The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-20
AIR MEET BECOMES
NATIONAL IN SCOPE
Outside Fields Ask to Be Per-
mitted to Take Part at Bel
mont Park Saturday.
BOMBERS TO COMPETE

How American bombing squadrons
are dropping tons OF explosives on Metz
and accelersting the Hun retreat at vari-
Gus points along the western front will
be demonstrated at the big army avia-
tion carnival to be held at Belmont Park
next Saturday afternoon. The big flying
and athletic meet is being put on by the
First Provisional wing OF the u. 8. Air
Service at the direction Of the War De-
partment. This wing includes the seven
Long Island flying fields II IL being
given for the beneht Of the National
Aeronautic Committee, which equips all
Of our flying fields with athletic and
sports goods. also band and musical In
struments. Enlisted men In the aviation
squadrons both here and overseas share
the benefits OF this equipment.
Arrangements have been made to stage
bombing contest In a manner that will
b. quite harmless by using a light smoke
bomb instead Of the terrific INT dew
drop" The inneld will be cleared Of the
100 or more airplanes and a target
erected in plain view Of the spectators.
However. instead OF dropping missiles
from a height OF 1000 feet, as Is done
above enemy railroad stations and trans
port trains the flers will release the
bombs from an altitude OF about 500
feet. This will give the 10 mplete effect,
including the contact explosion. but will
prevent the possibility OF a bomb going
too near the crowd.
Other Fields Interested.
Since the news OF the carnival has
reached the various army aviation fields
in the East and middle West q number
Of commanding officers have wired the
First Provisional Wing requesting that
they be permitted to participate. What
was originally planned as a carnival to
be put on simply by the fiiers Of the
First Provisional Wing now promises to
develop into a truly national event, far
beyond the magnitude upon which 1t was
originally conceived.
Plans are being made to fly squadrons
Of airplanes from Boiling Field. WASH
ington. D. c.: Wright Field. Dayton.
oNio; Langley Field. Hampton Va {;
Chanute Field. Rantoul. Ill. Middletown
Field. Middletown. Pa. to Belmont
Park, so that In addition to the hum
dred airships promised by Lieut.-Col
Rhinehardt from his own squadrons
there my be dozens OF winged visitors.
Arrangements are also being NEGOTIATED
to have one Of the new huge army dirig-
ible balloons In which Gen. Kenly has
been sailing In the middle West flown
East for the meet
Capt. c. NJ. Wharton, who Is staging
the meet, which is to be under the d.
rection Of Lieut.. Col Claude X. Rhine
hardt. In command OF the First P,,-
visionai Wing. reports that prospects
are that this will be the most remarkable
flying and athletic meet ever staged.
Squadron battle formations, aerial
combats. the acrobatics resorted to in
air fighting. including the tail spin. bar
rel roll loop. reversement. viraee and
nose dive. will thrill the spectators and
make them marvel at the training that
our airmen have received.
Commanding officers Of the various
fields who are cooperating to make this
meet a success include Major Robert
d. Wren. Hazelhurst Field: Capt.
Peters Roosevelt Field: Cant. David
son, Mitchell Field Lieut. Moore. Brind-
ley Field; Capt Cofryn. Damn Field /;
Lieut.. Mills Lutbery Field; Col. Miller,
Field No. 2. Garden City.
Capt, Wharton. who Is managing the
meet. 10 receiving able afeista nee from
Lieut. Dave Fultz OF baseball fame.
Lieut.. C H. Higgins. formerly cor CHI
at Brown University. and other on
ners. while Mrs, Charles A. Van
Rensselaer,. chairman OF the National
Aeronautic Committee, Is doing much
able work in getting the public inter-
ested in this meet.