The New York herald., 1921-10-17
Business AIRCRAFT
CONTEST FOR FRIES
Thrills Under Ban, Tests
Being Made for Passenger
and Freight Uses.
40 PLANES: ONE MISHAP
Loening's Flying Yacht in
Four Long Trips Goes 2
Miles a Minute.
FESTIVAL HUGE SUCCESS
Curtiss Field Crowded With
Motorists and Others Inter-
ested in Air Transit.
FESTIVAL HUGE SUCCESS

alrplane minute went roaring into
the air yesterday at Curtiss Field,
Mineola. and did it's bit to prove to a
crowd whose automobiles blocked the
roads for miles around that the COM
mercial airplane has arrived.
Nobody stood on his ear on the top
wing OF plane; nobody dived his ship
vertically few thousand feet to show
how fast he could go, and nobody
tried to rub the paint off the roof OF
hangar with the landing gear OF a
plane travelling 100 miles an hour.
but despite these omissions, officials of
the Aero Club of America pronounce ed
the flying festival the most successful
and the best attended affair ever held
In this part of the country. 1t was
impossible to estimate the number who
witnessed the event
OF course there were lots Of really
thrilling flights and stunts, for the ad-
venture of aviation is by no means ex-
hausted, but all the pilots had it i'm
pressed upon them in advance that they
not to try to stir up a little business
for the undertakers. And as a result
only one nishap was recorded, and that
was the fact that the big two mQtored
Remington BurnelIi ship had made a
forced landing at Roosevelt Field, break
Ing it's tailskid and seriously hurting the
feelings Of its pilot, a young man named
Sullivan.
There were in all about forty planes
huzzing around on and off the field. most
OF them competing for the commercial
transportation trophy, presented by the
Wright Aeronautical Company. for the
plane best proving its worth as a real
business vehicle, ready to carry passen-
gers and freight, surely and swiftly to
its destination The trophy will be
awarded in day or two.
Flying Yacht i'm Contest.
While this big group of planes were
busily engaged in flying for the trophy
out at Port Washington, on the north
shore OF Long Island ten or twelve miles
away Dave McCulloch, pilot of the NC-s
on the transatlantic flight, and Grover
c. Looming, designer Of the Looming
flying yacht, which recently flew at the
rate OF 165 miles an hour from Aber-
deem. Md, to New York. were indus
friously striving to give the whole
Mineola contingent surprise. For the
Looming yacht. being a commercial
craft, was also in the contest for the
trophy, and just to prove 1t made four
round trips to Southampton. at the otneI
end of Long Island, q total distance Oh
$40 miles. at an average speed OF close
to 1870 miles an hour.
The yacht with four passengers on
board. including on one trip a reporter
for TIVE New York HERALD. ran on
schedule time. A little wind blew from
the west at higher attitudes. so Com
mander McCulioch kept about five feet
above the water in the trips to South
ampton. rising to four thousand feet al
the end in order to hop over the barrier
of land and into Peconic Bay. After
landing near the station ship, Mr.. Leon
ing's yacht. Argus, Jr.. and consuming
an egg sandwich, McCulloch. still or
schedule hoped off again and spec
back, this time at 1000 to 1000 feet, te
take advantage of the wind
In addition to the four Southampton
trips. the Looming yacht on Friday mad
three trips on schedule. piloted by Cliff
ford Webster, to New London and back
covering 800 miles in 333 minutes, ant
costing less in gas. oil. depreciation. &c
than the rail fare for the four passen
gers II carried. In view of the distanc
covered. this plane is likely to be tn
winner OF the trophy.
At Mineoia the Larsen JL-6, also
monoplane, made fve trips on schodul
20 Miller Field. Staten Island, dis
fance of thirty-two miles each way, !.
an average time OF twenty-three minute
Der one way trip. The plane. piloted b.
John +. Petre, carried seven, includinl
pilot.
High Flight I'm single Winger.
A Curtiss in plane. with ninety horse
power motor, equipped with spccia
'Sperry high lift single wing, made flight
around the field for the trophy. carryin
FIVE people. and climbed to $500 feet u
fifteen minutes with this load Law
renee Sperry was pilot.
Other entries for the trophy include
Fokkcr monoplane, pilot, Bert Acosta
who. on Saturday. few to Providence
40 miles In 100 minutes. and returne
I'm 40 minutes, with seven men o
board. and Farman sport plane, tiny
maneuvreable little ship, which can Ian
in a backyard and yet make real spec
when her pilot, Capt. d. II. Robinson
steps on her.
Ono of the most unusual ships o
the field was a Curtiss OF the vintag
Of 1910. with new Curtiss motor
Dick Depew and Bert Acosta both dem
onstrated that the ship wasn't as oil
-. che rocked.
A parachute jumping contest wa
won by Sergeant Joe Devlin, who wen
out Of. plane at 800 feet and iande
within ~ yards of the mark. Otho
contestants who landed further ava.
were Sergeant +. Meeker and MaJo
w. q. SchaufTlers
Benedict Crowell. president OF th
Aero Club. pronouncing the meet
unqualified success. said
'The flying meet at Curtiss Field TO
DAY and thcse which arc to be hel
ia Kansas City and Omaha ar
especially significant in the light OF th
Forthcoming conference IN Washington
without minimizing the value OF IN
older arms on land and sea. which "
must always have, the flying whic
is going on throughout the country "a
day offers the greatest hope TO the ma
fion OF n successful outcome OF thI
conference Nc must have protectio
of the most efficient and economies
sort. This is what dir pover provides
American aviation Mers a real contr
hutton TO our transportation problei
ard Is ready TO assist 10 the brcscr
rrisIs,"