Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-31
$4,000 THRILLED AS. HOLMAN
STUNTS AT CLEVELAND RACES
Flyer Makes Inside Loops in
Three-Motored Trans
port Plane.
Flies Big Ship Upside Down
in Clouds Above
Field.

lCtUs
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON,
Aviation Editor Of The Star.
CLEVELAND. Ohio, August Sit
remained for a commercial pilot In a
commercial airplane to put on one of
the most remarkable demonstrations of
flying in a week packed with thrills
provided by the finest pilots of the mill
tary forces of the United States and
Canada at the national air races now
in progress here.
The big thrill came yesterday after
noon and you may believe that 1t was
by the hundreds of veteran pilots gath
cred here as we'll as by the $4,000 or
more spectators packed into the stands
and around the field.
When the flight was over Lewis A.
Yancey, who with Roger @. williams.
recently flew from the United States
to Spain and who Is veteran of many
unusual flights, wiped his brow and
whistled weakly No doubt other pilots
in the crowd felt much the same way.
1t was a relief to those who know any
thing about flying to have the stunt
over safely.
Holman Provides Thrill.
The big thrill began when Charles
Speed" Holman. noted civilian stunt
pilot, who now is operations manager
for one of the Great Western Air
Transport lines, climbed into a new
all-metal tri-motored Ford transport
plane. Holman is the first civilian
pilot to perform the justly celebrated
outside loop. He also holds the worlds
record for consecutive inside loops, with
more than 1 400 of them in succession.
There was rumor that Holman was
going to do things with the giant 3-ton
plane. but no one in the stands had any
inkling of just what was coming. Hol-
Just in front of the stands and lifted her
into steep climb with the three big
motors roaring like flight of pursuit
planes. Up and up he went at what
looked like a 4S-degree angle. Finally,
Just before reaching the Stalling point,
he leveled of and went into normal
climb.
Reaching an altitude of about $500
feet in front of the stands, Holman
opened up all three motors and pulled
up the nose of his great 12-passenger
plane. Up he went again like pursuit
plane. He had the nose straight up.
,
upside down with the motors shouting.
Then he nosed over and completed a
perfect inside loop.
Tremendous Experience.
It was not the first time tri-motored
plane has been Topped but it was ire
mendous experience for a majority OF
those in the stands. Holman, however,
was far from through.
Leveling out after his loop, Holman
opened up again and went into another
and then a third. The great polished
metal wings and sides glittered in the
sun as he went over and over. The
crowd cheered. The announcer on the
loud speaker shouted excitedly: Watch
Holman, watch Holman"
After the last loop Holman began
climbing gradually for more sky room.
The motors reared The nose went up.
The ship bored its way up into the sky
and went on over as If for another loop.
At the top of the loop, wheels to the
sky. wings to the ground. 1t hung upside
down. 1t continued to hang upside
down. Holman was flying the great
transport ship upside down.
While the crowds gasped he stayed
upside down. Inverted, he flew across
the field and away, distance estimated
at 2 miles.
You're seeing something, folks"
shouted the announcer. IT'S the first
time a multi-motored transport plane
has flown on its back. Look at It,"
Holman, hanging in his seat, head to
the ground. then dropped the nose of
the sky giant toward the ground and
completed the loop he had started two
miles back.
Slides Ont SIDEWAYS.
Again the motors roared, and the
nose went up. 1t stayed up and stayed
up as the ship droned into the sky,
slower and slower as 1t reached the
Sailing point, at. which flying speed
would be lost and the great plane pass
out of control due to the lack of suf-
ficient air passing over the control sur
faces to render them operative. The
stalling point finally was reached. The
great passenger plane wavered. One
wing dropped, and the ship slid out OF
the climb sideways.
The motors roared, wide open. AS
the speed of the dizzy slide increased,
Holman began to regain control. He
showed the nose down, and the big
plane went into an almost vertical
flying normally.
Two beautiful wingovers followed and
Holman pulled her up into another
stall. Then came the first half of a
loop, and again the huge ship was over
on its back and flying gracefully upside
down in apparent defiance of the laws
of gravity and the Department of Com
merce. The loop then was completed.
The crowd regained its breath. Yancey
wiped his brow. Bloman slid into the
field for beautiful landing.
Id 70 t1A
phone william B. Stout, who designed
and built the great transport.
Holman has just been showing us
something that even we. who built
the plane, did not know was possible"
Stout confessed.
German Designer Praises Feat.
A little later in the afternoon DR..
A. K. Rohrbach, Germany's famous air.
plane designer and builder, was located
in the crowd and called to the micro
phone He had words for nothing but
Holman's flying.
1T was amazing" he said. "These
races must be nightmare for Depart
ment of Commerce inspectors here who
are intrusted with the duty of making
Safety is a commodity that is being
sold short at Cleveland this week. The
thrills for spectators and pilots are
many and often"
Day by day Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh and his two fellow pilots from
the famous Navy high hat squadron are
improving their section flying with
practice and their formation stunts
stand as highlights of the races.
Capt. TEX. Rogers of the Marine
Corps. has contributed some remark
able flying. The Army First Pursuit
Group Pilots have torn up the air singly
and in chorus. Three Canadian wild
men from the Canadian Royal Air
force, in Siskin Jaguar notored Ca