New-York tribune., 1910-08-21
FIVE FLYERS BOW
TOGETHER IN THE AIR
Dip Their heropIanes in Gay
Salute to Cheering Thou
SANDS on the Earth.
COULDN'T TELL THEM APART
Curtiss and Mars, Willard, Ely
and McCurdy All Look Alike
at Sheepshead Bay as
They Soar on High.


Avlators were cheap at Sheepshead
Bay yesterday. They We're in the ten
tvont -thirt'" matinee class
Ft,c Curtiss cut-ups were all up at
once. Fifteen thousand spectators saw
them. at d cost of only 10 or 20 cents
for each aviator depending upon whether
the spectator sat IN the grand or grand
est stand.
When all the wayward sky things
came back to the racetrack in time for
the aviation congress to close at the ad
vertised hour the fifteen thousand were
relieved from doubt and neck strain.
1t is not easy to guess the identity of
five simultaneously fading. floating
spectres in the sky. They are not al
ways fading. but it is not easy. All
Curtiss machines look alike, anyway
even when they are on the ground.
Leave the spectator on the ground and
ask him to keep tally on the names of
the drivers Of five such similar
trivances while dervishing about at the
rate of sixty miles an hour, and the or
binary spectator would prefer the game
of finding the little pea if he had pledged
anything of value on the result
If novelty and delightful sense of
uncertainty as to who is where while
looking aloft are enjoyed-and the 10.
600 acted that way yesterday-then
there will be. ii is promised another and
a final opportunity this afternoon. with
possibly a thrill two added and none
of the charm of mystery lost.
Cut Daisies and Didoes.
IL happened toward the close Of a busy
day 1t would he hard to find five men
in New York any buster than were Cur
tiss Willard. Mars, McCurdy and little
''Get-There'' Ely in their spry machines
yesterday.
Five aeroplanes were made to wheel
the mark at the northern end of the
inner field at Go O'Clock. One after
another the aviators cut first daisies and
then didoes-the latter in the air.
Five-you could count them-but
where was McCurdy? And was yon
shadow an Ely or a Mars? 1t was said
to belong 10 Willard, but when all was
over it was Curtiss, more likely.
Willard flew out to sea. passing above
the Oriental Hotel at Sheepshead Bay.
Ely was over there to the left. climbing
eyer higher. Mars was twisting about
in the wind McCurdys engine was
snorting to the south. and Curtiss?-
Curtiss was everywhere.
1t was the final flower pot of the
H.
O'Clock
Five machines viii start together this
afternoon, which is a difficult thing. be
cause the swash Of anothers propeller is
detested 10y an aviator. When the ma
chimes all start at once from a line the
svash Is very prominent while it lasts
The Curtiss aViatorS worked indus
triously for three hours yesterday. and
pleased the big crowd even when the
flyers did not circle the course, deferred
therefrom by the wind.
There were 10 idle moments to speak
of as, with or without passengers, one
or more aviators were conscientiously
engaged in fight.
Willard carried two passengers, man
dlu ii tioi hS S'ii "ii']'V if'NiiiC "1'o uooN
once to designate racehorse that has
since stopped running.
curtiss made the first turn of the af-
ternoon and continued il into twice
around the course arouSing much enthu-
siasm.
Curtiss 2 Pretty Sight.
Curtiss later went out to the north
east, over a clump of trees, flying with
the wind to get there and against il on
the way home without wagering. MAX
ing a Dicture of great beauty. as it is
difficult not to do when you are in "A
living machine with the right sort of
scenery about.
Mars, Willard and Curtiss followed
this course in single file a few minutes
afterward and after the others had
alichted, first boWing their machines to
the applause of the multitude. Willard
STAYED up there and hummcd around tor
eight and a half minutes. That was the
endurance record yesterday.
The highest flown was approximately
200 feet. by curtiss.
Lieutenant J. T.. Fickel of the 29th
Regiment shot rifle at d target on the
ground while he flew as a passenger
with Curtiss, and 1T was said he missed
il by only six inches, though no one
seemed to knew why six inches had been
decided Oh as the missing margin. The
target was measured and found to be .
by feet.