Keeping apace with the mo
dern air age, Piedmont has
purchased a portable X-ray
unit which will be used pri
marily for maintenance inspec
tion of the F-27. These X-
rays will clearly show fatigue
cracks or other malfunctions
in the air frame and skin of
the planes without costly and
time-consuming dismantling.
This is especially true with
the F-27 because as Jim Wood,
engineer, points out, “There
are many hidden cav'ties in
modern aircraft such as the
F-27 that we didn't encoun
ter in our DC-3s.” And too,
the actual wing construction
of the F-27 makes inspection
more complicated when dis
assembling is envolved.
Mr Wood points out that the
X-ray is especially helpful in
inspecting such parts as the
wing fuel tanks. These tanks
have inspection holes, but they
are sealed with approximate
ly 36 pressure-sealed screws
and opening each tank re
quires several hours of labor
and poses the threat of fuel
leakage.
The X-rays will also show
up loose rivets, screws drop
ped during assembly and loose
washers as well as fatigue
cracks. Although the X-rays
made thus far have been im
pressively free of defects
(only one minor fatigue crack
has been found), a rather un
usual piece of debris turned
up ... a nickle inside a wing
section.
Four F-27s have been X-
rayed after 1200 hours flying
time. After this first check,
every plane will receive ano
ther X-ray every 600 hours.
Each inspection involves tak
ing 64 pictures which, if as
sembled like a jig-saw puz
zle, would show a full-sized
interior plan of the F-27 from
engine to engine. We plan
eventually to expand the use
of X-ray to check other com
ponents such as control sur
faces, landing gear parts and
propellor blades.
At the present time the
X-ray laboratory at the Bap
tist Hospital is developing ail
film. However, Piedmont has
Gidered developing tanks and
film dryers for our own de
veloping laboratory and hnp'':;
that it will be in operation ir.
the near future.
WASHINGTON, D. C.—(A-
TA)—The airports aid act,
signed into law by President
Eisenhower June 29, is basi
cally a two-year renewal of
the former act which expired
the next day.
The act authorized the Fed
eral Aviation Agency (FAA)
to spend $63 million a year to
help communities in their air
port development programs.
Seventy-five per cent of the
money is to be allocated
among the states on an area
population basis and the rest
by the FAA on a discretion
ary basis.
Limit per airport is $1 mil
lion. This must be matched by
the community.
Money authorized was con
siderably less than the Sen
ate had sought, somewhat less
than the House proposal and
about the same as the Ad-
McGee Attends
N. C. Travel
Council
W. G. McGee attended the
summer meeting of the North
Carolina Travel Council at
Carolina Beach July 15-16.
Mr. McGee is a member of
the Board of Directors of the
Travel Council and has been
active in the organization
since its inception. The prime
objective of this organization
is to promote and develope
travel within the state of
North Carolina.
ministration’s r e c o mmenda-
tion. The Senate wanted $100
million annually, for four
years, plus a $65-million dis
cretionary fund. The House
asked $297 million for four
years, including $45 million
discretionary. The Adminis
tration urged a four-year,
$200-million appropriation, half
of which would have been less
discretionary.
Reportedly, airport officials
term the funds inadequate
and complain that the two-
year extention gives little
time for planning or lining
up local matching furds.
Language was entered in the
law to eliminate further such
“frills’’ as parking lots and
“gameroor^s.” But terminal
facilities that contribute to
health, comfort and conven
ience are eligible for federal
funds.
IN THE NBAA
HANGER
Noland Company F-27, Chief
Pilot: Karl Styne, Complete
interior installation.
Reynolds -Tobacco Company
DC-3, Chief Pilot: Herb Drew,
Overhaul hydraulic system
and main gear oleos and en
gine change.
Sears Roebcuck Company
DC-3, Chief Pilot: Bill Dam-
eron, Repair miscellaneous it
ems.
Thompson Products DC-3,
Chief Pilot: Bob Sheriff-Re-
work interior, double engine
change and new air controls.
S & W Cafeterias DC-3,
Chief Pilot: Lawrence Gesse-
Miscellaneous Repairs.
Miami Airlines - DC-4, Clear
Pilot Irregularities.
Noland Company Lodestar,
Chief Pilot: Karl Styne, Re
pair generator system.
Management Services D-
C-3, Chief Pilot; Hap Wil
son 100, hour inspection.
Tennessee Eastman Corpora
tion DC-3 Chief Pilot: Leo
Boyd - engine change and
miscellaneous repairs.
Champion Spark Plug D C
3, Chief Pilot: Ken Colthorpe,
Engine change and miscella-
neovis repairs.
Alcoa DC-3, Chief Pilot:
Dave Flannery, 1000 hour in
spection, new de-icer boots
reupholster interior.
It only takes six hours to
become a world champion
fisherman. That is, if you
have the luck of Dr. R. T.
Childers, Jr., of Madison, In
diana, and if, of course, you
fly Piedmont.
On Saturday Dr. Childers
left his home in Indiana and
connected to Piedmont to ar
rive in Wrightsville Beach Sa
turday night. The next day
he spent six hours deep-sea
fishing, caught an afternoon
Piedmont flight and was back
in his office Monday morning.
During the six hours he
spent fishing, Dr. Childers
fought and hauled in three
blue marlin. The first was
hooked about 70 miles off
shore and was hauled in some
thirty minutes later. The fish
weighed in at I6IV2 lbs. and
measured 9 feet, 4 inches. Af
ter relaxing a few minutes
over a cup of coffee, the
doctor again tried his luck
and after a battle of one
hour and 30 minutes, landed
a 216 V2 pound blue marlin
JULY, 1959
5,000 Means A
Party In DCA
The Marriot Motor Hotel
was the scene of a well de
served celebration as the
Washington staff had its 5,000-
Passenger-Boarding party. The
record number of passengers
boarded was reached during
April.
The agents and their wives,
guests, and a representative
contingent of Washington
based pilots and their wives
enjoyed the well catered
Roast Beef dinner. Mr. Tom
Davis, one of many guests
from the home office, made a
short after-dinner speech on
proposed route extentions.
With nearly six thousand
passengers per month as the
par now, the Washington
group is busily working to
ward a 10,000 party. With the
way things look, it won’t be
long before they make it.
Roanoke shares the honors
with Washington, having
reached the 5,000 mark in
May. They will be having
their party in the near future.
The personnel at these two
stations certainly deserve con
gratulations in making these
outstanding records possible.
w/hich stretched the tape to
measure 9 feet, 10 inches. The
doctor and the crew of the
ship figured that was pretty
good fishing for one man, but
just for the heck of it, the
doctor proceeded to try one
more time. Up comes another
blue marlin. Again taking one
hour and 30 minutes to land,
this one weighed 183% lbs.
After this episode, the cham
pion marlin catcher and crew
were nearly exhausted and
barely had room to walk a-
round in the fish-filled boat.
They didn’t even flinch as Dr.
Childers trolled on the way
home, nor when a 38 pound
wahoo hit the line and was
boated.
After accepting congratu
lations from hundreds of peo
ple Dr. Childers proceeded to
nack up his fishing gear and
head for the Wilmington air
port. As he boarded his Pied
mont flight he was dead tired,
but had a world record catch
of 3 blue marlin by one man
in one boat in half a day
to his credit.
PAGE TWO
THE PIEDMONITOR
X-Ray Unit Saves Time And Money In Inspection
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MPlClP4t 39CK
The Ones That Didn’t Get Away
AIRPORT AID ACT PASSED