San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-05
TROPHY FLIGHT
|SCONCLUDED
IN STORM
Is Reliability Test Planes
Complete 7-Day Flight
;. of 1900 Miles.
By FRANK BOCART
Universal Service Staff Correspondent

Universal Service Staff Correspondent.
DETROIT, Mich, Oct. 5.-Fifteen
planes in the first annual commercial
airplane reliability tour for the Edsei
Ford trophy came through the worst
storm Of their seven-day swing around
a 19OO-mile circuit late yesterday
from Cleveland. One was delayed
there for service details. due to a
late arrival from Columbus. the start
ing point of the days flight.
Henry Ford in person greeted the
n;lots after they had checked in ana
had their "playloads" weighed. con-
graduating them on their achievement
and leading them to their seats at
a hanouet table erected in the nam
hangar.
Reliability plus safety in aviation
has never received such demonstra-
tion as that the 10000 watchers
standing in pouring rain gave 70
the arriving pilots as they zipped over
the finish line. Auto horns biared,
hats and handkcrchicfs and arms
waved frantically.
FORD ENTRY SECOND IN.
The Ford entry, an all metal mono
nlane. was second in. 1t holds. the
best record for elapsed time OF the
flight, with Casey Jones, pilot OF the
Curtiss Carrier Pigeon, second ana
the Junkers third.
A few of the pilots became lost IN
the misty weather between here ana
Toledo. But the two giant o,VoV'-
900 candle power searchlights on tine
Ford airport picked them up and
brought them to port. None of the
ships was able to fly at more than
200 feet altitude on the last leg.
The tour should have ended Satur-
day, but fog encountered Friday at
st. Louis caused that days flight to
be cut in half. The ships remained
at indianapolis over night. Then
the fog kept them from doing three
legs on Saturday and they spent that
night in Columbus. They left Co
lumbus at II 80 today.
FORTY.SIx IN FLIGHT.
Forty-six pilots, mechanics and
passengers took part in the flight that
has written a new page in the his
tory of commercial aeronautics. Be
yond a few scratches none was in
iured in any way. The pilot and me-
chanic in the plane that was lost, al
though they dived 40 feet to the
ground after take-off, escaped with
out an injury.
Winners of elapsed time honors for
the total 190O-mile flight were: Ford,
II hours, 33 minutes and 4S seconds ;
Fokker, is hours, minutes and ~
seconds; Curtiss Pigeon, Is hours, Z
minutes and 80 seconds.
FORCED TO LAND.
The sixteenth plane to leave Cleve-
land on the final leg, the Mercury Jr..
Hammondsport, n. Y, was forced
down in the storm and gathering dark
ness 35 miles from Detroit. The pilot
and two passengers reported them
selves safe by phone. =.
"Caseyr Jones, New York, pilot OF
the Curtiss ship. who had been in
second place all during the flight. de-
spite his accident in landing at Oma-
ha. Tuesday, and the resultant weak
ening of the plane, was only nosed
out by the Fokker today. His water
system sprang a leak on the way to
Cleveland from Columbus, but he
nursed the ship home after hurried
repairs on the short stop at Cleveland.
FORD GREETS PILOTS.
Henry Ford, after remaining all
afternoon at his airport and greeting
the pilots went home, not attending
the dinner in their honor because OF
his custom Of avoiding public func-
tions, but before leaving he said the
reliability flight had greatly encour-
aged his faith and belief in aviation's
commercial possibilities. -.
The contest committee, Alfred U.
vervillc. referee, announced that the
list of planes making perfect scores
will be published Monday. About six
cases have to come before the COM
mittee for settlement.