Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-19
PRESTIGE AND CASH
DRAWING 5 WOMEN
TO DIXIE AIR DERBY
Nancy Hopkins, Washingto-
Man, Enters Race Which
Starts Here Friday.
MORE ENTRANTS SOUGHT
BY OFFICIALS IN CHARGE
Daughter of DR.. Alfred Hopkins, K
Street, Received Pilots License
After Hoover Field Training.

For prizes totaling more than $4,000
and the prestige for pilot and plane
that victory would mean, at least three
women, one a Washingtonian, will take
of at IL O'Clock Friday morning from
Washington Airport in the Woman's
Dixie Air Derby, one of the major
cross-country races of the National Air
Races program.
The three women who today had Of
6cially signified their intention of
starting. on the cross-country flight
Friday are Miss Nancy Hopkins, Wash
graves Omlie of New York and Mrs.
Charity Langdon of Norfolk, Va.
The women will fly from the Capital
to Richmond on the first leg of their
trip, which will end at Curtiss- Wright
Reynolds Airport, scene of the To-day
program for the National Air Races,
conducted under auspices of the Ma
tional Aeronautic Association.
Other Entrants Sought.
Several other women are being sought
by race officials to enter the event and
provide more competition than will re-
suit from a race between the present
three starters. Entries will be received
up to few hours before starting time.
The Dixie derby route will cover
ISIS miles and take the woman racers
through Richmond Raleigh, N. c.;
Columbia, S. c.; Atlanta, Birmingham,
Memphis, St. Louis, Springfield, Ill.,;
Elgin, ILL.,, and on to Chicago.
Elaborate plans have been made for
the departure of the derby flyers at
Washington Airport. There will be bal
loon bursting, and other aeronautical
acrobaticS for the spectators, 1t was an
nounced by airport officials.
Thursday evening the derby flyers
will be the guests of honor at a dinner
to be given by the Women's City Club
at the Willard Hotel, at which time Miss
Omlie, one of the contestants, will
yates of the Eagle Wings Flying Club,
affliated with the Women's City Club.
Jack Wynne, manager of Hoover
Field, will be official timer of the start
of the derby. A. K. Barta, president of
the Aero Club of Washington, division
of the N. A. A, is in charge of general
arrangements for the derby, and has
working with him Capt. Thomas Carroll,
vice president of the Washington Air.
port, In charge of airport activities;
Mrs. Lyle B. Steever of the Women's
City Club, in charge of entertainment,
and w. B. Brombacher, chief of the
aircraft instruments section of the Bu-
reau of Standards, in charge of timing
devices.
Miss Hopkins Trained Here.
Miss Hopkins. the only Washington
entrant, is the daughter of DR.. Alfred
f. Hopkins, 1910 K street. She is con-
nected with a flying boat concern In
New Haven, Conn, In q sales capacity.
She received her instruction and pri-
vate pilots license at Hoover Field and
then went Oh to New York to continue
her work in aviation.
Miss Omile is one Of the foremost
woman flyers Of the country.
Mrs. Langdon, wife Of John Lang
don, veteran pilot, formerly lived in
Florida, but has entered her plane,
which she few here direct from a fac
tory in Bridgeport, Conn, as from
Norfolk. Va, her present home.
Mrs. Langdon was the first Of the
small biplane, to the Capital for tun-
ing-up before the race. She said this
morning that her ship, having a cruis-
ing speed of but 95 miles an hour and
a top speed of but los miles an hour,
probably will not compare with other
ships entered in 1.-The race.
Counts On "Short Cuts"
But after ALL" she said, ut is not
the actual speed that counts In a race
of this sort 1t is largely the short cuts
Of navigation the pilot can take that
win bring home the bacon"
The Dixie Derby Is confined to light
planes. The planes entered by Miss
Hopkins and Miss Omlie have not
arrived here yet.