The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-20
Beachy Gives, Flying Thrills
 To New Haven

New Haven, May 19.-To the &C., compartment of peals of thunder and streaks of lightning and in a pouring rain the two days aviation meet of day with flights by Lincoln Beachey and R. A. McCurdy. Up to within an hour of the starting of the events the day had been clear and warm and with but little wind stirring, ideal conditions for flying. Shortly after 8 o'clock dark clouds appeared in the southwest which grew nearer and nearer until a few minutes before o'clock, the schedule time for the be- ginning. of the flights. the storm broke, but fortunately it was accom- panied by but little wind.
 The approaching storm did not keep spectators at home for long be- fore time for the opening flight and after rain had begun to fall men and women, seemingly more of the latter, poured onto the field and into the grand stands until there were several thousand present to greet 'Beachey as field.
 The biplane to be used by Beachey was wheeled to the starting point in front of the stands. After a few minutes preliminary tinkering with over, Beachey taking his seat and on giving the signal those who were holding the plane in check released it and the machine started across the field to rise into the air for the first exhibition flight in the history of the city. As he arose from the ground he circled to the left and flew. off over the meadows. coming back over the grandstands and field repeating circles several times. On next to the last circle he startled the onlookers by series of dives coming down to- yxyo TT ot e oy1f hot seemed impossible for him to over- come and rise into the air again The last dive was the most spectacular. From a height of 500 feet he tipped his machine straight for the middle of the field, as most everybody thought for the purpose of making landing but instead of bringing his machine to an even keel he kept it pointed toward the ground until the front wheel struck the earth and with a bound he arose into the air again and was off over the marshes. At the completion of the final circle he flew over the stands and turning came down in the middle of the field, the machine rolling across the field of the varsity diamond until it came to a stop in front of the stands. but a few feet from the starting point
 As he stepped from the machine he was greeted with cheers and hand clapping, taken by him, as it probably is, an everyday occurrence.
 McCurdy in Air.
 The second flight of the day was made by McCurdy, who made the same perfect start that characterized the flight of his mate and scared off to the left and then over to the west over Westville and the Woodbridge hills, his flight was higher than that of the one preceding and longer. at taining height of 2,00O feet. There was nothing sensational in the flight except that it showed what could be done in the way of a sustained flight by a heavier than air flying ma chine. -I
 After a perfect landing by Mo Curdy, Beachey again took to the air for the longest flight of the day, circling off to the right as he left the field, he gradually reached higher and higher until at an altitude of 2,OOO feet he started off over the city and was in a few minutes lost to 1 view. His course was marked to those waiting his return on the field l by the blowing of factory whistles in | the city, the advent of the flying men being looked forward to by the em- ployes of the factories who obliged to | stay at their daily tasks were kept | from seeing the flights other than i the windows of the factory