Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-23
Speed Events and Many Other
Features on Program OF
Opening Day.
SIX CONTEST DERBIES
ADVANCE TOWARD GOAL
National Aeronaut:c Association
Holds Annual Banquet and
Honors Byrd.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
CHICAGO, August %. The 1880
national air races roared into reality
today.
The knights Of the sky rode hun
dreds Of jousting planes into the OPEN
ing naneuvers at the Curtiss Glenview
Airport. Six contest derbies advanced
on Chicago.
The program provided thrills aplenty--
Army, Navy and Marine Corps manue-
vers, balloon bursting contests, civilian
speed races, the arrival Of one derby,
q glider exhibition by Capt. Frank
Hawks. cross-country speedster; circus
flying by Lieut.. AL williams, Navy racer,
and the top-hole European aces; night
flying and an anti-aircraft barrage,
and an exhibition by Jimmie Doolittle
in his mystery" Moth - all on the
opening day.
Progress I'm Derbies.
The two-man derby from Browns
vile, Tex, after an overnight set-down
in East st. Louis, Ill, was scheduled to
finish at Glenview in late afternoon.
John Livingston, Aurora, ILL.,, had bet
ter than an hours lead over W.. q.
Moore. Kansas City.
The i've planes in the race from
Hartford, Conn, were punched within
half an hour Of each other In elapsed
time at the take-off from Cleveland
this morning. Verne Roberts, Moline,
I'LL. was In the lead with an even i've
minutes margin.
The mems Pacific Derby had safely
crossed the continental divide and Al
the take-oh this morning from Billings
Mont, to Bismarck. N. OAK, Nick
Manner, the Spokane Sun God fiyer, was
In the lead--but only by three minutes.
John Blum, Seattle, was second.
Gladys ODonnell, Long Beach, Calf,
still led the Pacific Powder Puff" race
at the take-on from Wichita. Kans.. FOR
Kansas City today.
The mems Derby from Miami, Fla.
WA held up IN Augusta, Ga. yesterday
ny rain and the original schedule was
resumed today. Z 81
@Who's Who Of the Air."
Mrs. Phoebe Omilie, Memphis, led
the women's Dixie Derby into Raleigh,
N: g, yesterday-the FIRST day out from
The opening day attendance list was
. Who's Who OF the Air. Rear Admiral
Richard Z. Byrd, explorer Of the Poles,
arrived In time to receive the National
Aeronautic Associations diploma Of
honorary membership at the associa-
tons banquet last night. Senator Hiram
Bingham of Connecticut, the president,
made the presentation.
Eddie Rickenbacker, the American
ace of aces. recalled World War ex-
periences with Maj. Albert Roper Of
France. secretary general of the Inter-
national Commission on Air Navigation.
Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Depart
ment Of Commerce air oficials were
present.
At the association banquet, Rear Adj
miral Byrd called for brief silence to
honor Van Lear Black, Baltimore pub
Usher and air enthusiast, lost at sea
several days ago during cruise.
Byrd Hits SLOW Progress.
In addressing the banquet Rear Ad-
miral Byrd said he Is in the market for
new airplane-a ship that can fold
its feet" like q bird and carry its
motors in the wings.
He offered to place his order for such
a flying machine, adding: But WIN
not tell you for what purpose would
use it," His order for the plane was
part of an indictment of aviation prog.
fess which, he said, in The two years
he has been gone In the Antarctic has
not been sufficient to produce a tri-
motored ship better than the one in
which he few over the South Pole.
"The three-engined plane" he said,
'.is only so per cent as efficient as the
single motored ship. The public is no
longer afraid to ny, and It Is now up
to manufacturers and operators to i'm
prove design and decrease the cost per
mile"
He prophesied that within three or
four years aviation would be well under
other forms Of transportation In cost
per minute Of travel.