Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-21
S|kNOW ENTERED
|hD|X|E AIR DERBY
TO CHICAGO RACES
Woman Pilots to Leave Local
Field at II O'Clock To-
morrow Morning.
CHAIRMAN OF CONTEST
HERE FROM NEW YORK
Mrs. Phoebe 0mlie Favored to Win
With Plane Much Faster
Than Others.

Six contestants were on the field to-
day making ready to take off at IL
o'clock tomorrow morning in the Wom-
ans Dixie Air Derby from Washington
Airport, through the South and up the
Mississippi River Valley, for prizes to-
falling approximately $4,000.
Engines were being tuned up and the
final touches were being applied to the
six light planes, which woman flyers,
gathered here from all over the coun-
try, will pilot over the 1,575 miles. The
race will be run between the Capital
and Curtiss-Wright-R Reynolds Airport at
Chicago, the finish line.
r. c. Oertel of New York, contest
chairman for the derby, who will &C
company the flyers along their route
and have charge of the entire race,
arrived at Washington Airport this
morning and spent the day ironing
out details of the race with contestants
and the Washington race officials.
Oertel foreSaw a spirited race in pros
pect, with two hops along the route,
that from Columbia, S. c., to Atlanta,
Ga, and the route from Birmingham,
Ala, to Memphis, Tenn, likely to give
the woman racers the greatest trouble,
particularly the latter hop.
win Supervise Timing.
Oertel, in machine capable of
nearly 200 miles an hour will take off
at each control point about a half an
hour before the racers are sent away,
and will supervise the timing OF ar
rival of racers at the control point. He
will precede the racers by a good
margin to prevent any possibility Of the
racers charting their course by the
big red monoplane he will pilot. ?
i've got to win the race, as well
rs run it." Oertel said.
The race will not be started tomor-
row morning If the weather is such
as Oertel would believe dangerous. He
pointed out that this precaution will
not be taken because women are rae
ing, holding that women are just as
good pilots as men, but he said there
q race of this sort under any cir
cumstances.
Mrs. Bowman Enters.
Mrs. Leslie Bowman was the latest
entry for the race. She brought her
small bi-plane to Washington Airport
shortly after noon.
Mrs. Phoebe Omlie is favored to win
the race, her monoplane being the fast
est ship entered, it being capable OF
top speed of 140 miles an hour.
Oertel issued a call this afternoon for
all contestants to have their planes on
the starting line by 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning and for all pilots to meet with
him at that hour for final instructions
on the race.
Guests at Banquet.
The derby flyers are to be the guests
of honor tonight at banquet at the
willard Hotel, given by the Womens
City Club. The Eagle Wings Flying
Club, an organization of the club, will
at this time graduate several women
who have completed the clubs ground
school aviation course. Mrs. Phoebe
Omlie, one of the derby pilots, VIII pre-
sent the diplomas.
Following the banquet there will be
q reception at the Willard, with the
Eagle Wings Club members acting as
hoStesSes.
This morning the woman racers were
quests at a breakfast at washington
Airport, given for Rear Admiral w. A.
Moffett, chief of the Bureau of Aero
nautics, U. s. N, prior to his departure
early today, accompanied by eight Ma
rine Corps fighting planes, for the ma
tional air races at Chicago, in stand
ard Navy observation plane, piloted by
Lieut.. Comdr. j. j. Clark, executive
officer of the Anacostia Naval Air
Station.
The woman derby flyers will arrive
Mt the airport tomorrow morning at 9
o'clock to meet newspaper men and
photographers. There will be break
fast for them served at the airport at
$50 O'Clock, and at 10 o'clock officials
of the National Aeronautic Association,
IN charge Of the race, will inspect planes
and Instruct pilots on the course, rules
of the race and other particulars. At
10:45 the planes on the starting line
will start warming up.
Mrs. Omlie First to Go.
Promptly at IL o'clock Jack Wynne
manager of Hoover Field, will fire the
starting gun and the plane of Mrs.
Onlie will take the air, followed at one.
minute intervals by the rest of the con-
testalts.
Elaborate preparations have been
madaf for the entertainment OF visitors
to the airport for the start of the race
Tomorrow Throughout the day there
will De special events, in addition to the
regular arrival and departure of the air
line transports, sightseeing flights and
other airport activities. There will be
stunting by Jack Carroll, Baltimore
flyer; balloon bursting exhibitions by
flyers of the airport, and spot-landing
contest for flyers from Washington and
vicinity.
MAJ James DooNttle of the Army
Air Reserves will take-off from Boiling
Field tomorrow morning carrying Presi-
dent Hoovers special message to the
officials of the National Air Races
opening in Chicago Saturday, it was
ANNOUNCED today
The former Army speed pilot plans
to make the 650-mile hop from the
Capital to Chicago without stop. He
viii deliver the Presidents message to
Senator Hiram Bingham of Connect
lieut., 8president of the National Aero
nautie Association, sponsor of the races,
and The message will be broadcast to-
morrow night at the National Aero
nautic Association annual banquet.
MRS. HAIZLIP BETTER.