Advocate at 200: Aviation interest is growing in 1929

Every Saturday in 2020 The Advocate will publish a historic article in celebration of its bicentennial. To suggest a story to resurrect from our archives, send an an email to advocate@newarkadvocate.com.

This front page story appeared on the Oct. 28, 1929 edition of The Newark Advocate about local crowds gathering to watch planes as the community considers building an airport. An author is not listed.

That interest in aviation is growing, and that Newark people are giving thought to the proposal for a bond issue to establish an airport in Newark, was indicted by the unusually large crowd Sunday at the flying field in Mt. Vernon road near CHannel street. Both the biplane of the Phenick Air Service and the lowwing monoplane of the Weiant Aircraft Sales corporation were in the air most of the time with passengers. Automobiles were lined on each side of the pike, and parking space was utilized on the cross road bordering the field on the south.

Today, members of the Kiwanis and Lions clubs  heard an address by Charles Dennis of the Transcontinental Air Transport in support of the proposal. Wednesday at noon, an airport luncheon, open to the public to the capacity of the Warden hotel dining room, will be addressed by John N. Vorys, director of aeronautics of the state government.

Wednesday night, a public meeting will be held in the high school, addressed by Don M. Casto, Columbus, one of the passengers on the Graf Zeppelin on its initial flight, from Lakehurst to Frederickshaven. Captain William F. Centner, wuperintendent of Port Columbus, will be another speaker. The meeting will be called to order.

Other meetings are being planned for the discussion of the proposed bond issue.

The Standard Oil company has ordered its ship "The Sohioan" to visit Newark Wednesday. It will bring Mr. Vorys to Newark for his speaking engagement and arrangements are being made to take a number of Newark people for flights over the city in the big Ryan monoplane. It is a ship of the same type Lindbergh used in his flight from New York to Paris.

The Greater Newark committee has been advised that the Eagles lodge is 90 per cent in favor of the bond issue and that a representative of the committee has been asked to address a meeting of the lodge on the subject.

"The Sohioan" will go from Newark to Bucyrus where a night meeting is scheduled to discuss a bond issue proposal in that city.

Much interest is shown in the motion pictures of the recent good will flight over Ohio, taken by Warren Weiant, Jr., and exhibited many times in different parts of the city. An effort is being made to arrange a date for the showing of the pictures in East Newark and a discussion of the airport proposal.