Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-08-16
DERBY A|RP[ANES
BEGIN TESTS OVER
POTOMAC RIVER
HandiCaps to Be Established
for Trophy Race Sunday
at, 3 Pm.
TEN COMPETING CRAFT
ON HAND THIS NOON
IS or 40 Machines Expected to
Start in Greatest Cross-Country
Race-List Closes Tonight.

Test flying of airplanes which will
take of from Washington Hoover Air
port at pm Sunday in the Atlantic
wing of the Transcontinental Handicap
Sweepstakes Air Derby for the Cord
Trophy and more than 100000 in
prizes, are beginning this afternoon
over the Navy speed course on the
Potomac River.
Test flying will continue through Sat
urday to establish handicaps for con-
testants in the Cord Trophy race, start
ing of which will close the Capitals
greatest aviation week.
Ten competing planes were on hand
at noon as three test pilots prepared
to put them over the mile-long speed
course. Each plane is to be flown by
its own pilot and two Official test pilots,
the average speed on the three runs
being taken for fixing of handicaps. In
case of dispute a fourth fight will be
made by third official pilot.
Test Pilots Chosen.
The official test pilots putting the
rival planes through their PAGES are
Lieut.. Stanley Umstead Army Air
Corps of Boiling Field, one of the most
noted of Army test pilots Melvin Golf,
National Aeronautic Association, and
William Payne, local test pilot and fly
ing instructor.
The Washington Air Derby ASsocia-
tion was notified by Clifford Henderson,
managing director of the National Air
Races to be held at Cleveland August
27-September S, that entries for the
Atlantic wing are being received hourly
at headquarters in Cleveland and that
between IS and 40 entrants are expect
ed to cross the starting line at the
local airport Sunday afternoon in the
start of the greatest cross-country race
in American air history.
All contestants must be registered at
the local airport by midnight tonight to
avoid penalties against their scores in
the 2,500-mile cross-country race which
is to end at Cleveland on the opening
day of the national air races.
Speed trials. which will continue until
pm. Saturday, will be flown over the
official Navy one-mile course from the
Anacostia Naval Air Station to point
over the river off the Naval Research
Laboratory at Belleview. All speed
trials will be flown at an altitude OF IS
feet off the water.
r. S. Sague, Cleveland pilot, who was
unreported after passing over Belts
Field, near Pittsburgh, yesterday after
noon on his way to take part in the
derby, landed at the local airport at 9
O'Clock this morning. Sague said he
spent the night at Willow Hill, Pa.
Darkness caught him there without
maps and he lost sight of a guiding
plane ahead. He was unable to reach
q telephone to report his landing.
Work Near Completion.
Construction of grandstands, automo-
bile parking spaces, airplane pits" and
other equipment necessary to the nylng
events at the airport is nearing COM
pletion. Sale of tickets and parking
reservations is proceeding rapidly, II
was announced by Chester H. Warning
ton. local sportsman pilot and chairman
of the Derby Association.
In addition to conteSting and exhibit
ton planes which will take part in the
flying activities Saturday and SUNDAY,
amateur pilots from within raolus
of 200 miles of Washington are expected
to fly here to witness the event. FIJI
teen planes from Baltimore are expect
morning, Wr. Warrington said.
The final meeting of the Washington
Air Derby Association is to be held at
the Racquet Club at O'Clock Friday
evening to complete arrangements
which will begin at am. Saturday with
an aerial parade over the city.
Airport officials today were bitterly
disappointed over the failure OF their
fight to obtain removal of high tension
wires on poles along the eastern boun-
dairy of the airport Burying OF the
wires had been sought to remove the
menace to pilots.
THE District Commissioners. after
ordering removal of the wires for 2,l0O
feet along the airport. discovered that
they had Jurisdiction over only 900 feet
of this distance, the remainder being
in the area for which an ownership
dispute is being ragged by the Federal
Government. The wires under Jurls-
diction of the District are being low
cred and will be under ground by sun
day. airport officials were informed. Inc
remainder of the wiring along the air
port boundary is being moved to new
poles which are only four feet lower
than the old poles, it was said.
Quarters to Be Opened.
Headquarters for the Washington AIT
Derby Association will be opened IN
room pol, Willard Hotel, for five days,
beginning Thursday Mr.. warrington
announced today. Tickets for the NY
ing program will be on sale at these
Headquarters. as well as at the airport,
local hotels and department stores:
The start of the Cord Trophy DERBY
from Washington will be one Oh tnIee
great cross country races starting from
the Atlantic coast in connection with
the National Air Races. The race 1or
The Charles Lanier Lawrence Trophy lor
sportsman pilots, originally scheduieo
to start from Washington, has oeen
transferred to New York, the taKe-oii
being set for August 81 from RooSeVeIt
Field The third race, for the Wllham
B. Leeds Trophy, also will start from
Roosevelt Field. This race VIII De
handicap top speed race. Both races
will have control points at Harrlsouie'
Pa; Wheeling, w. Va. and AKRON, Oiilo
Presentation by President Hoover OF
the Distinguished Flying Crosses award
cd by Congress to Wiley Post and Har-
old Gatty for their -girdling flight
last year. scheduled for Thursday at the
White House as a part of the Capitals
aviation week. has been postponed be-
cause of the Presidents vacation plans,
it was learned today Gatty, navigator
on the fight which broke all aviation
records, now is on duty as air navigation
expert at Boiling Field. Post, victim Of
the depression, is reported to be out of
a lob ard without funds in the South
western part of the country.
Registration of delegates and guests
of the National Aeronautic Association
at its annual convention, to be held
here Thursday and Friday, will begin
at the Mayf1ower Hotel at 9 O'Clock
Thursday morning. with the first ses-
zion CT the convention beginning half