OCR Text |
Show An Airport for Every Town Will Be Possible if Plan Before Congress, Granting Federal Aid, Is Passed U.S. Funds Would Match Community's, Dollar for Dollar, in Building By Walter A. Shead WNTJ Staff Correspondent. Taking a page from the book of the public roads adminis-v adminis-v tration, the civil aeronautics administration is asking congress con-gress for an appropriation to provide for a billion - dollar postwar airport construction program to be allocated the states as federal grants on a fifty-fifty cost basis. In asking for this federal aid or subsidy for the development of air transportation the CAA is not without with-out precedent. Declaring that we are entering "an air age of transportation transporta-tion vital to the unified growth of the nation's commerce," it points out that the government has always al-ways aided all forms of transportation transporta-tion in their early stages. CAA estimated that it will cost approximately $1,250,000,000, spread over 5 to 10 years to carry through a national airport program adequate ade-quate to the nation's aviation needs, including purchase of land and construction of terminal buildings. A detailed survey of the nation's . airport facilities by CAA indicates that for this billion and a quarter " dollar cost, 1,625 of the country's existing 3,255 airfields can be improved, im-proved, and 3,050 pew airports can y . be constructed for a total of 6,305 airports. Five Classes of Fields. For the basis of allocating funds to the several states, the CAA has made a study of community needs and set up five classifications for airports necessary for communities on the basis of population and need, j ' These five classifications are: Class 1 suitable for private owner 'small tyjfe aircraft with two L-shaped L-shaped airstrips 1,800 to 2,700 feet long, 300 feet wide. Class 2 for larger type private owner aircraft air-craft and smaller transport planes for local and feeder service, with A-shaped airstrips 2,700 to 3,700 feet long and 500 feet wide. Class 3 to accommodate present day twin-engine transport aircraft with several landing strips 3,700 to 4,700 feet long and 500 feet wide. Classes 4 and 5 to serve the largest aircraft now in nse and those planned for the immediate im-mediate future, with multiple landing land-ing strips 4,700 to 5,700 feet long and 500 feet wide. The proposed national plan of the CAA would provide for improvement of existing airports as follows: 303 class 1; 699 class 2; 349 class 3; 213 class 4, and 61 class 5. In addition, construction of new airports is provided pro-vided as follows: 2,597 of olass 1; 1,101 of class 2; 101 class 3; 520 class 4, and 336 class 5. ' According to this CAA survey of the 15,000 towns of under 5,000 population, popu-lation, only 1,546 now have airports, of which 313 are not now usable. The proposed program would improve im-prove existing ports and build 3,744 new airports in these towns for a total of 4,008. In setting up the total cost of these proposed airports, CAA did net include in-clude cost of land or buildings. It does include, however, preparation of the land such as clearing, grubbing, grub-bing, excavation and grading, drainage, surface conditioning and fencing, paving of runways, taxi-( taxi-( ways and aprons, installation of all lighting including beacons, obstruction, obstruc-tion, runway and taxiway flooj or contact lights; radio facilities and miscellaneous, such as approach clearing, access roads, marking ,nd landscaping. Small Ports Get 60 Per Cent. ' Approximately 58 per cent of Vie total appropriation would be spe,it for new airport facilities, with 2 per cent for improvement of exis ing airports. Funds for class 1 anil 2 airports comprise 60.6 per cent oi I the total proposed appropriation, oj approximately $155,650,623 for class 1 airports and $463,443,567 for the class 2 ports. ; iy as W" -: The Class 1 airport, known popularly as an "airpark," is designed for small private owner type planes up to 4,000 pounds gross weight. Fields of this class are designed to serve small communities, and as auxiliary airports in larger metropolitan areas. There are no paved runways, but landing strips with clear approaches must measure 1,800 to 2,700 feet long and 300 feet wide. Recreational facilities, such as parks, tennis courts and golf courses will surround the airpark in many cases. The legislation now before congress con-gress for approval would provide that the state designate a single agency through which the CAA could negotiate, contract for construction, con-struction, etc., and all construction would be In charge of local sponsors on plans and specifications reviewed and approved by CAA. The plan would work in much the same manner as highway construction construc-tion for secondary and feeder roads. Local communities would make arrangements ar-rangements with the designated state agency to take advantage of the federal grant and with the CAA dealing with the state agency. 'Subject to revision the proposed plans call for the following total construction con-struction costs for new and improved im-proved airports: Alabama, $12,185,-000; $12,185,-000; Arizona, $10,935,140; Arkansas, $35,109,634; California, $56,912,500; Colorado, $12,178,000; Connecticut, S16.350.000; Delaware, $2,684,000; Florida, $23,734,630; Georgia, $9,310-000; $9,310-000; Idaho, $9,085,300; Illinois, $40,-076.000; $40,-076.000; Indiana, $16,032,000; Iowa, $9,951,500; Kansas, $7,732,000; Kentucky, Ken-tucky, $7,865,000; Louisiana, $40,-617,890; $40,-617,890; Maine, $19,565,000; Maryland, Mary-land, $14,065,000; Massachusetts, $29,931,000; Michigan, $22,813,000; Minnesota, $11,736,000; Mississippi. $10,740,000; Missouri, $18,923,000; Montana, $10,473,100. Nebraska, $7,824,000; Nevada, $4,752,100; New Hampshire, $14,934.-000; $14,934.-000; Naw Jersey, $31,968,780; New Mexico $33,016,594; New York, $58,-590,895; $58,-590,895; North Carolina, $19,776,-000; $19,776,-000; North Dakota, $3,842,000; Ohio, $31,161,000; Oklahoma, $37,300,440; Oregon, $6,579,000; Pennsylvania, $46,667,000; Rhode Island, $8,069,-000; $8,069,-000; South Carolina, $12,837,000; South Dakota, $4,730,500; Tennessee, $13,142,000; Texas, $120,923,152; Utah, $12,120,790; Vermont, $12,867,-000; $12,867,-000; Virginia, $23,239,000; Washington, Washing-ton, $20,153,000; West Virginia, $28,-649,000; $28,-649,000; Wisconsin, $17,944,000; Wyoming, Wyo-ming, $3,472,000; total $1,021,567,945. The civil aeronautics administration administra-tion in the department of commerce will furnish detailed information to any of the 6,305 cities and towns selected to become a part of this national airport network. Surveys May Start Soon. Of the total appropriation, the CAA is asking congress for a $3,000,000 appropriation to be immediately im-mediately available for detailed plans and surveys. According to estimates of the CAA and private aeronautic agencies, such as the aeronautical chamber of commerce, 65 per cent of the people will fly I ' i l-i 3 I '. : - I " ' 1 jk ' '' "J ' j The "A' shaped runway Is designed for CLiss 2 airports, serving communities com-munities of 5,000 to 25,000 population. It will accommodate planes weighing weigh-ing between 4,000 and 13,000 pounds. airplanes or the air lines after the war. It is pointed out that even those who do not fly will utilize airport facilities as patrons of air mail, air freight and air express. Ton miles of mail flown in the last four years has increased from 10,000,000 in 1940 to 54,000,000 in 1944. Vp to 1942 approximately 4,000,000 passengers a year rode the air lines. Predictions are that this air travel will see a 10-fold Jump during dur-ing the first postwar decade. In addition addi-tion there will be private pilots, owners own-ers and renters of planes drawn from such sources as the 350,000 army and navy pilots, the present 150,000 civilian pilots and students, the 250,000 students taking aeronautical aero-nautical courses In the high schools each year, the 2,250,000 men trained by the armed forces In aviation skills other than piloting, and the almost equal number employed in aviation factories. At the present time there are five federal aid airport bills pending in congress, three in the house of representatives rep-resentatives and two in the senate. The senate measures, however, are identical with the house bills. In support of this federal-aid airport air-port legislation. Secretary of Commerce Com-merce Henry Wallace testified recently re-cently before the aviation sub-committee asserting that action taken on the measures proposed would determine deter-mine the progress of airport development de-velopment in the country for the next quarter of a century. Would Provide Employment. "I believe," Mr. Wallace said, "that civil aviation will be a most important factor in the postwar post-war drive for economic expansion and full employment. Our $19,000,-000,000 $19,000,-000,000 aircraft manufacturing Industry In-dustry employing 1,700,000 workers must, like all munitions Industries, undergo very drastic deflation." While in the past a considerable portion of aviation activity has been confined to the larger cities and towns, the proposals of the CAA are designed to take aviation to the country and the small rural communities com-munities throughout the nation. If these communities take advpntage of the federal grants in aid, once they are authorized, it will bring aviation direct to the farmer at least insofar as he wishes to use air transport in the shipment of farm commodities and the use of air transport and travel in his business busi-ness of operating a farm. Merchants Mer-chants in the small communities, too, will be placed on a par with his city brethren in the receipt and shipment of freight and express, once aviation service hns been brought to the small towns, ns is proposed under this national network net-work plan.' It, however, is up to the local communities com-munities included in the proposed plan to take up the cudKf'l for local sponsorship and local expenditure of 50 per cent of the funds necessary to comply wilh CAA plans and specifications. speci-fications. Then it (ipparcnlly is up to these local sponsors to contact their state ncency designated ns the proper source for collaboration with the federal tigency In order to obtain the urant-in-uid ns authorized by congress. |