Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-27
CAPT. STEVENS PHOTOGRAPHIC
FEATS WIN MACKAY TROPHY
High Altitude and Night Fly
ing Pictures Are Basis
of Award.
Air Corps Pilots Courage Is
Lauded by FeChet in
Announcement.

His high altitude and night photo
graphic flights having been adjudged
the most meritorlous achievements by
an Army Air Corps pilot during the
past year, Capt. Albert w. Stevens, Air
Corps, has been awarded the Mackay
Trophy for 1929, 1t. was announced to-
day by the War Department.
Among the achievements Of Capt.
Stevens which won him the trophy.
was a night flight over the National
Capital on the eve Of President Hoover's
inauguration, during which he made
pictures, with the aid Of heavy fash
light parachute bombs, of the Capitol
and White House. These pictures were
sent by telephoto to newspapers in all
parts OF the country for publication on
the morning Of Inauguration day.
Three Major Flights to His Credit.
Three major flights by Capt Stevens
were the basis of the award, It was an
nounced by Brig. Gen. William e. Gill;
more, chief of the training and OPERA
tons division of the Air Corps and
chairman Of the special board Of award.
These flights resulted In q material
contribution to the Air Corps and to
clared.
The flights were the result Of long
study made by Capt. Stevens of high
altitude flying and aerial photography,
com combining them into high altitude and
long range photography.
On February ~, 1929, with Lieut..
Harry johnson as pilot, Capt. Stevens
new to an altitude Of S5,61l feet. a
record Tor two-place airplanes. He
made complete and accurate notes of
the engineering and meteorological
features OF the flight, this data prov
ing OF great value to the engineering
division of the corps.
The climax Of Capt. Stevens activi-
mile aerial Photographic tour of the
Northwest, he made q photograph of
Mount Rainier from q distance Of 227
miles. His Summers work, with Lieut..
John ID. Corkille as pilot, resulted in
some OF the most beautiful scenic pic
lures ever made. The picture Of Mount
Rainier was made at q time when It
was invisible to Capt. Stevens.
Deemed Of Military Value.
The military value Of being able In
photograph points beyond the range
OF the human eye is apparent, the board
stated In announcing the award. In
addition to the photographs data
gained on these long-distance pictures
It Is thought they may yield important
measurements relating to the curvature
OF light rays around the earth,s
| surface.
Capt. Stevens by dint of hard worI,
ana continued effort has made himself
an authority on high altitude Conditions
and aerial photography" said Maj. Gen
James E. Fechet, chief Of the Air Corns
| board. OPAAS
1T Is typical Of him that last Sum-
mer, In attempting to shield an in
trlcate aerial camera from a fan he
took q bad fall himself and broke his
arm rather than allow one OF hiS
cameras to suffer harm. His hard work
and devotion to duty are a byword Ia
the Air Corps. He has certainly made
valuable contributions to science as the
result Of his 1929 flights"
Capt. Stevens is stationed at Wright
Field. Dayton, Ohio, where he Is chief
OF the aerial Photographic unit Of the
material division. He was born IN
Maine, March IS, 1886, where he re-
ceived the degree of B. S. and M. S.
at the University of Maine. His home
Is at Grimes Pass, Boise County, Idaho.