The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-24

Aviators and visitors streamed into Birmingham Friday night to attend the Southern Air Meet, which opens at Roberts field Saturday afternoon with 36 skilled fliers competing for the big prizes offered.
 Indications are that thousands will greet the airmen when they assemble for their first formationa parade over the city, led by the big Martin bomber from Montgomery.
 Several of the worlds most noted flyers will be here for the. mammoth exposition, including Lieut.. H. J. Brow of the navy, who was crowned air champion of the world when he regis tered a speed of 250 miles an hour and won the Pulitzer race in St. Louis last October.
 Brow will enter his speedy Vought plane in the 100-mile speed derby. With Lieut.. H. NJ. Dillon, also fly ing a Vought, Lieutenant Brow will arrive from Pensacola early Saturday.
 Ticket Sale Large
 The advance sale of tickets for the big meet has been gratifying to Major M. V. w. Robertson, Jr., commander of the 106th Observation Squadron, which is staging the exposition. The doings begin at 12 80 o'clock Saturday afternoon and will continue through Sunday, with something on the pro- gram every hour.
 Lieut.. A. c. Strickland, formerly of Birmingham, reached the city Friday from San Antonio, Tex, and will take part in the speed derby and other festivities. He is flying the latest model of De Haviland all weather plane. It is finished in mahogany with silver wings, and has a 450-horsepOwer Liberty motor. While attending the meet, Lieutenant Strickland will spend part of his time with his mother, Mrs. J. H. Strickland, 709 Cotton avenue, West End. He enlisted in the army during the war, leaving his studies at Auburn.
 Air Wedding Planned
 Major Robertson and other officials of the meet are still looking for a young couple intent on committing matrimony, who would not mind hay ing their knot tied in the air. If such a couple can be found, the ceremSny will be an added feature of the big show.
 Several races are on the program and many Birmingham storess have contributed trophies for award to the winners. The crowds at the field also will be treated to all sorts of stunt flying, to an "aie field" problem, dis playing the support of planes to an artillery attack, and parachute drops. Other flyers will line up in the air and give an exhibition of destroying enemy balloons.
 The two big races are to be run un- der the race rules of the National Aeronautic association. Through the efforts of l.. $. Erwin, secretary of the Birmingham Athletic club, the follow ing experienced timers have offered to catch the time as the planes dash around the course Hugh N. Starnes, John Dearborn, Toto Jaffee, w. A. Layton, l.. J. Stillwell, Homer l.. Thomas and l.. s. Erwin. StOp-watches have been loaned by the Jaffee Jewelry company and Bromberg Jewelry com pany. The judges stationed at the pylons will be: William Badham, John T. Badham, Howard R. Barr, Robert Bowron, Rucker Agee and Henry May berry.
 Thrills ApIenty
 Many other spectacular events will be put on by the daring airmen to sup ply thrills for the thousands who are expected to see the show. All the maneuvers of aerial warfare will be displayed.
 Betting on the 1OO-mile derby was in full swing in the city on the eve of the event. With Lieutenant Brow on hand to defend his title, most of the wagers included odds that he would win. The lieutenant, however, real izes that he has big task ahead, since some of the best known flyers in the country are here to race for his title.
 The air meet was planned by the local air squadron for the purpose of raising funds to make Roberts field a class-A landing station, in order that it may become station on the gov ernment's Washington-New Orleans air mail route. However, the large number of entries and the purses at
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