The San Francisco call., 1910-01-13
Makes Erratic Flight


Charles K Hamilton, in Curtiss
machine, left the ground soon after IN
qualifying flight, but came down
after an erratic flight of few min.
utes.
The. Paulhan altitude flight and
half circle of the field by Curtlss with
Harmon as passenger wound up the
program.
with these events the meet now is
fairly under way Including the local
afrships there are 26 entries on the
field. These are all that qualified OF
the original 81, except few designs
without engines that stand in sheds
near the entrance.
Charles F. Johnson of San Francisco
was the latest arrival. His Curtiss
machine was towed to the field late in
the day. but he said that both he and
Hamilton, the other Curtiss aviator,
probably would not attempt serious
flights until late in the week.
Paulhan could hardly be restrained
from going into the air when hrst the
sun peeped over the mountains to the
east bathing the intervening valley
in a golden glory and making the YER
dant slopes of the aviation field glisten-
Paulhan had announced in his i'm
pressive way late yesterday that he
would surely try today for the worlds
altitude record, and when he came to
the 0elQ al sunrise duQ tAlC ND4i-
ditions so perfect and his Farman BIZ
plane all tuned up and ready for flight
the impulse to soar at once came
strongly upon him. That there were
no crowds in the grand stand to cheer
him as he left the earth, no great lanes
of humanity packed like sardines along
the fences, made little difference. He
wanted to fly away up into the azure
sky. and since all the conditions Were
right. why, then, must he stay on the
ground?
Edmund CIeary, who manages the
syndicate of French fiers who are
here. during the brief times when its
members are manageable, labored
throughout the morning hours with
Paulhan and succeeded in keeping him
down to earth.
Perhaps it was because Nine. Paul
han was not among those present at
Aviation camp today that M. Paulhan
wanted to spring into the air at once.
Yesterday, when he was all ready to
make his first try for worlds record
in America, it was Nine. Paulhan who
wept and gesticulated and entreated,
pointing to the west, whence semi
gale was blowing, and at last clinging
to her husband until she had his prom
ise not to go 5000 feet high in his
aeroplane that day.
Make Sure of Engines
Glenn H. Curtiss, the silent aviator,
at work also in the tent city where the
airships are, smiled when he learned
that Paulhan was so eager to break a
There is plenty of time for record
breaking with aeroplanes." he said.
The sport is new yet, and those who
are indulging in it now are only feeling
their way along. Wen get up 5000 or
5000 feet after a while, but first we
want to be sure Of our engines"
Charles K. Hamilton, the Connecticut
aviator who has been doing some SEN
sational flights in America recently,
was another man who was hard to hold
down today. When he reached the
aviation field and found that his mech
plane he wanted to make a trial fight,
but was dissuaded by his manager.
Before the first of the days events
was called it became apparent to those
about Aviation camp that a new star
had arisen in the aviation world
Clifford B. Harmon of New York Har-
mon became an aviator yesterday. Pre-
vious to that time he was an aeronaut
In his first trip in an aeroplane yes
terday Glenn Curtiss went along with
him TO tell him what to do il things
went wrong and. incidentally. to oper-
ate the machine himself Later, Just
as dusk was gathering, Harmon per-
suaded willard to lend him an aero
plane. Unassisted, he operated the
machine over a distance of 500 yards
and without a mishap Today he owns
an aeroplane' and manages retinue
of mechanicians.
Several unheralded aeroplanes of pc