Travel: Out to the Airport

As nearly every air traveler knows, it often takes more time to get to and from the airport than the flight itself. Some cities have tried helicopters to ferry passengers from downtown or a suburb out to the airport, but on the whole the service is limited, and so costly that scheduled helicopter lines need federal subsidies.

Last week Los Angeles Airways, Inc., which has been flying seven-passenger piston-engine Sikorsky S-55 helicopters, put into service two new gas turbine Sikorsky S-61Ls, which can carry 28 passengers at 135 m.p.h. (v. 77 m.p.h.). The faster turn-around and the increased seating capacity...