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Show Huge Program for Airways System Near Completion The seven million dollar federal airways modernization and expansion expan-sion program which was commenced com-menced a year ago is rapidly near-ing near-ing completion and the commercial airlines will have available for winter's operations a greatly augmented aug-mented and improved system of airways complete with many of the most recently developed aids to air navigation, Edward' J. Ndble, chairman of the Civil Aeronautics authority, announced last week. A large number of new radio stations, beacon lights, new type ultra-high frequency stations and fields are now ready for use and others are being added as fast as construction can be completed and equipment installed. When the program reaches completion, com-pletion, at the end of January, 1939, the federal airways system will have been completely modernized modern-ized and improved, with the addition addi-tion of 181 simultaneous radio range stations; 30 loop type ranges; 100 cone of silence markers; mar-kers; 21 fan type markers; 7000 miles of teletype circuits; as well as landing fields, beacons, and : other airways aid's. The teletype weather communi-! communi-! cations system extension has al-i al-i ready been completed. This ex-' ex-' tension increased the system by 1 7000 miles of circuits, bringing I the total to 21,790 miles covering j all of the 48 states with the exception ex-ception of Maine, New Hampshire Hamp-shire and South Dakota. Eighty-one new simultaneous radio range and communications stations of the vertical radiator type which permit signal and voice ; broadcasts at the same time are i being erected at points in 34 I states, while 50 old-style non-! non-! simultaneous radio ranges are being converted to the simultaneous simultan-eous type. In addition, 30 ranges of the medium- and loW-potwered loop type are being installed, which permit per-mit signal and voice broadcasts independently of one another. On these ranges the pilot throws a switch which changes his frequen-j frequen-j cy from voice to signal, as he : chooses. I One of the most important items j in the modernization program and an innovation which will have a most important bearing on safer aerial navigation, has been the in- stallation of ultra-high frequency t cone of silence markers at all the new vertical radiator stations and I at 18 of the madernized stations. The cone of silence marker is a 75-megacycle radio transmitter, which sends a vertical beam up into in-to the cone of silence that exists directly above a radio range station. sta-tion. It transmits a distinctive and positive signal iwtiieti gives the pilot definite assurance that he is passing through the cone of I silence. I The airways modernization pro-' pro-' gram also calls for installation of i 21 ultra-high frequency radio markers mar-kers of the fan type, which not j only help to simplify traffic con-' con-' trol but indicate ioiuid haaardt to airmen flying above or through the clouds as accurately as lighthouses light-houses tell marines the position of hidden reefs. Of these, eleven are already in operation at the following follow-ing places: Stone Mountain, Ga.; Lansing, 111.; Sheridan, 111.; Mt. Prospect, 111.; Yorkers, N. Y.; New Brunswick, N. J.; Morris Plains, N. J.; Hobart, Wash.; Bowie, Md.; Mason Springs, Md.; and Herndon. Va. This type marker is fixed at points where airplanes report to the traffic control tower when approaching ap-proaching an airport. It consists of an interrupted signal in the pilot's earphones and a red light flashing on his instrument board, and facilitates the safe and orderly control' of traffic at busy airports, particularly for instrument approaches ap-proaches in thick weather. The control tower oan instruct pilots approaching an airport on instruments instru-ments - to remain at tha points I where the fan markers are operat-! operat-! in" instead of in the immediate vicinity of airports, j OtheT work, less spectacular in ; description but no less important . in its bearing on safe flying, such as the installation of 140 auto-emergency auto-emergency power at radio stations miscellaneous airways improvements improve-ments and relocations of airways to eliminate possible hazards, has been accomplished. The distribution oi expenditures |