Means of Transportation 
166 
Brown Brothers 
Fig. 126. The Wright Flying Field at Fairfield, Ohio. On the left are the hangars, alongside the 
ianding field. In the center and to the right are workshops and workmen's cottages. 
This is not true; although it is almost equally easy to fly over land or 
sea, mountain or plain, it is not everywhere equally easy to land. 
Hydroplanes, since they are built especially. for this purpose, can land 
anywhere in the water, but are not well adapted for use over the land. 
Dirigibles and especially airplanes, on the other hand, cannot land 
everywhere, even on the land. Dirigibles need mooring masts, and 
airplanes must have broad, level landing places, the standard size 
being at least one third of a mile by one sixth. Hence in mountainous 
regions they are always at a disadvantage; for such large level areas 
are rare, and it is still more rare to find them free from trees. 
Air navigation is easiest in open plains where there are people 
enough to make it worth while to maintain regular landing places, 
and where there are many large, smooth fields that can be used in an 
emergency. Dayton, Ohio, where airplanes were first developed, is 
in this kind of region. Such a region, surrounded by mile after mile 
of large fields. is a good place for airplane factories. 
GOOD ROADS AS A FACTOR IN TRANSPORTATION 
Good roads mean good service by horses, automobiles, and trucks. 
The motor vehicle and the good road, between them, put an end to the 
extreme isolation that was formerly the lot of many small communities 
off the main lines of travel.