Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24

I'M ing base for woman flyers last
week, when on Thursday night
the pioneer ground school class
of the Eagle Wings Flying Club aviation corps
of the Womens City Club, completed its course.
This first flying class was graduated with
auspicious ceremonies. AS hosts to the en-
trants In the Eastern leg of the Womens Dixie
Air Derby, the womens City Club, which -
presenting a silver trophy for the event,
awarded its diplomas in the presence OF some
of the countrys most famous woman pilots ct
a dinner given in their honor on the eve OF
their departure from the Washington airport,
where the race started Friday morning.
Comprising the pioneer class were Mrs.
Campbell C. Gray, Miss Helen NJ. Hawley, Miss
Beaufort Kelly. Miss Marie K. Saunders and
C. Newell Atkinson. They received their
diplomas from the hands OF Mrs. Phoebe
Onlie, winner of the light plane trophy in the
women's air derby last year, who made the
presentations
They are the fedglings of the Eagle Wings
Flying Club. unique organization of its kind,
which is now planning q definite flying pro-
gram and which opens the way to Washington
women to become pilots of the air.
ITO Mrs Lyle Burns Steever must be cred
tied the idea of inaugurating the aviation
section and ground school of the Women's City
Club of Washington, the first womens club In
the world to sponsor an accredited school Of
aeronautics. Mrs Steever was made aero
nautical director when the aviation section was
organized last February, and Mrs. Claudia NJ.
Brown was appointed chairman.
The purposes Of the clubs new section were
for the club to take an active part in the
development Of aviation, both national and
local, and especially to stress the drastic need
of model District airport and the importance
of the club doing everything in its power
patriotic gesture and q civic duty TO further
airport In the National Capital; to offer aero
nautical education by arranging Q series Of
lectures by experts In the aeronautacal field; to
establish q practical accredited ground school
for the training Of men and women In the
science of aeronautics: to follow this training
with q flying course: to prepare men and
women 70 enter aefonautics either as pilots,
for sports or professional flying, or to MI nom
flying positions in commercial aviation; TO
offer technical Information 10 lawyers, score
taries. writer's, etc, who have need of such
knowledge In their work, and to give women
an equal opportunity with men to enter avia-
ton.
The FIRST step made by the aviation section
was the investigation of the local airport Sitna-
ton, the arranging of lectures ON the subject
and a final meeting ut which various views
Of the airport bill were discussed The club
passed resolutions indorsing Gravelly Point as
the permanent District airport, but indorsing
the leasing Of q temporary airport until such
time as GFavelly Point could be made ready.
The club also urged the selection of Washing
ton as the starting point for the Women's Air
Derby IN the national air races to be held In
Chicago the last of this month.
During the stay in Washington of the con-
testing pilots in this event prior to the begin
ming of the race last Friday morning the Wom-
ems City Club co-operated with the Aero Club
of Washington and with officials of the Wash
ingtoD Airport IN entertaining them
CINCE the organization of the aviation sec
ton the club has sponsored q series of lee
lures by noted aeronautical authorities, among
whom are included Frederick r. Nicely chief
of the bureau Of Information of the Depart
nnent of Commerce; Lieut. Ralph Barnaby,
only Navy glider pilot; Capt. Thomas Carroll,
test pilot OF the Guggenheim safe airport COM
petition; Lieut.. Walter Hinton, first transat-
lantic pilot; Joseph s. Edgerton, aviation edi-
tor of The Washington Star: Lieut. Afford j.
Williams, jr.. former racing pilot of the United
States Navy, and Lady Mary Heath, noted
British aviatrix.
On Friday, May %, the club inaugurated
the ground school Of flight instruction, which
has been conducted under the supervision Of
the Curtiss-Wright flying service, with MRS.
Steeyer as school manager. The course Just
ended comprised standardized ground school
course taught by Lieut. Louis NJ Rawlins, jr.
IN accordance with the approved school re-
Quirements Of the Aeronautics Branch of the
Department OF Commerce. One evening SEES
sion was held each week consisting OF two