The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-08-07
a CLENENT- BAYARD

VIII the Grande Semaine Aeronau-
,ique de la Champagne fixed for Aug
ust 22 to 20 be a success or fiasco?
That question is being hotly debated
In England and other countries by all
who take an interest in aerial loco
motion. 1t is 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 flying machines
within the next two months, enabling
them to live In a much stronger breeze
than they can face at the present mo-
ment. windy week would prove dis
astrous to the enterprise. Every pru-
dent aviator would keep his aeroplane
boxed up in It's shed rather than run
the risk OF having It wrecked No
doubt the prizes are tempting. For
de la Vile de Rheims (the long dis
tance competition) there are six, OF
which the first Is 10000 the second.
$4,000; the third. $1,000. and the three
others $1,000 each: but to make 1t
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 22.
20 and 27. between a. IN. and p. M
But 1t depends on the decision OF the
controlling committee OF the Aero
club of France whether more than
one aeroplane will be permitted in the
air over the ten-ktlometer (six and one
fourth miles) circuit at the same time.
1t Is all the more important that, X
they are numerous, several competi-
tors should be permitted to make their
trial together. because. though nom
inally extended over three whole
days. the time is in reality short
To start on this enterprise with a rea-
sonable chance OF success the wealth
er must not be blustery and the wind
not blowing with velocity exceeding
2o kilometers C5la milesJ an hour;
and there is 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
a. m. and 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-
tesD over 80 kilometers G9 miles),
for which the start has to be made
either between l p. M. and p. m.
on Monday. August %. or between l
D. IN. and 3 p. m. on Sunday. August
20. 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,
or six and one-fourth miles) is NOM
iinally open dr1ng the whole week,
the competitors being free to make
their trials at any and every moment
between a. m. and 6 p. m when
the circuit Is not otherwise occupied
1t Is probable that 1t will generally,
II not always. be otherwise occupied
when the atmosphere is calm. But
the avfators are granted the advan-
tage OF their time in covering the ten
III ata1 tv,
ing counted for this prize. As for the
three other events on the program,
they are down for fixed days and
hours. The passenger-cerrying COM
petition Is to come of on Monday,
August %. between D. m. and 6
p. M. the altitude contest is fixed
for p. m. on Sunday. August 20. and
the Gordon Bennett Aviation cup, an
International speed competition over
20 kilometers ON miles), Is to re-
main open the whole of Saturday.
August 2s. till p. m. After what has
been already said, 1t Is needless to
probability. of the condition of the
atmosphere interfering with the sue
cess Of these competitions.
There are in the regulations a few
other stipulations which are open to
criticism. For instance, in the pas
senger-carrying trials each passenger
must weight at least 63 kilogrammes
u43 pounds). which is not excessive:
but the pilot is not to be permitted
to substitute ballast for living freight.
It seems unnecessary to impose on the
aviator the necessity Of risking any
other life than his own. especially
as very few of the existing aercpIanes
are built to accommodate PASSENGER
though capable OF carrying consider
able weight II properly distributed
over the machine SO as not to inter-
fere with its stability. Then to fix