Chapter Ten
Historical
Documents
Letters, Telegrams, etc.
Correspondence: December 7, 1945
Correspondence: December 6, 1945
Correspondence: December 11, 1945
Correspondence: December 12, 1945
Correspondence: December 21, 1945
Correspondence: December 26, 1945
Correspondence: January 1, 1946
Correspondence: January 7, 1946
Correspondence: January 12, 1946
REPORT
OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE
The first reaction to the
report that an interim permit for occupancy of Hendricks Field for civilian
aviation purposes, has been, in the most cases, “How can this city maintain
such a tremendous installation?”
This is a sensible question
when it is considered that there are more than 500 structures of various kinds
on the field; a quantity of concrete in runways, taxiways and aprons which if
made into roads twenty feet wide would reach more than 100 miles; and
facilities such as sewers and waterworks which are extensive as those of the
city of Sebring.
The extent of development and
maintenance of Hendricks Field as a civilian and commercial airport is a
question which must be answered only by the administration of the City of
Your committee composed of
Council President, F. M. Schumacher; City Attorney, Joe Kinsey; and Chamber of
Commerce secretary, A. C. Altvater, went to Washington on Sunday 10 February
and found that Congressman Peterson had arranged for a conference with Mr.
Arthur W. Manley and Mr. Cummings of the War Assets Corporation who were
entirely conversant with the situation at Hendricks and who informed us that
the Field had been declared surplus on 25 January 1946. They stated that the 30 days which the City
normally has in which to exercise its priority on the Field would not start
until such a time as the City was officially notified. Due to the fact that many fields are being
processed in a similar manner, this city had not received to date such an
official notice but upon the request of Congressman Peterson and City Clerk Dan
R. Stevenson, the War Assets Corporation was prepared to authorize an interim
occupancy permit. This permit was issued
on 11 February 1946. Mr. Cummings and
Mr. Manley were interested principally in the disposal of real property and we
were unable to determine the agency and the individual who could give us
definite information on the disposition of airport equipment.
Congressman Peterson had
been in contact with Mr. Cecil H. King of the War Department who, on the date
we arrived was being transferred to the War Assets Corporation as military
liaison. He gave us some very definite
information as to the disposition of surplus tools and equipment. Although he made serious effort, he was
unable to locate in
We quote here paragraph
8316.3 PSA reg. 16.
“Declaration
of Policy. It is hereby declared that the national
interest required the disposal of surplus airport property in such a manner and
upon such terms and conditions as will encourage and foster the development of
civil aviation and provide and preserve for civil aviation and national defense
purposes a strong, efficient, and properly maintained nationwide system of
public airports, and will insure competition and will not result in monopoly. It is further declared that in making such
disposals of surplus airport property the benefits which the public and the
Nation will derive therefrom must be the principal
consideration and the financial return to the Government a secondary consideration. Airports which are surplus to the needs of
owning agencies may be essential to the common defense of the Nation or
valuable to the maintenance of an adequate and economical national
transportation system. In such cases and
in accordance with the rules established herein such airports may be disposed
of to State of local governments for consideration other than cash. Where airports are not desired they shall be
classified as airports or otherwise according to their best use and any
disposition hereunder shall be for a monetary consideration.”
Your committee has
contacted by phone, the Jacksonville office of the RFC and the chief engineer
of the south Atlantic division in Atlanta and from conversations with them and
with officials in Washington, it is our understanding that the government will
eventually transfer to the City of Sebring without monetary consideration or
transfer of funds, any and all buildings, any and all facilities and any and
all tools and equipment now held at Hendricks Field which will be necessary to
the operation of a civilian airport.
However, it is also our understanding that it will be necessary to
justify the use of any of these categories.
For instance if a field to accommodate only those uses which the city
has need of at the present time are contemplated, transfer would only be
effected for possibly only the runways, one or two hangars, and probably a
house or two for the use of the airport manager. On the other hand if development is
anticipated such as a school which might teach 500 men; a freight transport
depot which would require warehousing; an operation which would need the
machine and repair shops, complete facilities for all these operations would be
given without cost to the city.
The standard of maintenance
to which the Field and structures are kept, is entirely subject to the decision
of the City Administration, just as it is their duty to set the standard of
maintenance of other city-owned buildings and property. There will be no stipulations made by the Government
in the respect.
Inadvertently we were
directed to the office of Mr. Glen A. Gilbert, chief of the air traffic control
division of the CAA, and we talked to Mr. H. F. Cole and Mr. C. W. Carmody. We learned
from them that we did not need to man or maintain a traffic control tower until
such a time as we had a traffic problem.
They also advised us that the Government exercised no control over air
fields.
These men arranged for us
to meet Mr. Phillip Moore of another branch of the CAA who gave us a great deal
of advice on opening and operating an air field. He definitely repeated the statement that the
Government through the CAA and other organizations exercised no control over
air fields directly. The CAA does
exercise control over aircraft.
Mr. Moore gave us the names
of several men in CAA whom he advised us to see and who could give us some
definite assistance in any problem arising from the opening and operating of a
municipal field.
We visited the office of
Mr. F. M. Lanter who is the head of the Air Safety
Division of the Department of Commerce.
Although he gave no additional information, he advised us to get in
touch with the regional administration in
Since returning we have found
that the Army will probably occupy the area for quite a few months, and be
automatically providing police and fire protection during that time. We understand that a group consisting of
representatives of the War Department, the RFC and the CAA will visit us at a
later date and to them it will be necessary to offer justification for requests
of buildings and necessary operating equipment which will be turned over to the
City.
Respectfully
submitted,
Joe D. Kinsey
F. M. Schumacher
A. C. Altvater
Correspondence: January 30, 1946
Correspondence: February, 1946
Correspondence: January 29, 1946
Correspondence: January 29, 1946
Correspondence: February 1, 1946
Correspondence: January 30, 1946
Correspondence: January 31, 1946
Correspondence: January 31, 1946
Correspondence: July, 1946
Correspondence: July 19, 1946
Correspondence: July 24, 1946
Correspondence: July 27, 1946
Correspondence: July 30, 1946
Correspondence: August 8, 1946
Correspondence: August 8, 1946
Correspondence: August 14, 1946
Correspondence: September 9, 1946
1949 Quit-claim Application by City for Hendricks Field
Correspondence: August, 1953
Correspondence: December 16, 1954