Northwest History. Alaska 7. Aviation Air Bases, United States

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1935
• Subjects: landing fields; Hines planes; Dawson; Y. T.; Fairbanks; wreckage; the northern territory; miners; dog sledge; Nome; United States; the Northland; military airports; territorial government; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Alaska; Arctic; Hines; Pacific; The Landing; Wilcox
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/89317

Landing Fields Needed. Landing Fields Needed SEARCH for the missing Hines plane, which vanished six weeks ago on a journey from Dawson, Y. T., to Fairbanks, Alaska, has been reluctantly abandoned. Soon the sub-Arctic winter will obliterate all traces of wreckage and the possibility of solving the mystery before spring will be remote. The tragedy should strengthen the conviction, held by many friends of Alaska, that the northern territory needs more landing fields. Alaskans are more air-minded than any other population group of similar size in the world. With an area of more than 586,000 square miles, travel bv plane between cities and settlements and between interior points and the coast is a DAILY NECESSITY. Miners can reach creeks within a few hours where formerly they woujd have been required to spend weeks in toilsome travel by dog sledge. Nome, closed to navigation with the onset of winter, is easily accessible. Alaska has developed a group of aviators of extraordinary skill and daring. More than a dozen Northern flyers are held in worshipful regard for their feats of heroism, but even the best of flyers must have landing fields. The passage of the Wilcox bill by congress, authorizing the army to build airports in the United States AND ALASKA, was a victory for the friends of the Northland. With the military airports established and with the landing fields planned by the territorial government, the tragedy of the Hines plane never may be repeated.