The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-26
THRONG GIVEN
GENUINE TREAT
AT AIR RACES
Announcer Tells Crowd in
Detail Of Every Move
Made by Filters.
BY ERNIE PYLE

BIZ ScriDps-Horard Newspaper Alliance
CLEVELAND, Aug. 26.-The
funny thing about this years ma
tional air races is that in addition
to being entertained, the thousands
of spectators who attend them are
attending a marvellous aeronautical
school and liking it.
It's like this. The men who put
on the races have installed an elab-
crate public address system whereby
an announcer's voice explaining
every event is carried distinctly by
loud speaker to every one on the
mile square Cleveland airport.
This announcer tells what event
is next, who is participating. who
is leading, what the planes are
doing and why, and then when the
events are over he brings up the
winning pilot and makes him tell
the crowd about it. That not only
gives the crowd information, but
makes the races really enjoyable, in
that the spectator knows every nlin-
ute what he is looking at.
Given Air knowledge
And there's where the public gets
its unconscious schooling in air
knowledge. The announcer explains
why a plane has to bank on a turn
around the pyton and points out good
banks and bad ones. He tells the
pubic what a zoom is and a power
dive and roll and explains how q
parachute jumper does his descent
by slipping his chute. He has the
sky for a blackboard and moving
human beings for a diagram as he
talks.
When the navy "high hat nine"
squadron from California went
through its thrilling and intricate
maneuvers Sunday, naval officer
took the mike and explained how
they did it and why such maneuvers
are valuable in war time.
Sundays events we're the best
school in air rnindedness that a.
crowd of $4,000 persons ever had and
there wasn't dull moment in the
day. Air meets have won a repu-
tation of being boresome things, be-
cause there is always so much STALL
ing around and waiting for some
thing to happen and not knowing
what it's all about after it happens.
It's Different Here
But not at this years national air
races, there is something doing
every minute and sometimes it looks
like three-ring circus. For in
stance Sunday at one time there
were six men descending in para
chuteS, a glider soaring over the
fields after being towed by a plane
all the way from Ypsilanti, Mich.
and three commercial stunt f1iers
doing upward spins and barrel rolls
right over the field.
Little Eleanor Smith, the 18-year-
old holder of the women's world
endurance record, was the sweet
heart of yesterdays races. She went
up in her Bellanca, time after time.
carrying parachute jumpers and
every time she came down she got a
tremendous hand.
Another one of the heroes was Joe
Munger, parachute jumper, who
landed smack on the edge of the adj
building, but fortunate
ly didn't hurt himself.
1t was a satisfied crowd that went
home from the best managed air
race ever staged and today they were
all on hand again to see the women
derby racers come in from Cali
fornia.
More Stunts Today
SandWiched in on today's program
of derby arrivals and feminine su-
was another program of
stunt flying, aerial maneuvers By
crack service pilots, more mass para
chute jumping, glider and balloon
bursting events and two races that
promise the thrill of high speed.
A squadron of army attack planes
will zip around a triangular course
for eighty miles and the Liberty
engine builders trophy will be con-
tested over the same eighty-mile
course.
Judging from Sundays response
to applause from the aviation en-
crowd, the stunt and &C
robatic demonstrations again will
be uppperrnost in the interest.
Flying in all manner of forma-
tons, sometimes so close that a
few feet meant death, the army.
navy and marine pilots gave the
spectators their first thrills.
The feet of blimps, whose apar-
ent stability furnishes a decided
contrast to the seemingly frail con-
5truction of the tiny army planes.
was augmented Sunday for an hour
by the zMC-2 new all-metal blimp
If the navy, fresh from factory in
Detroit.
Thanked by the three Goodyear
olimps, the silver bag paid it's re-
,pects to the air races by nooring.
It left an hour later to go back to
Oafroif