Hughes' Radar a Twa First
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VOL. 2, NO. 19 of TRANS WORLD AIRLINE MAY 9, 1947 HUGHES' RADAR A TWA FIRST Airline radar, long a misty prom ise, became a reality last week when Howard Hughes, flying a TWA DIVISION TOPS GOALS IN SALES MARATHON Constellation, unveiled to the na MIDWEST AND PH tion's press his newly developed radar safety device and announced GET 2 FIRSTS EACH that TWA will be the first airline Transcontinental division's Sales to use the ingenious instrument on Contests, which began Jan. 1, ended all its passenger planes. at midnight April 30 amid general Speaking to the nation's top avia jubilation over results. After a hard tion writers at his aircraft plant winter in which about exerything at Culver City, Calif., Hughes ex that could happen to an airline had plained for the first time his new happened to TWA, the whole divi radar development. sion buckled down to a selling job, faced with quotas, which, while "This radar instrument warns the tough to achieve, had been set on pilot (by a brilliant red light and a realistic basis. a warning horn) the instant the airplane comes too close to the As weather improved during ground or any building, bridge, spring, quotas were raised, but the mountain, aircraft, or other obstacle, hustling people of Traffic, Sales, regardless of darkness or weather and the Hundred Point Club met conditions. and passed them. Midwest Region took firsr place "1 believe this device will be of in Airfreight and Round-Trips, with great assistance in our efforts to top honors for Passenger Loadings eliminate the type of accident which going to Western Region. received so much publicity last year. High district in the division for For that reason," Hughes asserted, Passenger Loadings turned out to be "I am making it available at cost Phoenix, which also carried off first to all airlines throughout the United place in Airfreight. Miami, an off States as soon as I can produce the HOWARD HUGHES' RADAR press flight to LA last week saw 27 of equipment." line station, was high in the Round- the nation's top aviation writers wing their way westward to "cover" the intro Trip category. duction of radar to airline operations. Arriving at the Hughes Aircraft Co Hughes explained that the first field, the newsmen are shown being greeted by "Miss Arizona Aviation of units, now being produced in his To Celebrate at KC 1947." Lucky Fourth Estater receiving the carnation is J. D. Bowersock, electronics laboratory, will be used Final award ceremonies will take Aviation Editor, The KC STAR. place in KC some time in May for to equip TWA's entire fleet of representatives of winning regions passenger planes. It is hoped that and districts, as well as the high five PT'S MARY GREGORY TAKES 100 POINT CROWN installation can be completed within a few weeks. Once TWA's needs members of the 100 Point Sales FROM WD'S ED SZAMBECKI IN PHOTO FINISH! Club. Included in this distinguished have been filled, other airlines will gathering will be the four Regional The 100 Point Sales Club Con be served. Sales Managers: Henry Riegner of test wound up in a blaze of glory on After issuing his statement, Eastern; Fred Spuhler of Central; April 30, with the rwo top scorers Hughes climbed into the pilot's seat Bob Austin of Midwest, and Bob over the 1,000-point mark. Ed of the radar-equipped Constellation Montgomery of Western. From Szambecki, Lead Mechanic at Wich for the first flight demonstration Phoenix will come J. D. Inderrieden, ita, who has consistently led the of the unit's remarkable capabili DM, and D. E. Epperson, DTM. list as high-point member, accumu ties. Ready to go aboard were more D. A. O'Connor, DM. will represent lated 1030 during the four months than fifty press representatives from Miami. Top executives will attend of the contest, but was defeated across the nation, 27 of whom had been flown from New York the the various functions at KC. for the crown during the last week 100 Point Soles Club Pin day before on a special Connie Suitable tours, luncheons, the by fast-stepping Mary Gregory, flight. awarding of trophies and pins, and Chief Clerk at Pittsburgh, who tal Taking fourth place among the other festivities, will make a full lied a final 1060. high five is comely Elaine Johnson For nearly six hours the news day for TWA's super-salesmen at of the Hollywood Traffic Office, men, going aloft in three successive KC. With Mary in first place, Ed in who came through with 400 points. groups, watched the radar unit seek Final figures for the division second, the third high scorer was out hilltops, mountain peaks, tall Fifth place went to Robert Reed, were 101.5% of quota in Passenger Dick McGrew, Assistant Director buildings and other possible ob loadings, 110.2'/r of quota in Air of Schedules at Kansas City, wirh Ground Service, Dayton, who structions, each time warning the freight, and 16.6'/' of total tickets 540 points. All but 20 of these specialized in selling basketbal' pilot with a bright amber light when sold (Feb. 1 to Apr. 30) for Round- points were won by Dick through teams on air travel. His final score the plane came within 2,000 feet of Trips. selling 26 round-trips covering a was 310. any obstacle or a red light when {Continued on Page 5, Col. 2) six months period, to one man! {Continued on Page 8, Col. 1) (Continued on Page 8, Col. 1) STARLINER TRAMS WORLD AIRLIMI Other Editors Are Saying... CONSTELLATION CONTINUES craft but was in maintenance—someone Published Weekly at Kansas City IN HIGH ESTEEM made an error in connecting an alti For Employees of TWA, This column, written in Providence meter. without knowledge of any airline or This single bad crash leaves the Con The Trans World Airline airplane manufacturer, is an unsolicited stellation with what Gill Robb Wilson, Republication of Contents Permissible tribute to a great airplane that has suf Aviation Editor of the New York Editor Eldon Frye fered unjustified blows to its prestige HERALD-TRIBUNE, calls an all-time News Editor, KC Jim Swarts in the eyes of the public. safety record for any type of airplane. News Editor, WA Tom Bell The aircraft is the Lockheed Constella Greatest laurels for the Constellation News Editor, NY..Katherine Blanck tion. It is, in the opinion of experts, came last month from William A. M. News Editor, INT Barton Pevear the safest transport plane ever built. Burden, Assistant Secretary of Commerce News Editor, BW Ken Fletcher It has a long and distinguished record for Air, who told the Senate Interstate News Editor, CG M. J. Brennan of flying all over the world. and Foreign Commerce Committee that News Editor, LA Larry Murphy Statistics compiled recently show that the aircraft is "undoubtedly the most News Editor, HO Jim Gratiot in four years Constellations have flown advanced airplane of its class in service with respect to safety ..." Geographer.. G. E. Pearcy 20 million miles, more than 73,000 Editorial Ass hours. They have made 2,922 trans It should be pointed out that the most 't Gay Richards atlantic flights and have crossed America recent mishap, in which a navigator Issued Thursday of each week more than 1,000 times. They have was blown from a pressumed plane by the Publications Department of carried 204,165 passengers. when a plastic dome broke away, again BARBARA RAWLINS AND LEE News Bureau, Eldon R. Frye, Man In all this travel the only passenger was not the fault of the aircraft. The KUSKOWSKI, shown in the embrace ager. Contributions fatalities suffered in a Constellation were astrodome is a fitting and corrective of a Santa Monica palm in a photo should be in hands those in one accident in Ireland. The measures are simple. by Betty Letscher, proved a weekend of the editor not fault in that case was not with the air Providence (R.I.) JOURNAL, Mar. 16. for New Yorkers on the West Coast later than Friday of was possible and desirable via TWA's the preceding week. Constellations. Barbara, of NY News News stories, tips, Bureau, Lee, Secretary to Eastern and photographs may be submitted Region Supt of Operations, and Betty, by any TWA employee, and should SUPERVISORS LOOK AT OWN JOBS of Eastern Region Personnel, went out be addressed to The Editor, Star liner, TWA, 101 W. 11th, Kansas Maintenance supervisors are tak Regional Field Training Repre on Fit 59 Friday and returned on Fit Ory, Mo. ing a closer look at their jobs during sentatives have been carrying on 60 Monday, had a wonderful time and returned full of enthusiasm for air MEMBER INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL. conference sessions being inaugu training conferences for regional OF INDUSTRIAL EDITORS travel and Connie flights. Barbara, rated at regional maintenance and transportation personnel. In addi- who had never flown before, returned overhaul bases as part of a system - tion> several groups of supervisory to work almost a week before the wide supervisory training program. personnel in other staff departments postcard she had mailed her boss The initial group of conferences, have had this initial supervisory from LA arrived. already held at LaGuardia Field, training. Kansas City Municipal Airport, and Paul G. Harpel, Supervisory That Added Touch currently in session at Fairfax Over Training Manager, Personnel de . which makes TWA (^tof^u— haul Base and Los Angeles Airport, partment, is responsible for the de Service outstanding h is the first phase in a long range velopment of the over-all supervis MOTT: To the Bob Motts, LA Com supervisory development program.