Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-14
FREE TRIPS IN AIR
Privilege for Three Persons
Selected by Ballot. 80.
UNUSUAL CHANCE OFFERED
Coupon Votes to Be Printed in The
Sunday Star.
COMPETITION OPEN TO ALL
Opportunity for Ride in Aeroplane
With Skilled Aviators at Ben
ming In May.
UNUSUAL CHANCE OFFERED
COMPETITION OPEN TO ALL

There will be chance between May
and for three residents of Wash
fngton to take aeroplane rides that are
aeroplane rides. sure enough. On the
dates mentioned there will be an avia-
ton meet at Benning. given by men OF
the Curtiss team. and any local aviators
able to fly. In the latter category
comes the aeroplane Of the Rex Smith
Company, which has already been en-
tered for the meet.
The Evening Star has made arrange
ments with the National Aviation Com
pany, the local agents for the Curtiss
machine under whose management the
meet is being conducted. to have three
persons given rides at the meet with the
professional aviators Of the Curtiss Com
pany acting as drivers. The rides are to
be Of not less than five minutes each.
The height will depend on conditions at
the time, but probably not over 100 feet,
The aviators that are coming to Wash
ington for the exhibition are ]. A. D.
McCurdy. Lincoln Beachy and H. A.
operators in this country.
Decided by Ballots.
ride will depend on votes through a cou-
pom to be printed in The Sunday Star, be-
ginning next Sunday and continuing
through April % and 30.
Each Of the coupons turned in will
count for ten votes and a new bOnafide
subscription to The Sunday Star will
count for 100 votes. There has been a
great deal of competition in Washington
recently for q chance to ride In flying
nd x1-o nf hn oh 20
than can be accommodated. The mini
mum charge for a ride Of this kind has
always been 800 each, but the coupon
arrangement has been made so that all
and have an equal opportunity for a
wonderful ride.
1t is the first time in Washington that
there has ever been such a chance
offered to the public.
Experienced Operator.
OF the operators. McCurdy is one Of the
oldest in the world in point of expert
ence. He was one of the original men,
bers of DR.. Alexander Graham Bells
Aeronautic Experiment Association and
built the second machine that was per-
fected by the association.
He was the first man to send a wire
less message from an aeroplane and Is
flight over the water that has ever been
made In this country. This was the flight
from Key West to Havana, when he got
within ten miles of Havana harbor and
was forced to come down, owing to
leaky oil tank that had made him run
short Of lubricating oil.
Other Expert Air Men.
Lincoln Beachy is known all over the
country as q dirigible balloonist, and
made the first flight with a dirigible that
was ever seen in Washington. This was
back in 1906. when he delivered a letter
at the White House and flew over the
Capitol. He has been with the Curtiss
team for about year.
Robinson is one of the new members of
the team. and, while he has not achieved
national fame as an aeronaut, be is re-
garded by Glenn Curtiss, who trained
him at San Diego last winter, as an ex-
pert.
He has made a number Of exhibition
flights that stamp him as one of the
future admirals of the air.