The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-08-06

VIII the Grands Semains Aeroaau-
tiqus Dc Ia Champagne hxsd for Aug
ust % to - be . success or . dasco?
That question 10 being hotly debated
In England and other countries BY Ill
who take an interest In aerial loco
motion. II IL evident that the success
Of the great event must depend very
largely on the condition Of the at.
mosphere. Unless another marked I'm
provement is made in hying-maehines
within the next two months. enabling
them to live In q much stronger breess
than they can face at the present mo-
ment. . windy week would prove Dis
astrous to the enterprise. Every psu-
dent aviator would keep his aeroplans
boxed up in its shed rather than run
the risk of having 1t wrecked. No
doubt the prizes are tempting For
the Grand Prix de Ia Champagne ct
de Ia Vile de Rheims 1.-THE long dis
tance competition) there are six, Of
which the flrst IL $4,000. the second.
5000: the third. $1,000. and the three
others $1,000 each: but to make It
worth while to attempt to gain any
one Of them by remaining in the air
one. two. three or four hours. the at
mosphere must be calm. For this
contest the organizing committee has
left the competitors the choice, in
the order established by the drawing
OF lots. Of the moment for their start
during the three days - Sunday.
Wednesday and Friday. August -.
Is and -. between . q. m. and 5 D. m.
But It depends on the decision Of the
controlling committee of the Aero
club Of France whether more than
one asroplane will be permitted in the
air over the ten.kilometer (six and one
fourth miles) circuit at the same time.
It 10 all the more important that, II
they are numerous. several compsti.
tors should be permitted to make their
trial together. because. though nom.
tnally extended over three whole
days. the time is in reality short
To start on this enterprise with q rea-
sonable chance of success the wealth.
er must not be blustery and the wind
not blowing with velocity exceeding
rs kilometers l5h miles) an hour:
and there 10 not more than one chance
in three that such a propitious condi.
ton Of the atmosphere will prevail
during the whole or even half of any
one Of the three days indicated in
the program for the competition. or, at
any rate. between the hours of 8
q. m. and S p. m. That stipulation,
made with the object Of enabling the
paying public to return to Paris,
Rheims. Chalons. ETC.. in good time
for dinner. must initiate against the
chances of the aviators to distinguish
themselves. The same remarks apply
with greater force to the regulations
Of the Prix de vitesse (the speed con.
test over 80 kilometers (1s miles,
for which the start has to be made
either between 1 p. m. and 4 p. m.
on Monday. August %. or between 1
p. m. and p. m. on Sunday. August
70. 1t is Just between those hours
OF the day that there is the least
chance OF the atmosphere being calm.
+ owever. the higher the speed of the
,aeroplane the less effect the wind has
on 1t. The competition for the special
record Of the circuit (ten kilometers,
Ior six and one-fourth miles) is nom.
fnally open dring the whole week.
the competitors being free to make
their trials at any and every moment
between 9 q. m. and p. m. when
the circuit 10 not otherwise occupied.
1t IL probable that 1t will generally.
If not always. be otherwise occupied
when the atmosphere 10 calm. But
the aviators are granted the advan.
tage Of their time in covering the ten
kilometers in other competitions be
ing counted for this prize. As for the
three other events on the program,
they are down for fixed days and
hours. The passenger-crrrying com.
petition is to come on on Monday
August %. between p. m. and 6
p. m. the altitude contest IL fixed
for 3 p. m. on Sunday. August -. and
the Gordon Bennett Aviation cup. IN
international speed competition over
20 kilometers ON miIes). IL to re-
main open the whole of Saturday
August 2s. till .. m. After what has
been already said, 1t Is needless to
insist on the possibility. IL not the
probability. Of the condition of thu
atmosphere interfering with the sue
cess Of these competitions.
There are in the regulations a few
other stipulations which are open te
criticism. For instance. in the pas
sen9er-carrying trials each passenxe,
must weight At least G. kilogramme,
(1A3 pounds). which is not excessive
but the pilot 10 not to be permitted
to substitute ballast for living freight
1t seems unnecessary to impose on III,
aviator the necessity of risking an,
other life than his own. especiaII,
a. very few of the existing aercplane,
are built to accommodate passenger,
though capable Of carrying consider
able weight II properly distribute,
over the machine so rs not to int,
I