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Colonial Airlines, INC.
N.Y. MUNICIPAL AIRPORT - LA GUARDIA FIELD, N.Y.

January 16, 1948

Captain Fred Smith, Chief Pilot 
Colonial Airlines, Inc.
LaGuardia Field, New York

Dear Captain Smith,

I have your letter of January 5, 1948, and a copy of the Civil Aeronautics Administration's letter with regard to my alleged violation at Rutland Airport, Rutland, Vermont, December 7, 1947.

This alleged violation, as far as I am concerned, has a number of ramifications which I consider to be of very great interest. In the first place, let me ask a few questions.

1. The alleged violation is assumed on the part of the airport manager (according to the letter), who takes an arbitrary position that I made a straight-in approach without ascertaining from me that there might possibly have been extenuating circumstances.

2. What about these airport traffic rules as they are set up; do they no encourage these alleged violations? Aren't they perhaps discriminating and used to discourage airline operation with larger equipment at Rutland, Vt.? And if so, why? If nothing else, this dispute is apparently proof that something goes on at Rutland that is meant to discourage good, safe airline practice. The rules at Rutland are designed for the consideration of small aircraft only.

Let me briefly state for the record just what happened as I saw it from the cockpit.

It is true I was making a straight-in approach at that time at Rutland Airport. My decision to do so was based on the turbulence that one normally encounters at Rutland and the actual traffic as observed from the cockpit. The turbulence at Rutland is not conducive to circling the field at low altitude, especially when we consider the height and proximity of the mountains at Rutland Airport. The traffic at the time was one small airplane on a downwind leg, circling the field. This airplane was headed south and was to the west of the field. I was landing to the north straight-in, because the conditions permitted a straight-in approach. The next thing I know was that the airplane on the downwind leg had cut around in front of me and was blocking my approach to the field. He apparently had closed up his circuit of the field by making