The San Francisco call., 1910-01-11
PAULHAN WINS
AERIAL CONTEST
WITH DIRIGIBLE
French Aviator Shows Remark
able Speed in His Heavier
Than Air Machine
Sensational Flights Feature the
Great Aviation Meet Held
at Los Angeles

UfedI AFldllUH NCCt iISIu
at Los Angeles
ssa-lue point The distance. esti-
mated bv Judges at hve-eightbs of
mile. was covered in 2S.OS seconds. the
greatest height reached being so feet
The machine was under perfect control
and the great American aviator was ac-
corded a thunder of cheers for his
feat
Next Charles F. Willard appeared
upon the course in his Curtiss aero
plane 10. ]. and. after a short prelim-
mary flight. attempted to circle the Of
fetal course. which is a trifle more than
4 mile and a half in length Rising to
a height of 20 feet, he maintained this
altitude until half the distance had
been traversed. when his motor gave
out and the aeroplane descended. He
was in the air / minute % seconds. the
longest flight ever made by a heavier
than air machine on the Pacific coast
I'D to that time. After readjustment
OF the DOAOI W ltlA4 u a I-~ 80
completed the course
Circles Aviation Field
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 15L-
His maximum altitude was zoo feet.
The highest flight on the coast up to
that time
Lincoln Beachey and Roy Knaben-
shue appeared on the course with their
dirigible balloons. sailing directly over
the grandstand at a height Of zoo
feet. against stin breeze, and return
inc at high speed with the wind at
their backs The dirigibles-frail look
ing. cigar shaped affairs-were under
the complete mastery of the two pilots,
who directed their course as they willed
and descended 10 earth without the
semblance Of d jar.
Before this time the crowd had be-
gun TO inquire for Paulhan. All was
quiet a. the quarters Of the French
aviator Whatever work was being
done i'm preparation for mis- flight was
behind closed doors, and il seemed
proba bic that the throng at the camp
would be disappointed in its eXpecta-
tion Of seeing the holder of the mile
speed record.
Makes Sensational Debut
While the spectators were watching
the fight Of the dirigibles, Farman
biplane was taken quietly from the
Paulhan tent down into a gully hidden
from the view OF those at the starting
H. r
Reachey were passed over the grand
stand on their return and every neck
was craned backward, there was sud
den shout and out of the gully came
Louis Paulhan, the motor OF his Far
man humming at a 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 shouted to the
multitude.
CircIing the full course once, Paul
han then began a second round, but
stopped at the halfway pole to cut
across the field straight for the grand
stand. Suddenly veering, he described
another circle, finally disappearing
from view TO the north behind the
erandstand. He scared this way and
that i'm the adjacent country, again
heading directly for the stand, which
he cleared from behind. passing only
a few feet above the topmost row Of
seats and shouting greetings to the
frightened crowd beneath. Passing
out into the field, the machine de-
scended in front Of the Paulhan quar-
tiers.
Paulhan had remained in the air
eight and a half minutes and sailed
three and three quarters miles. His
highest altitude was $50 feet
Wins Aerial Race
While the dirigibles were preparing
for their second flight the irrepressible
Frenchman decided TO start upon an
other journey Covering the full
course in 2:O7 2-5. he started around
again and neared the starting point
lust as Knabenshue's balloon had
caught the wind at the head of the
stretch and was coming along at high
speed Paulhan's aeroplane shot up
ward and soon was abreast and directly
over the dirigible. Thh two craft raced
with the wind at their backs, that of
the Frenchman soon distancing its
competitor.
Continuing his flight al high speed
Paulhan gave a thrilling exhibition of
his control Of the aeroplane. He darted
this way and that, ascended suddenly
and shot downward until il seemed that
he must surely wreck his aeroplane
gainst the earth. Where groups of
men had gathered on the field he scat
tered them with sudden dips of the ma
chine. Once he headed directly for the
grandstand. waiting until almost upon
it before pointing the bow of his craft
upward and slSimming just above the
heads OF the crowd. Throughout it all
he gesticulated with his hands and
shouted in a language understood by
his countrymen alone. Paulhan loves
the air and. seemingly is carried away
by the eXhilaratiOn Of his aeroratically
daring performances.
Makes 10 Minute Flight
On this second flight he remained
up 10 minutes and , seconds, reaching
q height OF 400 feet and travelling
four and a half miles. In descending z
he just cleared the top of his own tent
,fs