Evening star., 1932-08-21
DERBY TAKE-OFF F
SLATED FOR ; PM.
At HOOVER AIRPORT
Races Start to Climax Spec
tacuIar Two Days for
Capital.
CROWDS TO SEE STUNTS
AND INSPECT PLANES
Morning Program Will Get Under
way at 8 0'Clock-Eight
Women Among Entrants.

Two days of the most spectacular
civilian flying the National Capital has
seen will reach climax at pm, to-
day at Washington-Hoover Airport,
when % airplanes, two piloted by
women and two by Washington aviators,
will take off in the 2,500-mile Cord
Trophy Derby, which will end at
Cleveland on Saturday as the opening
event In the 1882 national air races.
The planes scheduled to start from
Washington have been qualified for the
handicap race after five days of the
most searching inspection by trained
technical committee and closely-timed
test flying over six laps Of the Navy
speed course on the Potomac River by
three official test pilots.
The planes starting from Washington
compose the Atlantic division of the
derby. Planes of the Pacific division
start at the same time from Los Ange-
les. Planes of both divisions will fly
to Bartlesville, Okla, covering the same
distance from Washington and Los An
geles before reaching that point. the
two divisions will be consolidated at
Bartlesville for the remainder OF the
race to Cleveland.
Famous Pilots in Race.
A number of nationally famous pilots
are entered in the derby, competing 1or
prizes which include the Cord Trophy,
two automobiles and cash prizes total
ing more than 20,000. The derby Will
bring men and women pilots into equal
competition for the first time IN the
history of a great croSs-country an
race. The so men who are entered at
the two starting points Will compete
against woman pilots.
Up to last year such mixed race
would have been regarded as an Unfair
advantage for the men, owing 10 the
fact that women were looked upon as
noviees at the game. This impression
has undergone rapid change, Que 10
the activities of a number of women
pilots. chief among them Amelia Ear
hart Putnam.
owing to the system of handicapplng
in effect for the derby, speed Will be Oh
| no advantage to the pilots OF faster
ships. The race is to be a test Oh
straight fiying and the ability to coax
the best possible performance out OF
the plane.
The planes will start today in the
inverse order of their speed, the slow
est plane leaving first and the fastest
last. The starting times are so figured
that if the pilots all maintain the pre-
else speed set for them in the six meas
sured mile runs and fly an absolutely
perfect course between control points
they should all cross the finish line at
the same instant. Under this system
the first ship across the line thus be-
comes automatically the lap winner. the
second ship across takes second place,
and so on down the line, regardless OF
the length of time required to ny the
| course.
Awards Based on Points.
Flying each day over fixed laps and
| handicapped according to speed and
type of plane, the pilots, men and WON.
en-, will fight it out on a point-award
basis The Washington wing planes
| will fly their first lap today from this
| city to Winston-S Salem, N. C.. Succeed
| ing laps will take them to Spartanburg,
S. c.; Atlanta, Ga: Birmingham, Ala;
| Jackson, Miss; Shreveport, La; Bar
! tlesville, Okla, where they will meet
the Pacific wing contestants and con-
tinue on to jefferson City. Mo; East
Continued on Page 4, Column j.