Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-18
CurtiSs Makes
Sensational
Flight in Wind
American Shows Frenohman Some
Points in Aeroplane Jockeying
that Astonlshes Crowd.

los ANGELES, Cal. lar iL-AThe wind
and rain conspired yesterday to test the
mettle of alrships flying on Aviation Held,
The result was a victory for Glenn II.
Curtiss and Louis Pauihan.
In half a gale OF wind. Curtiss rose to a
height Of more than 100 feet, and there
performed as pretty a piece OF aeroplane
jockeying as has been seen. He described
circles In a daring fashion, lifting ana
dipping and beating against the wind and
winding up by flying a figure eight Paul
han strovo to Guido this, going NJ So feet
and circling about like q hawk. But his
exhibition lacked something of the brill
liancy shown by the American.
Another wonder picture was painted
Curtiss and Paulhan and Charles X. Ham
ilton, each driving his own machine, swung
around in an aerial marathon. AT times
they raced together headlong against the
wind. Again, they played tag with each
other. They flew under and over each
other and around each other.
That there were no accidents was one
of the marvels Of the day. The aviators
did not want to ny in the wind, They
knew that the wind strains the delicate
silk planes and pulls at the, fastenlngs.
But the crowd was there and something
had to be done to amuse it,
The people Of Los Angeles gave an ex-
hibition today of their enthusiasm for av-
lation. Through the rain Of the morning
they went in droyes to the field. standing
in mud along the fence Tine or holding
dripping seats In the grandstand.
BY the time the events were scheduled
to begin the biggest crowd Of the meet
had gathered. Even the nearby hills were
black with spectators.
The rain ceased after the aviators had
waited as long as possible but finally
Hamilton awakened the echoes by rising
ina short flight to test the wind.
Paulhan was not long in following. He
came up with q rush, and sailed past the
grandstand in two qualifying rounds. He
veered and shot out Of the course back Of
the grandstand 200 feet high. going over
the field again after a short run. When
he came down., he said that he had in
tended to try ten laps for speed, but found
the wind too strong on the westward
course
Then Curtiss came out in a preliminary
flight. Hamilton and Paulhan started to-
gether in a wind-bucking contest. but were
sent out of the course and landed back of
the grandstand.
1duAlAdAlt aANCA AAAAhAAl6 AAlNN h9 AANAAAiAS
was standing the strain wen. made another
trip for speed. In -four rounds his best lap
was 2:3S9b. Curtiss' record is 2;12. Finding
he could not win in this, Paulhan tried to
lower Curtiss' starkng record, He made 1t
on the soft turf IN 1883 feet. Curtlss'
record is IS feet.
Roy K~nabenshue and Lincoln Beaohey
brought out their dirigibles. They went up
and struggled hard against the wind for
half a mile, then gave 1t UP, whirling back
! over the grandstand at a high rate. of
speed.
Charles r. willard, in a Curtiss machine.
came out for a brief flight, but after feel
ing the force of the wind, gave up. Curtiss.
who had announced that he would try for
a mile speed record, also quit. The crowd
was sent home.
Paulhan was not content. AS the crowds
were filing out he appeared on the horizon
with two passengers behind him, a diff
cult and dangerous feat in such a wind,
The passengers were his mechanicians
After a short turn with them he took up
clifford b. Harmon, New York balloonist
Great interest centers in Paulhan's sched-
uled attempt to win the Mlchelin cup for
long distance flight tomorrow. II the
weather permits he will start early. II
Will be necessary to go over the new
triangular course more than thirty-five
times to beat the record Of IA miles held
by Henry Farman Paulhan thinks it will
be a great Joke to win this event in a
machine bought from P'arman.