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NEW YORK AIRWAYS, INC.
Post OFFICE Box 426
LaGuardia Airport Station
Flushing 71, New York

March 15, 1957

Hon. James Durfee
Chairman
Civil Aeronautice Board
Washington, D. C.

Attention: Mr. Robert Kunzig

Dear Sir:

In line with your suggestion, I am attaching in outline form a list of instances in which New York Airways' increasing experience with helicopters has been of practical and important assistance to the military and civil defense organizations of the country as well as to the Post Office Department, the manufacturers, and other operators. We can and will elaborate on this in any manner you may wish. The only reason for our briefness is to comply with what I understand to be your desire.

I am sure that the Hon. Frank Higgins, Assistant Secretary of the Army, will gladly confirm and supplement the information we have included concerning the Army. Likewise, the Hon. Val Peterson, Civil Defense Administrator, is fully familiar with our active participation in the organization which he heads. As a matter of fact, we. are all enrolled members of the Civil Defense organization and carry its symbol on all of our helicopters.

It is interesting to note that in the five months that New York Airways has been operating its fleet of three Sikorsky S-58 helicopters it has accumulated many more hours in the air on two of its three ships than have been accumulated by the military on any one ship of the same type in over 30 months of operation. Therefore, the data and information we are now collecting and analyzing is unobtainable from any other source. We are advised that the impact of this on operational and maintenance procedures everywhere that S-58s are in use has already been of immense value. For this purpose New York Airways must be considered a developmental laboratory which has no counterpart.

We have taken the liberty of offering this example, not so much because of its own apparent importance, but more because it is typical of many instances of a varying nature where our company has materially expedited the development of helicopter design, operation and general utility, including public acceptance.

I trust that this information is in a usable form and assume that you will call upon us if anything further is desired at this time.

Sincerely yours,

NEW YORK AIRWAYS, INC.

SIGNED: R. L. Cummings, Jr.

R. L. Cummings, Jr.
President