(J.S. Commercial Aviation Winds Up
SiHost SpectacuDar EDecade on DUiistory
Washington - (UPD - U. S
commercial aviation is wind
ing up the most spectacular
decade of progress in its his
tory. The 1950s have seen:
Start of the commercial jet
age.
Vital advancements in air
safety.
-A revolution in air traffic
control.
-Emergence of air travel as
the nation's number one trans
portation medium.
Then years ago, the nation's
railroads were carrying three
times as many first-class pas
sengers as the scheduled do
mestic airlines. That ratio is
now completely reversed.
The airlines have expanded
faster in the last 10 years than
they did in their first 20.
In 1949, there were 45 cer
tified airlines. There are now
55.
In 1949, the scheduled air
lines served 638 cities. They
now fly into 703.
Fleet Growing
In 1949, the U.S. commerc
ial air fleet totaled 1,083
planes - more than half of
them twin-engine airliners
offering 35,900 available seats
daily. The most advanced jet
liner planes-those of the Boe
ing 707 - consisted of a hand
ful of tentative drawings.
Today, the commercial air
fleet numbers 2,063 planes.
These include 1,750 piston
engine airliners, 228 prop-jets
0'et engines hitched to con
ventional propellers) and 85
pure jets. Daily seats avail
able: 130,000."
In 1949, the fastest cruising
speed of a U.S. airliner was
315 miles an hour. It now is
590 miles an hour and will go
up to 615 in 1960 when Con
vair introduces the 880 jet
liner.
Ten years ago, the airlines
employed 76,000 persons.
They now employ 150,000.
The payroll in the past decade
has jumped from $349 million
to more than $1 billion.
In 1949, the airlines carried
14.6 million P A nSers on do
mestic flights 'find about 2
million overseas. In 1959, they
carried 49.8 million domestic
ally and 5.8 million interna
tionally. Jet Age Arrives
By far the outstanding
achievement of the 1950s was
the unexpected smooth transi
tion into the jet age. The
cynics and pessimists warned
that the new jets were far
ahead of ground and air traf
fic control facilities. To a
certain extent, this was and
still is true.
But the gap was not as wide
as feared, and what most ot
the gloomy forecasts failed to
take into account was the
enormous job of advance
planning done by both the air
lines and the federal government.
By the fall of 1959, U.S. jets
already had hauled their one
millionth passenger - in only
one year. Trans-Atlantic jets
had flown more passengers in
12 months than the liner Uni
ted States had carried in seven
years. And the jets, although
plagued by minor bugs, were
not only operating with near
capacity loads but with a per
fect safety record.
With the aviation industry's
expansion of the 1950s came
the inevitable growing pains.
The decade saw some disas
trous accidents, including the
worst in commercial aviation
history.
Grand Canyon Crash
On June 30, 1955, a United
DC-7 and a TWA Constella
tion collided over the Grand
Canyon. All 128 aboard the
two planes were killed and a
shocked nation demanded ac
tion. The Grand Canyon tragedy
pointed up the inadequacies of
air traffic control and the in
ability of pilots to follow the
old "see-and-be-seen" rule that
had separated airliners since
the 20s. Modern planes were
simply too fast to rely on the
human eye for protection.
Grand Canyon prompted
the first moves toward mo
dernization of the air traffic
control system. But it took
two more fatal collisions to
galvanize Congress into major
action. On April 21, 1958, an
Air Force jet fighter rammed
a United DC-7 over Las Vegas,
BOOTS FOR EVERY OCCASION
Attention! Men and boys. If you are going to need boots NOW
time to buy! We have a very complete selection of dress boots,
boots, and hunting boots. All sizes and types. Come on in.
INSULATED
Boots
$16.93 Values
Here is a real buy.
This boot has ev
thing. ... 10"
brown moco toe
style. White foam
crepe wedgie sole.
Built-in arch sup
port, cushion in
soles, oil tanned
uppers. Sizes 6Vi
to 11.
$14.95
Boots
Black
Wellington
Half Wellington dress
boots. Leather lined.
Leather soles and rub
ber heels. Both nar
row and regular
widths. All siies.
$14.95
Semi-dress black Wel
lington boots. Neohte
soles ...
Special
$10.90
12" LACE
Boots
$13.95 Values
Very special! . . .
Brown oil tanned
moco roe boors.
Warm wool plaid
linings. New vul
canized waterproof
process. Neoprene
oil resistant ' soles'.
Sizes 6Vi td11.
$10.88
Utility Boots
8" brown oil tanned
uppers. Moco toe style.
Long wearing cork
and rubber soles.
Cushion insoles. Out
side counter for better
fit and more support.
Sizes 6 'i to 11.
$11.95
Beige Wellington Rough Out Boots
Long wearing cork and rubber soles
S()90
Golden Tan Wellington Boots Sfl 5)95
Leather lined. White foam crepe wedgie sole f
Lace-to-Toe Logger Style Boots $fl 5)95
Black oil tanned, 12" top, logger heels LmlLjS
8" Golden Tan Lace Boots
Moco toe, arch support, cushion insoles. Whit foam crepe wedgi
e soles Af
Neoprene Ifcin Wear
Your choice of work jackets, big style
or regular style pants. Olive drab neo
prene rubber rainwear. Cloth back,
welded seams. A real good buy.
Rain Clothes
Worth $8.95. Olive drab neoprene rub
ber parka. Hip length. Half zipper
front . . . hooded model. Welded seams.
Cloth back. Special
q5j7 Qssg nxD uxmUM&f
1
I
0
is the I
work I
Nev., and all 47 aboard the
airliner were killed. Only one
month later, a National Guard
jet trainer hit a Capital Vis
count near Brunswick, Md.,
with 12 perishing on the trans
port. Swift and drastic reforms
followed.
CAA Abolished
1. Congress abolished the
old Civil Aeronautics admin
istration (which had just cele
brated its 20th anniversary)
and set up a new Federal
Aviation agency with unprece
dented powers in the field of
air safety.
2. Congress voted huge new
funds for improvement and
modernization of an air traf
fic control system that had
changed little since the days
of the DC-3.
3. Under projects started
by the CAA and continued by
the FAA, the government hir
ed several thousand new air
traffic controllers, installed
new "super - skyways" for
transconti nental flights,
bought millions of dollars
worth of new electronic equip
ment including radar, put
most military traffic under
the same traffic control as
the civil airlines, and estab
lished a new research and
training center at Oklahoma
City for ATC personnel.
By the end of 1959, some
tangible results were evident.
There were still frequent re
ports of "near-misses," but no
further actual collisions. And
th vastly-improved air traf
fic control system now is ca
pable of handling 22,500
flights a day compared with
only 10,000 in 1956.
More Radar Appears
The decade also saw other
developments toward greater
safety. Radar appeared with
increasing frequency on the
nation's airliners. By the end
of 1959, about half the com
mercial fleet was equipped
with the storm-warning "little
black box" and all of the new
transports coming off assem
bly lines carried radar.
Airport runway lighting
was vastly improved at most
major terminals, although
much remains to be done in
this field. Pilot training un
derwent a literal revolution
by the introduction of elec
tronic simulators. These real
istic cockpit reproductions,
used for both refresher train
ing and transition to new
types of aircraft, can train and
test crews in everything from
instrument landings to simu
lated emergencies.
New Control Gear
The airlines are the first to
concede that greater safety re
mains a prune target. (In
1959, more than 300 persons
died in commercial airline
crashes. Major safety achieve
ments are predicted for the
1960s.
New 100 per cent electronic
MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Or. O
Sunday, Jan. 10, 1960 "
air traffic control equipment
now being tested and develop
ed under the FFA is aimed at
one goal: completely safe sep
aration of all traffic in any
kind of weather. There are
more than 100,000 planes us
ing the nation's airspace. But
achieving the goal is not im
possible; airliners land and
take off today in weather that
would have grounded them a
decade ago.
The switch to jet-powered
equipment is a safety develop
ment in itself. Jet engines are
far more reliable than piston
and up to 20 times less likely
to fail. The aviation industry
estimates that by 1965, the
commercial air fleet will be
about 75 per cent jet-powered.
Commercial aviation has
grown up. Its brilliant new
planes - the Boeing 707, DC-8,
Convair 880, Lockheed Elec
tra and Fairchild F-27 - are
taking to the airways in in
creasing numbers. In the '50s,
they brought the Jet Age to
America. In the '60s, they
hope to make those next 10
years aviation's Golden Age.
Love Said Behind
Slaying of Girl
Tangier, Morocco-OJPD-Wil-liam
Moore, confessed slayer
of Barbara H. Mueller, says
he strangled the 19-year-old
New York coed because he
loved her.
The 26 -year -old English
man's confession said he kill
ed her in his apartment here
Nov. 19 when she stopped by
to tell him she was leaving
Tangier forever.
Moore said he wrapped the
body in burlap sacking bought
in a shop here and tied up
the bundle with light cord.
That night, he took it in a
rented car to the woods out
side the city and hid it in the
bushes.
Miss Mueller's body was
found Dec. 13. Moore was ar
rested six days later.
Mrs. Duncan Asks
For New Trial
Los Angeles-fllPD-The State
Supreme Court has had under
submission an appeal for a
new trial for Mrs. Elizabeth
Ann Duncan, 55, sentenced
to death in the for-hire mur
der of her daughter-in-law.
Defense attorneys charged
in . court . that pre-trial state
ments by Ventura County Dis
trict Attorney Roy A. Gustaf
son might have influenced
jurors to vote the death penal
ty for Mrs. Duncan and the
two men she was convicted
of hiring to kill Olga Duncan
Nov. 17, 1958.
Gustafson denied making
improper pre-trial remarks
and labelled as false a state
ment attributed to him about
having no .qualms in sending
Mrs. Duncan to the gas cham
ber.
EXCITING HEW
AND KITCHEN AIDS?
From casseroles to cookie jars...we can supply
your housewares, at prices you can afford!
18 KT. GOLD PLATED
cedar i j. I
TRIANGULAR MOP
push-button
removable
top!
$2?8
Modern design for
hot or cold bever
ages. Use indoors or
out. Candle-warmer
stove. Heat-proof
glass, 18K gold trim.
8 cup 5.95
12 cup . 7.45
m
FfaobJe HotiK HOUSEWARES
WASTE
BASKET
FT
$249
PERMANENT
FINISH
SUHSg geared
can opener
Ifs geared for smooth,
easy cutting and
extra-long life, mm mm
Reg. S3.98SPECIALV0
OPEN MONDAY NIGHT
Plenty of Convenient Free Parking
QUALITY AT
LOWEST PRICES
mm
(Tl AiNlOvivQHtl 6Qo
SPECIALISTS Iff HOMEWAKlSt
245 S. Central at 10th Phone SP 2-5201
geruigie dokids-youb
TOR TIE TAKIDG AT THE
TKE BIG V MARKETS
At each Big Y Market there is on display a Goblet with a mixture
of imitation gems and genuine diamonds. You take your pick
What you pick is yours FREE to find out if you have a GENUINE
DIAMOND, take your pick to your favorite jeweler.
' MiM.,oiilll!ljB
!f?f1jl Just pick out "
5ii"fc,.JLl TlnJ.iiTroJtJM it!. genuine diamond and it's yours
MfQ'tVTT?vyv ABS0LUTELY FREEI v
9 f. 4jffr rfflf-ZjAjJfr- There are genuine diamonds Cr
"MfcVl 1 1 WMaiJrMSjJrlp mixed with imitation gems. Take
NSSJbSJqY f'f Iwlmmi 'uc't'' one, ,e'ec genu-
J3h?y,LyT!5tWgSj diamond. If you pick one of
-5S &t the diamonds, it is yours ABSO-
"SSKS TTjM, K Everyone will have 30 seconds to
, hi, jggS x jf selection. Only one selec-
vtuTEt JEV--"-" ' w k hat'you take your'selec-
jlt LJj1 f 1 Jsi ori yur favorite jeweler foi'
3RV55SF . AJ . Q Y0U DON'T HAVE TO MAKE "V
lJhA t' 'PxJ Wi MONO!0"" T P'CK A DU
O hSniv fOiVr&AA VVWi 1 I POSITIVELY NO STRINGS AT- O
SPECIAL GOOD THRU WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13th
NESTLE'S
CANNED
mm
Tall.
Cans
REGULAR 15c VALUE
SNIDER'S
CHILI PEPPER
REGULAR 20c VALUE
I I .
NORTH
HIGHWAY 99
608 EAST
MAIN STREET
lift AND
OAKDALE
NALLEY'S
Mild or Hot
CHIU
REGULAR 35c VALUE
We Reserve the Right to Limit