Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-22
SIX WOMANFLYERS
TAKE OFF IN DERBY
FROM LOCAL FIELD
Mrs. Phoebe 0mIie, First to
Leave, Leads Contestants
Into Richmond.
MISS HOPKINS is ONLY
ENTRANT FROM CAPITAL
Crowd of 5000 Watches Departure.
Five Other Race Groups
Converge in Chicago.

Six little planes, all tuned up and
streamlined to the last strut, took of
from Washington Airport at IL O'Clock
this morning and headed into the
murky, sn1oke-filled skies over the Vir-
ginia hills across the Potomac, in the
start of the Woman's Dixie Air Derby.
the finish line Of which will be the
Curtiss- Wright Reynolds Airport, Chi
cago, scene OF the national air races
starting tomorrow and continuing all
next week.
Led by Mrs. Phoebe Omlie, mother of
three children down in Memphis, Tenn,
in a little Monocoupe, capable Of 14o
miles an hour, the planes headed for
Richmond, the first control point of
the race and the luncheon that awaits
them there.
Mrs. Onnile led the flyers into Rich
mond. Her time was 80 minutes.
All the other five women flyers landed
at Byrd Field at intervals of a few
minutes after Mrs. Omlie. Their time
from Washington was as follows:
Miss Walker, 40 minutes As seconds;
Mrs. Bowman, AT minutes So seconds;
Miss Hopkins, SO minutes 8 seconds;
Miss ingalls,. hour 81 seconds; Mrs.
Langdon, / hour minutes SO seconds.
Miss Hopkins lost approximately 10
minutes wandering over Richmond
searching for the airport.
More than 5000 air enthusiasts Of
Washington and nearby gathered at the
airport to bid their favorite flyers, who
hail from all sections of the country,
God-speed on the journey that will take
them through the South and up the
Mississippi River Valley to the finish
line at Chicago.
Take OF at Minute Intervals.
At one-minute intervals they took
of, starting at IL o'clock, and by the
time each plane had lifted its wheels
of the field the plane in front Of 1t
had vanished into the misty sky over
the Virginia hills.
Following Mrs. Omlie went Miss Vera
Dawn Walker of Los Angeles, Calf,
who almost failed to get into the race,
having run into trouble in the South
on the way to the Capital for the
start. She was plotting an Inland
sport ship.
Next went Mrs. Martie Bowman of
Buffalo, N. Y, flying Ktnner Meet,
followed by Miss Laura ingalls, Of st.
Louis, in a Gypsy Moth, Miss Nancy
Hopkins, only. Washington entrant, In
q Kitty Hawk and Mrs. Charity Lang
don of Norfolk, Va, in an Avian.
Favorites to win the race were Mrs.
Onnlie and Miss Walker. Both pilot
ships capable of high speeds for light
planes. Mrs Omlie's plane is capable
Of lao miles an hour and Miss Walkers
Is not rated far below.
The other contestants told race ofd-
cials this morning they were relying on
their ability to ''cut corners" In naviga-
tion for a showing for the $4,000 and
prestige for pilot and plane, which viii
be the reward to the winner. The
money prize will pay for any plane In
the race and will probably mean new
ship to the winner.
Observer Takes OF First.
All but one Of the woman pilots took
Che air be-goggled, helmeted and trou-
gered. Not Mrs. Omlie, however. In
street clothes she went into her little
closed cabin ship, adjusted her close
hitting and feminine hat and went on
her way.
Final instructions to the pilots were
given at 10 o'clock this morning by r.
c. Oertel, race chairman and Official
observer for the National Aeronautic
Association, which is sponsoring the
race. Oertel took of about half an
hour before the contestants in q big
cabin monoplane capable Of nearly 200
miles an hour. and led the way for the
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