The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-06
50 PLANES. WILL
ENTER RACE FROM
COAST TO COAST
Test Will Be Longest Flight
Of Heavier Than Air Flyers
Ever Made-Route Will Be
Mapped Out Exactly.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6.--Latest details
OF the airplRne race between New York
and San Francisco were made public
yesterday by the American Flying club,
hlgnty heavier than air machines al
ready have been entered. There are
likely to be several more. The route to
be covered will be 5,4O0 miles. 1t will
De the greatest flying competition ever
staged. Eighteen prizes will be given
The race will begin at Hazelhurst
Held, Mineola, and at the Government
flying field, San Francisco, on Oct. Q,
at , am Thus far the government has
entered fifty-seven planes from Mineola
and twenty-three from California.
Maj Gen, Charles T. Mendel, director
OF the army air service, has arranged
TINS race as a reliability test Of air
planes Data compiled from the vari-
GUS machines, the pilots of which will
keep log. books, are expected to be of
great value. AS practically every type
OF machine, now in the possession of
tne army will be flown by the best
ana most experienced pilots, II Is prob
able that an improved type of machine
may be evolved The announcement
from the American Flying club added.
Practically. every pilot entered in the
race Is an advocate Of a separate air
service department. All are members
of the American Flying club at which
poll was taken of its LOO members
last week on the question OF whether
or not there should be a separate de-
nartment devoted to the air service.
Ihis poll showed that 98 per cent of
the practical flyers were in favor Of the
separate service As 30 per cent of the
club membership, is composed of men
VINO are actual pilots and have had long
experience in the air, this poll ia taken
to show what the real flyers want"
In addition to being great RELIABLE
lty test OF the present machines, the
Nrace Is expected to develop widespread
interest in aviation, as the country will
be enabled to see the machines either
in flight or at the controls. There is
a possibility that the Southern air route
may be followed on the return trips, ow-
ing to the likelihood of cold weather
toward the end OF October. The dis
lance by air beween New York and
san Francisco as the race is planned
distance to be covered 5,402 miles.
Rules will be the same as in the re-
cent New York Toronto return race.
AS announced the following will be the
control stations, beginning at Mineola:
:, Binghamton, Rochester Buffalo,
Glevelan Bryan, Chicago Rock Island.
Des Moines, Omaha, st. Paul, North
Platte, Sidney, Cheyenne, Wolcott,
Green River, Salt Lake City, Salduro,
Battle Mountain, Reno, Sacramento and
San Francisco.
These controls have been picked so
as to make as nearly as possible an
even distance between them the long
est jump being 1870 miles between Cleve-
land and Bryan. In addition the choices
were made so that there would be open
spaces or flying fields at each control.
The British and French air services
will be represented.
The American Flying club will give
eighteen prizes for three classes of per-
Torrance, as follows:
First. Time Competition-First place
to be awarded to the pilot crossing
the continent in the shortest time. ir-
respective OF stops and actual flying
time. The machine that makes the
flight first gets the first prize in this
class.
Second Second Contest--In this there
VIII be as many classes as there are
types OF machines. First, second and
| third will be awarded the pilots hay-
ing the shortest flying time. Rules
or the American Flying club will be
| followed
Third. Handicap Competition-This
| will be based on actual flying time,
but each class type OF machine) will
be given handicap percentage based
! upon its reported speed as comput ed
| by the technical section in their Off
cial tests. Here, also, the rules of the
| American Flying club as used in the
| New York Toronto contest win be fol-
| lowed.