The Washington times., 1929-08-24
800 WILL VIE
IN CLEVELAND
AIR MEET
BY HoMER h. METz

CLEVELAND, Aug. "a
(I.N.S.).-This normally com.
placent city was a veritable
maelstrom Of roaring motors
and zooming aircraft today as
the 1929 national air races and
aeronautical exposition form.
ally got under way.
Prior to the start of the opening
events this morning 1t was esti.
mated by competent authorities that
more than 100000 visitors were in
the city to witness the gala classic
of the air.
Meet In LObbies
Pilots, famous and unsung, de.
signers, manufacturers. engineers
and representatives Of every other
conceivable branch Of the flying in.
dustry were to be encountered in
ali hotel Iobbies and on every street
corner, The races and exposition
constitute what might be aptly
termed the world series of the air!
At ~ o'clock last night, the dead
line for entries. considerable more
than 900 fliers had notified officials
OF the races. OF their intention to
compete in the various listed events.
Thirty,five closed course events
and nine special distance derbies
comprise the program of the big
meet. Commencing early today.
these events will be staged every
day until the curtain IL rung down
on, the classic on September 2. II
Exhibit Planes
Chief interest, of course, centers
about the expected exploits of the
innumerable aerial stars among the
contestants and the probability that
many records will be broken.
Equally as important ass the flying
activities, however, will be the gil
gantic exposition of all types of
aircraft which win be held In
Clevelands new $10,O00,000 public
auditorium.
This huge building covers zoo, 900
square feet of space and every inch
of 1t will be jammed by the exhibits
and booths of the various ariplane
companies. Approximately 81, goo, 900
will be represented by the planes,
motors and accessories on display.
1000 Planes ON Field
The race events are certain to he
the ultimate in color and thrills. AS
noted pilots from virtually every
section of the country are entered
in at least one or more of them.
According to Carl Egge, former gen.
eral superintendent OF the United
States air mail service, who will act
as referee for the races, more than
contestants and spectators, have
been given anchorage at the local
airport. This number Is expected
to be swelled considerably by the
middle Of the week when the most
important races are run off. s
The air meet will be. going full
blast when the entrants in the
women's derby from California to
Cleveland zoom down on the air
port to the plaudits of the crowd.
Many of the well.known aviatrixes
entered In the derby probably will
compete in other events.
The close of the women's derby
in all probability will be marked by
memorial exercises of some sort
for Marvel Crosson. one of the en-.
trants. who crashed to her death in
Arizona shortly after the outset Of
the race.
Other Derbies
other distance derbies, all Of
which win finish here, include the
aH-Ohio Derby, the Canadian Derby,
the Rir of Ohio Derby, the Miami.
Beach to Cleveland Derby, the
Philadelphia to Cleveland Derby,
the Portland to Cleveland Derby, the
Oakland to Cleveland Derby, and
the featured nonstop Los Angeles
to Cleveland Derby.
Other special attractions will be
glider contests, Army and Navy
maneuvers, relay races, parachute
jumps and balloon bursting con-
tests.
Another spectacular feature, not
carded on the schedule of events.
will be the appearance over the
race field of the Graf Zeppelin
Commander Eckener, who is now
plotting the huge dirigible across
the Pacific on the third leg of its
globe-girdling flight, is expected to
fly the huge ship over Cleveland as