Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-09
French Ace Carries Floral
Wreath to Drop on Field
Where Donaldson Died.
S0UCEK'S RECORD SHIP
INTERESTS 2 AvIAT0RS
City's Program of Honor for Pilots
Closes With Banquet Of
Board of Trade.


seldom has been accorded q foreign
visitor. Dieudonne Coste and Maurice
Bellonte, French conquerors of the
Atlantic and holders of five world rec
ords, took of from Boiling Field at
10:17 o'clock this morning In their red
Breguet sesquiplane, which has carried
them to nearly all parts Of the world.
With an escort Of Army single-seater
pursuit planes beside them, the French
aviators headed toward Baltimore en-
route to Curtiss Field, N. Y, where they
landed after their historic 37-hour
flight from Paris.
With them they carried tribute to
q fallen ally-airman, wreath Of
dahlias, which they planned to drop
over the Newark Municipal Air.
port, where Maj. John o. Donaldson,
World War ace and former resident of
the National Capital, was killed In a
crash last Sunday. The flowers were
sent by Maj. Georges Thenault, air at.
tache OF the French Embassy and war
time commander of the Lafayette Es-
cadrille. Attached was a note written
by Coste in tribute to his fellow combat
pilot.
May Start United States Tour Soon.
Donaldson attained @ captaincy in
the American air forces and was
credited with bringing down eight Ger
man planes. He was the son of Mai.
Gen. T. Q. Donaldson and had lived
in this city for number OF years
before and after the war.
Coste and Bellonte are considering
Har nff he
States before returning to France, 1t
was said by associates here just prior to
their take-off for New York. II they
finally decide on the trip, 1t probably
will begin within the next day or two.
The last visit of the French flyers
during their 40-hour visit to the Ma
tional Capital was paid this morning 70
the Anacostia Naval Air Station, where
they met the officers Of the station, un-
der command of Comdr. A. H. Douglas
and Lieut.. Comdr. j., j. Clark, execu-
tive OfIicer, and were taken through.
the hangers. The inspection trip was
quite informal, and the flyers were ac-
companied only by Jules Henry, charge
d'affaires, of the French embassy and
their host during their visit here, and
Marcel Doret, famous French military
and acrobatic pilot who represented his
country ut the National Air Races Ia
Chicago.
Apache Holds Interest.
The visitors we're greatly interested
In the little Wright Apache biplane In
which q number of world altitude rec
ords have been established, including
the present world landplane and sea-
plane altitude records established last
Spring by Lieut.. Apollo Soucek, y. .. N.
They looked over the Superchargtng
equipment which enables the motor 70
run at great attitudes with real
appreciation, commenting volubly n
French. Doret was attracted by an
experimental Boeing monoplane hgnter
which somewhat resembles the meet
Dewoitine plane he brought to this
country for the races.
From Anacostia. the flyers were driven
around to Boiling Field, where the big
Brequet had been wheeled out onto the
line. Coste and Bellonte wasted no time
preparing for their departure. Tney
personally inspected the plane, uncoV-
cred the cockpits, and began issuing IN.
structions, through Maj. Thenauit ana
Mai. Howard C. Davidson, commandans
of Boiling Field, to the mechanics as
signed as ground crew for their plane.
80 Minutes to Start Motor.
The automatic starter had been re-
moved from the plane before leaving
Paris to tighten 1t as much as possible
and it has been necessary to start the
650-horsepower engine by hand. Fifty
minutes of hard work by the ground
crew, Coste and Bellonte, were required
to get the engine started this morning.
Coste took his place at the controls in
the forward cockpit, with Bellonte on
the ground directing the ground crew.
Coste repeated his signals in French and
English when it became necessary to
cut the switch or turn 1t on.
An escort of pursuit planes, which
took OF when the crew started to work
on the French plane, was forced to land
and refuel before the engine finally
was started. Finally the engine took
hold, Coste and Bellonte shook hands
with Henry and Maj. Thenault and
Marcel Caussin, French motorcycle po-
liceman and former Marine war veter-
an, who has been part of their motor
cycle escort in trips around the city,
and donned flying toys.
At 10:17 they took on after sur
prisingly short run and climbed in .
steep Chandelle, returning over the
centre of the field at low altitude and
then heading directly toward Baltimore.
When the Question Mark left the Ma
tional Capital this morning, its red
sides still failed to show the record OF
its spectacular flight, Paris-New York.
Dallas, though the records of its other
famous flights have been duly recorded
in white paint down the sides of the
fuselage.
Coste and Bellonte Haa planned to
add the new record to the collection
during the visit here but in the gem
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