The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-11
DARING FRENCH AVIATOR SCARS
ABOVE 10000 CHEERING PEOPLE
Opening Day of Aviation Meet in Los Angeles Marked
By Immense Success CurJss, Hamilton, Knabenshue,
Beachev and Harmon Make Short Flights.

made a shorl hight up the course, re-
turned and alighted at the starting
point The distance, estimated by the
judges at five-eights of mile, was
covered in 2SO3 seconds, the greatest
height reached being so feet. The
mahcine was under perfect control and
the great American aviator Charles F.
Willard appeared upon tn ecourse in his
Curtiss aeroplane No. 1 and, after a
short preliminary flight, attempted to
circle the official course, which is
trifie more than a mile and half
in length. Rising to height of 20
feet, he maintained this altitude until
half the distance had been traversed.
when his motor gave out and the aero
plane descended He was in the air
one minute % seconds, the longest
flight ever made by a heavier-than
air machine on the Pacific coast up
to that time. After readjustment of
the motor Willard arose again ana
completed the course.
Curtiss, using the machine with
which he had made the previous flight,
circled the field, an estimated distance
of one and one eighth miles, in I:5l
His maximum altitude was 200 feet,
the highest flight on this coast up to
that time.
DirigibIes Perform We'll.
Lincoln Beachey and Roy Kneben-
shue appeared upon the course with
their dirigible balloons, sailing direct
ly over the grandstand at height of
200 feet against a stiff breeze, and re-
turning at high speed with the wind
at their backs. The dirigibles-frail
looking, cigar shaped affairs-were
under the complete mastery of the two
pilots, who directed their course as
they willed and descended to earth
without the semblance of a jar
Before this time the crowd had be-
gun to inquire for Paulhan. All was
aviator Whatever work was being
done in preparation for his flight was
behind closed DOORS" and it seemed
probable that the throng at the camp
would be disappointed in its expecta-
ton of the holder of the mile speed
record.
I'VE can't do anything with that
said Dick Ferris. master
of ceremonies HE pays no attention
to rules and regulations, nor to the
course laid out for the flights. 1 would
not be surprised to see him appear
suddenly on his machine through the
top of his tent
That was almost what PauIhan did.
While the spectators We're watching
the flight of the dirigbles, a Farman
biplane was taken quietly from the
Paulnan -enl Gown into gully hidden
from the view Of those at the starting
stretch. Just when Knabenshue and
Reachey We're passing over the grand
stand on their return, and every neck
was craned backward, there was a
sudden shout and out of the gully
Farman humming at tremendous
rate. He swung around the course
and came down before the grandstand
at high speed. He gesticulated first
with his right hand and then his left,
and at times he let go the steering
wheel and waved both arms and shout
ed to the multitude. Circling the full
course once, Paulhan then began a
secand round, but stopped at the half
way pole to cut across the field
for the grandstand Sudden
ly veering, he described another circle
finally disappearing from view to the
north behind the grandstand. He
scared this way and that in the adj
JdCent country, again nead1ng Qlrectly
fer the stand which he cleared from
behind, passing only few feet above
the topmost row of seats and shouting
greetings to the frightened crowd
beneath. Passing out onto the field,
the machine descended in front of the
Paulhan quarters.
Paulhan had remained in the air s
IL minutes and sailed three and three
quarters miles. His highest altitude
was $50 feet.
Makes Second Flight.
While the dirigibles were preparing
for their second fight the irrepress-
able F'renchman decided to start up
on another journey. Covering the
full course in 2:07 2-5, he started
around again and neared the starting
point just as Knabenshue's balloon
had caught the wind at the head of the |
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