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Washington, D. C.
Carlton Hotel
December 18, 1941

Mr. Otis F. Bryan, General Manager,
Eagle Next Flight Center
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Dear Mr Bryan:

Since arriving in Washington, most of my time has been occupied in getting my passport in order and in getting inoculations.  The remainder of the time has been spent in talking with officers in Colonel Olds' office and at Bolling Field.  While here I have also read the secret reports of two of the round-the-world flights made by the Army and all of the reports of South Atlantic crossings and African flying.

Briefly, my opinions and recommendations are as follows:

1. [[underlined]] Runway Lengths: [[/underlined]] The Ferrying Command is operating B-24's and LB-30's.  They have been landing and taking off regularly with full loads at Takoradi, West Africa, where the runways are 2940 feet, 3000 feet and 3120 feet long.  At present our students must learn to land and take off from these short runways, after leaving our school.

[[underlined]] Suggestion: [[/underlined]] Paint strips across one or more of the runways at Albuquerque, 3000, 3500 and 4000 feet apart and require that each student make some landings and take-offs within these limits.  (The shortest landing and take-off I have read about was at Dum Dum Airport, Rangoon, Burma, where the runway was 2240 feet long.  Take-off was made with minimum load.)

2. [[underlined]] Loading. [[/underlined]] Lieutenant Louis Reichers seems to be the only person in the Air Corps Ferrying Command who has a thorough knowledge of loading of aircraft.  Because of other duties he is available only a small part of the time for routine loading problems.  Loading of departing aircraft is supervised by one of two other officers.  They appear personally at Bolling Field before the aircraft is loaded and specify where each item is to go.  Neither of these officers understands the problem thoroughly.  Each can use the loading slide rule according to directions, but one of them told me "the best way to load is by watching the ship