Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03
WOMEN'S AIR RACE
WILL START HERE
Famous Flyers to Participate
in Dixie Derby Last
of Month.

The Women's Dixie Air Derby, which
is to be one of the major cross-country
derby races in connection with The Ma
tional Air Races in Chicago, August %
to September /, will start from Wash
ington Airport at II am. Friday, Au-
gust %, with some of the country's
most famous woman pilots crossing the
starting line, according to reports from
the Chicago committee in charge Of the
races.
The entertainment of the conteSting
pilots in this city prior to the race will
be handled by the Aero Club of Wash
ington, with the cooperation of officials
of washington Airport and the Women's
City Club.
The management of Washington Air
port has turned all its field facilities
over TO the club, and the contesting
women pilots are 10 receive free storage,
gas, oil and other service, and transport
tation to and from the city. The Wom-
ems City Club will entertain the con-
testants at a dinner, reception and pos
sibly dance.
Amelia Earhart Entered.
The list of entries for the derby Is
being completed at Chicago and only
few of the names have been learned here.
Among the women who have announced
that they will fly to Chicago, several of
whom may participate in the derby are
Amelia Earhart, Phoebe Fairgraves ON
lie, Florence Barnes, Louise McPhetridge
Thaden and Gladys ODonnell, all of
whom participated in the famous pow
der puff" derby of last year, the first
national derby for woman pilots.
Two of the girl flyers entered in the
Dixie Derby have announced that they
will ny planes of the same type. They
are Mrs. Mae Haizlip and Miss Vera
Dawn Walker, both of whom were con-
testants last year. They are to fiy one
of the fastest types of small sport planes
on the market. Between these two
pilots, at least, the competition will be
planes are to be identical In every re-
spect from engine to streanlining.
The Dixie Derby route will cover
1875 miles and prizes so far offered
total $4,000. Taking off from Wash
ington Airport at IL am, August %,
the girls will stop for luncheon at Rich
mond, Va. The first night stop will
be at Raleigh, NJ c., where a control
point is to be established.
Many Cities to Be Hosts.
On August % the girls will take off
from Raleigh, stopping for lunch at Co
lumbia, S. c., and sitting down for the
night at Atlanta, Ga, the second con-
troll point. Birmingham, Ala, will be
luncheon host to the girls on August "a
and Memphis, Tenn, will be the over
night stopping point. On August Is the
competing girl pilots will fly to st. Louis,
Mo-, for lunch and will spend the night
in Springfield, Ill. Elgin, Ill, will be
the luncheon stop on August 26, the
final day Of the race, and also will be
the final control point before they cross
the finish line at Curtiss- Wright Air
port at Chicago.
A number of the competing pilots are
expected to arrive at Washington Air
port as early as the Sunday prior to the
starting Of the derby, spending the last
few days tuning up their planes, study
ing the problems Of navigation to be
encountered and otherwise preparing for
the contest.
Aviation programs in their honor are
planned at Washington Airport, and
some of the girls probably will speak
over the field loud speaker system.
A. X. Barta Is in Charge.
A. K. Barta, president of the Aero
Club, is in charge of the general ar
for the start. of the derby
and the entertainment of the competing
pilots prior to their departure. The
official timing Of the take-offs will be
under the direction of w. G.. Brom-
bacher, chief Of the aircraft instruments
section of the Bureau of Standards,
who will represent the National Aero
nautic Association and the Federation
Aeronautique Internationale.
Barta has appointed the following
committee chairmen TO assist in the ar
Airport, Capt. Thomas
Carroll, vice president of Washington
Airport: timing, w. @. Brombacher;
entertainment, Mrs. Lyle B .Steever,
Women's City Club; trophy, Mrs. Stee-
Yer, and transportation, Capt. Carroll.
rangements, and he and Mrs. Steever
win compose the guest committee.