overall width

of the largest

machine housed in the hangar.

In

building concrete runways the concrete

laid

must be

with a caisson, which makes

it

very expensive.

Properly treated hard woods of the general type of

railroad cross ties might
in that portion of the

be used with good

is

effect

runway which

covered by

water at high
pitch 20,

tide.

No runway

should exceed in

and that
is

slant should be used only

where there

no beach available and the hangars

It

are constructed on a high bluff.

would be next

to impossible to get a plane in and out of the water

if

the angle of the runway were more abrupt.

If

the

runway

is

not properly constructed very often

57

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

the planes must be
left in

the water over night,

which is not

desirable.

The

station should also be provided with a

tractor for pulling the planes out of the water

for putting

and

them

in place.

Otherwise

it is

neces-

sary very often to use the entire personnel of the

station for hauling Hnes.

Air harbours are in no sense limited to seaports.

Scores of inland towns adjacent to great rivers, the

Great Lakes, and other large bodies of water

should be equipped with them.

Even

cities

and

towns connected with the larger bodies

rivers

of

water by

and small lakes should have air harbours.

from such a harbour
is

flying boat flight

not dan-

gerous, even
larger
pilot

though a part
of

of the journey to the

body

water be over land, provided the

can get his altitude quickly.

if

There

is

no

danger in flying over land

the pilot can reach

water by gliding in the event his engine stops or

some other unforeseen or untoward incident occurs.

The
is,

distance ratio for gliding

is

about 5 to

i,

that

for every

one thousand feet that the aviator

58

NAVAL AIR PORTS

ascends he
landing.

may

glide five

thousand

feet to

make a

The

question of personnel at an air port

It is necessary to

is

ex-

tremely important.

have an
has
of

aeronautical mechanic, preferably a

man who

been in the Naval Air Service, to take charge

the machine shop.

Such a man with one or two

assistants could, I should think, easily handle a

port where four or five flying boats were harboured.

One

or

two ex-navy or ex-army carpenters should

be able to handle the carpenter shop, with the

assistance of an ordinary carpenter or two.

The

port should be in charge of an ex-officer of

the Naval Air Service preferably, or an ex-chief

petty

officer

who

is

competent to inspect planes

prior to flight.
air

Such inspection by a competent

necessary
to insure
difficulties.

port

official is

against

crashes caused

by mechanical

A stock of supplies should be kept on hand containing the parts mostly in demand.

The machine and carpenter shops for an

should have

air port

much the same equipment needed for

59

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

landing
fields,

which

is

described elsewhere in this

volume.
Just as in the case of a landing field for land
planes, the probable

growth

of

an

air

harbour

should be taken into consideration.

While lighter-than-air

craft serve the navy's

purposes extremely well and always wiU be an

important branch of a maritime military establishment, nevertheless their care and housing
for overseas
facilities

work wiU be but very same type

of craft

little different

from that

of the

which
I

fly

over
say,

mountains and rivers and land.

however, that the
field for

might

handling these craft

must be very large.

A ship of the R-34 type needs

The ground must be
flat,

at least one thousand acres of clear ground in order

to manoeuvre properly.
free

from creeks and natural obstructions,

well

drained and always kept in excellent condition.

All buildings

must be extremely low, more so

craft.

than with the heavier-than-air

opinion of a great

In the
the

many high naval authorities

Ughter-than-air machine

the

dirigible

of

rigid

60

NAVAL AIR PORTS

type
will

^is

the ultimate commercial air vehicle for

it

carry the heaviest weight.

Such a

field

must

be rather far away from the coast to avoid as

as possible strong winds

much
It is

and

air currents.

extremely
landing,
if

difficult to

handle craft of this type after

is

a strong wind
I

blowing.

The R-34

wiU some day,

beUeve, be considered small, de-

spite her 2,500,000 cubic feet gas capacity.

The

R-38 building in England

2,750,000 cubic feet and

for the

navy contains

I believe freight-carrying

commercial

air vehicles will in

a few years contain

as the naval field

10,000,000 cubic feet.

at Lakehurst,

As soon
is

New Jersey,

completed, the navy

expects to begin building these super lighter-thanair

machines.

The hangars have been

described

in detail elsewhere.

61

CHAPTER

VII

AIRPLANES AND SEAPLANES

By CAVTMifTROMAsT. Craven, V .S.N.
,

Director of Naval Aviation

A
has

LARGE and prosperous

There
is

city does not simply

"happen."

always some reason

why

it

prospered
it.

more than other communities

around

Until the last century the basic reason

for prosperity

and

size

was usually a good harbour,

a navigable river, nearness to coal, iron, or other

mineral deposits, unusually
other natural condition.
tion has been
fertile

grotmd, or some
of civiliza-

The advance

measured directly and precisely by

In opening

the improvements in transportation.

up the commerce
improving the

of the

world and in creating and

lines of

communication more than

through any other means has the business of the

world and the progress of civilization been fostered.
62

AIRPLANES AND SEAPLANES

In the last century the locomotive and the automobile came into existence, and with them came

two more reasons why a town should

population and wealth.

increase in
lines

These were railroad

and good

roads.

The towns whose

citizens first

recognized the importance of these two great

mediums

of

transportation were

boomed

enor-

mously when, through the enterprise

residents,

of farseeing

advantages were offered to railroads and

for automobiHsts to

good roads were provided

attract them.

The railroad in its growth throughand has dwarfed or

its

out the United States has created thousands of

towns along

its lines,

killed

many

others not near

path.

The automobile,

following the Une of good roads, has added

much to

the wealth and to the size of the communities

through which

it

passes.

Any town on

the Linto the

coln Highway, for example, owes

much

automobile.

At the
tion,

present time a
is

new means

of transporta-

the airplane,

just taking its place beside the

rise

automobile and locomotive as a factor in the

63

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

and
fall of

towns.

Unlike

its

two

rivals,

however,
is

the airplane needs no road or track, for the air

its

broad highway, and

deserts,

it

mountains and

over rivers and forestswhere

can go anywhere
It

the automobile and locomotive are useless.

travels across country at a speed with which

neither of its rivals can ever

hope to compete.

It
it

makes but one demand upon the community

benefits
It

a safe place to land.

argued that
it

may be

would be foohsh
field

for a

municipality to provide a landing

ent time

at the pres-

when only occasionally

it.

are airplanes seen

in flight near

The answer is

that probably one

is

reason

why

planes are not seen more often

there
is

that

the pilots

know

no prepared place to land

is

near

it.

Comradeship among airmen

strong,

and

news travels among them as rapidly as

their swift

planes fly, so pilots are usually aware of what towns

to land at and what towns to avoid.

increasing

The

rapidly

number

of pilots

and planes
fields.

will con-

tinue to shun towlls without

Although at

present the town seems entirely able to get along

Splendid Landing Field in Process of Construction.

An

Active Field with Possibilities of Greater Expansion.

AIRPLANES AND SEAPLANES

without
be.
aircraft,

ten years from

now

it

may

not

The

present usual type of plane which carries

is

two or three passengers

comparable only to the

automobile, but already larger "ships" are being

built

everywhere and soon planes

will rival

the

railroad or steamship in their passenger or even freight-carrying ability.

Fifty-one passengers have Several

flown in one of the

tons
is

NC naval seaplanes.

no longer a

large load for a big multiis

motored plane.

Caproni, the Italian inventor,

working on a loo-passenger plane.

These are a
will

few of the indications

the future.
It will

of

what airplanes

be in

be noted that up to the present

the tendency seems to have been to build seaplanes

capable of carrying the largest loads.

for this is that the water,

The reason

when

in sufficient area,
field.

supplies

an always-available landing

There

are those

who think that the first developments for

on a large
scale will

freight carrying

be through

the agency of seaplanes, but this cannot be until

the proper
s

facilities

are supplied.
65

It is

obvious

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

that without faciUties on which planes can land

and take off,

air traffic

cannot be economically and

Therefore, the towns

advantageously conducted.

that read the signs of the times

now

will

reap the

advantage within a few years.

Eventually two distinct types of airplanes
will

come

into being

and

in their flights favour only

towns with adequate

air

harbours or landing

fields.

One type will be the small plane, fast or slow, carrying a few people

and a little baggage, and owned by

a private individual, as a touring car is now owned.

The

other type wiU be the huge, many-motored

craft,

manned by a

regular crew,

owned by a

transportation company, and engaged in a regular passenger or freight carrying service over regu-

lar routes

between various

cities.

Those

cities

win

profit greatly

not only by the rapid service

offered their

citizens,

but by the erection

of

great repair shops, factories,

air terminals,

gasoline stations,

and

hotels.

This wiU not happen

field

in a day,

but the establishment of a landing

cannot

now be

regarded as a very long term

66

AIRPLANES AND SEAPLANES

investment.
years.

The

returns will

come within a few

Already a number of
air

cities

are benefiting

by the

mail service, and within a short time this rapid

maU system will be extended far and wide over many routes throughout the country. The mimicipalities

which co-operate are the ones which

will

benefit, of course.

Although many, who look into the future, see the

day when the long haul on

railroads will be

done

away with by
for

the more rapid aerial transportation,

some years the airplane wiU probably content

with carrying the fast express, leaving to the

itself

railroads the great bulk of material

which

is

not

needed any~where in a hurry.

ever, are likely soon to

Passengers, how-

be shifted in ever-growing

numbers from grimy coaches to the clean and

luxtiriously furnished cabins of air liners.

The

airplane, as

an auxiliary to the
its

railroad,

proved

incontrovertibly
in England,

worth during the

rail strike

when everything from milk to men was

67

carried on schedule.

; ;

MUNICIPAL LANDING FIELDS

At the present time air lines,
air tourists are

air

commuters, and

already creeping into existence

where flying
the
cities,

fields

make them

possible.

Among
Ga.

which already have municipal airdromes,

are Tucson, Ariz.;

Macon and Waycross,

;

Coeur d' Alene, Idaho Chicago,

111.

Wichita, Kan. Minneapolis,

Taunton,
;

Mass.;

Detroit,
;

Mich.;
Billings,

Minn. Kansas City, Mo.

Mountain, Nev.
;

Mont. Battle
;

Albany and Rochester, N. Y.

;

Newark, N.
ton, Pa.
;

J.;

Bryan and Cleveland, O. ScranTenn. LaCrosse and Milwaukee,

;

Bristol,

Wis.

and Atlantic

City.
list

Of course these by no means complete the

of

good landing places in

this country.

Commer-

cial fields in ever-increasing

numbers are being put

into service;

army
;

fields

are used

by many com-

mercial machines and cities and towns are almost

daily

making provision

for fields.

In addition

there are about one thousand fields scattered

throughout the country which are

classified as

"emergency"

fields;

smaU
68

fields,

but large enough

for a plane to land in

on a pinch.

AIRPLANES AND SEAPLANES

The
big

work

of providing a

system of

air har-

bours so that regular aerial transportation on a

large scale

may be undertaken remains to be done,

do
their "bit," will

and the
profit

municipalities that

many-fold from their investment.

69

APPENDIX
UNITED STATES LANDING FIELDS
The attached
which
aircraft
unofficial list indicates

towns and

cities

at
is

have landed.

The present

condition of fields

not considered.

Fields listed are those subject to either com-

mercial, municipal, or United States

classification includes:

Government

control.

This

Emergency
ings
supplies.

Fields designated *

Those

fields at

which landobtaining

have been made but where no

facilities exist for

Municipal Fields designated

trol of city

Those

fields

under the con-

governments or Chambers of Commerce.

Fields designated J

Government
Government.

Stations,

Fields, or Reser-

vations operated by and under the control of the United States

The list

is

arrange by States and

cities alphabetically.

LIST OF

LANDING FIELDS ON FILE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF AIR SERVICE

*Bay Minette

APPENDIX
Brinkley
*Buflfalo

*Jonesboro
JLittle

Creek

Rock
Tree

*Dain villa

JLonoke

*Dardanelle

Marked

*De Witt *E1 Dorado

*Payetteville

*New Boston Newport

Paragould

Forrest City
*Fort Smith

Pine

Blufif

Prescott
Stuttgart

*Harrison

*Hazen
*Helena

Texarkana

Warren

*Hope
*Hot Springs

Wynne
CALIFORNIA

*Alameda
tArcadia

Chine
Colusa

tAubum
JBakersfield

tBay Point
*Beaumont
Berkeley
*Bloomington
*Blythe

Corona Cottonwood Daggett Dominegoni Valley

tEl Centro

Eureka
Fallbrook
tFresno

*Brawley
tCalexico
*Calipatria

Gridley

Hemet
HoUister

tCamp Kearney
*Chico

tHoUywood
Lancaster

Chinese

73

APPENDIX
tLakeport
fLos Angeles

*Redding

tRedwood City
JRiverside

*Los Gatos

*Madera
*Marysville

*Rocklin

tSacramento
*San Bernardino

*Maxwell

*Mecca
*Merced
*Modesto

JSan Diego
*San Fernando JSan Francisco *San Jos6 *San Leandro
*San Mateo
*Santa

*Mojave
*Needles

*Nevada City

*Newman
*Oakland
*OroviUe

Anna

f Santa Barbara

*Santa Clara

*Palmdale
*Palo Alto

*Spadra
tStockton

fPasadena
tPorterville

*Temecula
*Tulare
*Visaila

*Petaluma
*Quincy

*Woodland

tRed

Blufl

*Woodlawn

COLORADO
*Aguilar

*Glenwood Springs
*Grand Junction

*Aspm
*Buena Vista
*Burlington

*Limon
*Pueblo

*Colorado Springs

*Red CUff
*Salida

fDenver
*Flagler

Trinidad

74

APPENDIX
CONNECTICUT
*Ansoma
Hartford
*Meriden

*New London
*Pawcatuck
*Plamville

*Middletown

DELAWARE
*Middletown
Wilmington

Newark

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
^nacostia
JWashington

FLORIDA
tArcadia
Gladecrest

tAvon Park
Baldwin
fBartow
Bonifay

Glendale

Hobe Sound Immokalee

tJacksonville

Bradentown
Brooksville

tKey West
fKissimmee

Daytona Daytona Beach

La Belle
Lake City
fLakeland
Leesbtirg

*De Funiak Springs De Land

Eustis

Live

Oak

Fort

Meade

Marianna

tFort Myers

fMiami
Moorehaven
Moultrie

Fort Pierce
Gainesville

75

APPENDIX
Tifton
*Valdosta

fWaycross

*Wa3mesboro

Vidalia

Wrens

Washington

IDAHO
*Athol

Moscow
fPocatello

Belmont
tCoeur d'Alene

Rathdrum

Corbin

Garwood
Hauser

Twin Twin

Falls

Lakes

ILLINOIS
Abington

Aledo Alton Aurora

Casey Cedar Point

Centralia

Champaign
Charleston

Avena
Beckemeyer
JBelleville

Chatsworth
^Chicago
Clinton

Belvidere
Blandenville

Corina
Damiansville

Bloomington
Breese

Danville

Brownstown Caberry
Carlinville

Decatur Delavan Dennison

Carlyle

Dow
Dupo

CarroUton
Carterville

Du Quoin
77

APPENDIX
*Efl5ngham
*Elgin

Malta
Marshall

*Elmwood
*Fairfield

Mascoutah

*Fieldon
ttPorest Park

Matoon Mendota
Meredosi
Metropolis

(Suburb of Chicago)
*Freeburg
*Galesburg
*Girard
*Goreville

Monmouth
Monticello

Montrose
Morris
Morrisonville

*Gorham
*Greenup
*Greenville

*Mt. Olive

*Harvel

Mt. Mt.

Sterling

Vernon

*Havana
Hettick

Highland
*Hinkley
*Jerseyville
tjoliet

Murphysboro *New Baden New Memphis

Newton Odin
O'Fallon

*Kankakee
*Keenes

Ohiey Ottawa

*Kempton
*La Salle *La Harpe *Le Roy
*Litchfleld

Pana
Paris

Peoria

Percy
Pierron
Pinckneyville

*Lora

Macomb
Lincoln

Pontiac
Princeton

78

APPENDIX
*Petersburg
*Schereville

Terre Haute
Vincennes

*South Bend
*Spencer
*Sullivan

Wabash
Washington

IOWA
*Atlantic

Mason

City

*Blairsburg

*Bonaparte

Northwood Osage
Oskaloosa
Pella

Charles City
*Clarion

*Davenport
tfDes Moines

Rockford Rockwell City

*Donnelson

Sac

City

*Dow

City

Shell Rock

*Eldora

Sioux City

{Iowa City

*Lowden

Stanwood Waterloo

KANSAS
*Abilene

Fredonia

Arkansas City
Belleville

Cottonwood

Falls

Garden City Goodland Hiawatha

lola

Dodge
Eureka

City

fEmporia
JPort Leavenwoi }Fort Riley

Kensington

Kingman
Kinsley
Lincoln

Fort

Scott

McPherson
80

APPENDIX
*Dowagiac

Mayville

Flint
*Powler
Powlerville

Milan
JMount Clemens

Mount
Niles

Pleasant

*Glenwood

Grand Haven fGrand Rapids

HiUsdale

Plymouth
Pointe aux Barques
fRoseville (Suburb of Detroit)

*lmlay City
*Jackson

St. Charles

Sandusky
Standish
Stockbridge

*Kalamazoo
*Lansing

*Lapeer

Wayne
Yale
Ypsilanti

*Lawton
Manchester

MINNESOTA
*Appleton
*Breckenridge

*Cannon Junction

Clara City
Crookston

Lake City Maple Mayer Maynard

Milan

*Crow River

f JMinneapolis
Minnesota City

Dakota
Dresbach

Duluth
Fainnont
tFort Snelling

Montevideo New Germany Parker

Golden
Graceville

Pine Creek Red Wing

ttSaint Paul
tSleepy

Hastings

Eye

83

APPENDIX
*Monett
*Moiiroe City
*St.

Genevieve

St. Joseph St. Louis

Sedalia

*New Florence *New Haven *New London

*Paris

Seneca
fSpringfield

*Pascola

Sturgeon
Sullivan

*Poplar Bluffs

Richland
*Rolla

Washington
Wentsville

MONTANA
*Arlee

Kalispell

*Bigtimber
tBillings

Laurel
fLivingston

*Bozeinan
*Bridger Creek

Manhattan
JMiles City

*Columbus
*Dixon

Mission
fMissoula

*Drummond
Elliston
JPort Harrison

Paradise

Park City Perma

Plains

*Garrison

*Glendive

*Great Falls

ttHelena

Reid Point Thompson Falls Townsend

Winston

Heron

NEBRASKA
Central City
tFort Crook

Loup
85

City

Nebraska City

APPENDIX
*Milford
*Min.eola

*Shumla
*Sierra Blanca

*Moulton

*SpofEard

tMount Pleasant

*Stamford
*Stanton *Sulphur Springs

*New Boston *New Castle

*Nocona
*0(iessa

tSweetwater

Temple
*Tesnus

*Orange

*Ozona

*Texarkana
*Texline

fPaducah
*Palestine

*Thomdale
*Paris

*Toyah
*Pearland
*Tyler

*Pecos

JPort Arthur
*Presidio

*Uvalde

*Van

Home

*Pumpville

*Vemon
Victoria
*Vinton

*Quamiah

*Richmond
*Ringold

*Von Ormy

*Rosenberg
*Saint Joe
*Saltillo

JWaco
*Washburn
*Waxahachie

*San Angleo JSan Antonio *San Benito *San Marcos

*Webb
Wellington

Wharton
Whitesboro
tWichita Falls

*Seymour
*Sherman

Wills Point

94

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