A aerial view of the Essington water front c. 1920. Courtesy of the Independence Seaport Museum
Note: Looking for the location of a Smith's Landing in Essington looking for a cross street. Thanks Keith
AIR PILOTS AT ESSINGTON\
School of
Aviation to Be Established on What Was Formerly State Quarantine Grounds
A volunteer force of air pilots which
would be available for duty in case of war may receive instruction in aviation
school to be established at “The Orchard,” the site of the old quarantine
station, known as the Lazaretto, owned by Philadelphia at Essington. Judge J. Willis Martin, Robert Glendinning,
the banker, and several other men prominent in financial circles of
Philadelphia, are sponsors for the proposition.
The bill has been introduced in Common
Councils of Philadelphia by Joseph P. Gaffney, chairman of the Finance
Committee, providing for the lease of “The Orchard” to “The Philadelphia School
of Aviation,” the corporation formed by Mr. Glendinning and his friends to
finance the scheme, for a term of ten years at the nominal rental of one dollar
a year.
Contracts have already been let for the
erection of two hangars, each 150 feet long, 50 feet wide and 40 feet
high. Six or eight hydroplanes will be
purchased and installed in these hangars, which will be completed about the
middle of April. Capable instructors
will be employed and it is hoped to be able to open the school the first of
May.
“I wish to make it clear,” said Mr.
Glendinning, “that we have absolutely no thought of making money out of this
proposition. In fact, we will be
perfectly satisfied if we can keep our annual deficit down to reasonable figures. We realize that the United States must have
officers and men for an aviation corps if our plans for national preparedness
are to be complete.
“It seems to me that we will be doing a
real service to the country if we make it possible for young men who have the
physique, the steady nerves, the courage and the enthusiasm to become air
pilots to learn how to fly without forcing them to go far from home and spend
more money and time than they can afford to accomplish the same end.
“It costs $500 just for the instruction
fee to learn how to fly at the Hammondsport, N. Y., school, and it takes six
weeks to six months to complete the course.
All that time the pupil has to live at Hammondsport, and has to pay his
own expenses, board lodging, and so on.
We hope to be able to charge a lower fee, but even if that is not
possible, the pupils will not have to leave their business and will be able to
live at their own homes. It only takes
forty-five minutes and only costs five cents to get to “The Orchard.” A telephone message from the school about 3
o’clock, and a man could be there taking his lesson by 4:30 o’clock. And usually late afternoon is the best time
for practice flights.”
“The Federal Government is hardly likely
to establish any more aviation schools,” continued Mr. Glendinning, “and so it
will be up to the States, the large cities or private persons to handle this
phase of the preparedness campaign.
Other States have already made plans for constructing such a plant as
will be built at Essington, providing of course, that Councils gives the
necessary sanction. In my opinion the
old Lazaretto grounds, which have lain idle for a long time, would make an
ideal aviation center and could not be used to any better purpose.”
The Federal Government has aviation schools
at Fort Meyer, near Washington on Long Island, in Florida, and in California,
but they are for the use of army officers for the most part.
Middletown Historical Society Grand Opening
Sunday, October
22, noon to 3 p.m. for the Open House and debut of the MTHS Office &
Museum in the former Roosevelt School at 464 South Old Middletown Road, Media,
PA. Come see our displays and meet our Officers and Board members
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