The San Francisco call., 1910-12-12
BIRDMEN WILL
Send WIRELESS
FROM CLOUDS
First Test of Communication
From AerOpIane to Be Made
at TanfOran
Army Officer Will Essay Role
of Spy and Sketch Bay
F0rtifcatiOns

The first attempt 10 maintain wire
less communication with a flying areo-
plane viii be made at the aviation
fmeet at Tanforan in January. One of
the machines will be equipped with p
wireless OUTFIT and an operator will
be sent UP with the aviator. Another
wireless station win be set up on the
grounds and messages will be ex-
changed. AS the messages are re-
ceived at the ground station they will
be posted on = bulletin board in order
that the public may be kept acquainted
with the movements of the birdmen.
Lieutenant Paul W Beck. who has
been detailed by the United States gov
ernment to attend the meet, believes
that If the experiment is successful it
will cause another change in the plans
OF military and naval tacticians and
create a profound sensation among
military authorities
EXCURSIONS FOR SCOUTS
The perfection of such medium Of
communication said Beck would in
crease the efficiency of the aeroplane
as scouting auxiliary AT the coming
meet we intend TO hold many scouting
excursions TO determine the prac-
ticability Of equipping the aeroplanes
of the war department with wireless
apparatus.
The fact that wireless messages
from an airship would be picked up by
the enemy would be no draw back, for
the messages would be sent by code
and would be unintelligible except to
those for whom they were intended.
An officer Of the United States cav
far no. he
around the bay has been selected to
go up in one OF the machines and
make sketches Of the fortihcations.
7 his viii determine the exact measure
Of danger from d scouting aeroplane
OF an enemy that had succeeded in
landing at some unprotected point on
the coast All these flights will, of
course. begin and end at the aviation
grounds at Tanforan"
GROUNDS WE'LL LOCATED
The Tanforan grounds have been de-
soribed by experts as particularly
adaptable 10 an aviation meet. Three
IS large triangular field containing
40 acres which is accessible alike by
the Southern Pacific and by the street
cars OF the United Railroads. Although
the lowest price OF admission prevail
ing al meets throughout the United
States has been 81. the committee has
determined to make the fee TO the
Tanforan meet 75 cents. For those who
wish TO see the machines at close range
a section OF the field will be reserved
and an additional charge OF 25 cents
viii be made for entrance.
To facilitate travel by automobile
over the best roads the committee will
lay out z course along the boulevard.
through South San Francisco. in Grand
avenue and thence to the aviation
grounds via the San Bruno road. This
VIII give a smooth, well paved road all
the way
TEN DAYS OF FLYING
Although the official sanction of the
meet is from January to Is. the bird
men VIII ny on 10 fair weather days,
so that Il necessary the meet will ex-
tend beyond January Is.
Major Ernest Y. Smith of the United
States army pay corps; A Van der
Naillen, first president OF the Oakland
aero club, and ". Z. Durand head Of
the department Of mechanical arts at
Leland Stanford university have ac-
cepted the invitation of the aviation
committee 10 act as judges Major
Smith will be senior Judge. Prof. r. T.
Crawford Of the department of astron-
omy at the University Of California
has been invited TO act as q Judge.
Two more viii be named by the Pa
cihc aero club and one by the news
papers Of san Francisco.