Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-18
PRIZES OPEN TO
US. AERONAUTS
SMALL AMOUNTS OFFERED TO
AMERICANS
"AERoNAUTIcs" AND LOS AN.
GELEs GIVE CASH FUNDS
Foreign Trophies Available, but Ma
tionaI Pride in Encouraging Avia-
ton is OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Stimulus Is Liberal

Compared with prizes offered for
successful air flights abroad. which
last year aggregated more than $780,
00e and will be much larger in 1909,
those available in America are very
meager. They are confined to 5000 of
fered by Aeronautics, the New York
aerial magazine, and the Scientific
American cup. Foreign prizes, how
ever, are available to American avia-
tors. An effort is being made to bring
about the offering of prizes in this
country on a scale commensurate with
the development of aeronautics in the
United States.
The AeronauticS prize is the only
cash so far available to aviators Of
fered in the United States except a
small fund up locally in Los Angeles
to stimulate glider experiments and
offered by the Aero club of California.
The latter, which was put up January
5, has the honor attached of being the
first sum offered in this country, pre-
ceding the Aeronautics prize by only
a few days.
The latter consists of four prizes of
$50 each for the first four aviators
who accomplish a distance of 500
meters without having heretofore
made this distance. The only condi-
tionS are that the course be measured
by surveyor, his affidavit and that
of two witnesses, one of whom must
be representative of one of the local
newspapers, together with a photo
graph and description of the machine
be furnished
The magazine Aeronautics, which be-
gan publication in July, 1907, under
the editorship of E. L. Jones, at that
time secretary Of the Aero club of
America, is unique in that it is the
only journal in America devoted ex-
clustvely to aerodromics. 1t has had
the same sort of struggle lived through
by the Horseless Age, but so fast is
this new. art progressing that, it's
great success seems now assured.
Foreign Prizes Open
So much misrepresentation exists re-
garding American chances at the for
eign prizes that the Aero club of
America has issued the following
statement:
ut has been frequently stated by
the press that there is no prize open
Tor inventors in the United States to
encourage them in building aeroplanes
The contrary is, however, the case. for
the Mlchelin cup, which has lust been
won by Wilbur Wright in France, is
also open for competition in every
country where there is an aero club
WAAASLl Is d i11OInDSr OF Il6 F6QGTatlOn
Aeronautique Internationale.
The Aero club of America is the
sole representative in the United States
of this federation, and under the rules
any member of the Aero club Of
America or any Of its affiliated clubs
has a right to compete for this prize,
Which is the sum of 10000 francs or
about $4,000, annually, as we'll as a
cup valued at $4,000, which goes to the
winner and is to be held by him until
the winner of the following year has
been announced. This prize, amount
ing to $4,000, will be awarded for eight
consecutive years. The detailed rules
for each year will be announced in
January, and will vary in accordance
with the development Of aeronautics
For 1908 the winner was the one whose
flying machine flew the longest dis
tance during the year ending Deem
Der 81. An entrance fee of $40 is re-
qulred, and the Aero club of America
VIII receive entries, provide for proper
testing grounds and send officials to
witness the contests and certify as to
the results ~
Winner Has Replica
I'm addition to the cup. which the
winner will hold until it has been won
by some other contestant, the winner
each year will receive a replica
Should the prize not be won during
any one year, the amount thereof
$4,000, will be added to the amount the
following year, making the sum of
$4,000 for that year.
The Aero club of America has also
the right to make entries for the in
ternational aviation prize, open to
countries represented in the Federation
Aeronautique Internationale. The, first
contest for this prize will be held in
Paris next summer, probably during
the month of July, and the prize is
$4,000 in cash, in addition to a cup
valued at $500, which is to be held
for year by the national club of the
country of the winner. Each nation
in the federation has a right to three
entries. 1t is probable that America
will be represented by the Wright
brothers and by third aeronaut yet
to be selected, and who will probably
use Wright machine. Entries for
this contest close March L, 1907
The Aero club of California is an
affiliated organization and is entitled
to certify any attempts at winning
prizes.