The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-21
BY T.. J. MCCARTHY NEA Service Special
 Correspondent

Elmira, N. r., June 21-The dar- ing young men in the motorless glid-
 CTS will be soaring through the air
 with the greatest of ease hereabouts
 on June 24.
 Nearly 200 of them will assem-
 ble at Harris Hill for the Tenth
 Annual National Soaring Contest,
 and for IS days pit their skill and
 technique against the whims of
 the upper air currents. About a score have come all the way from
 California to compete under the
 ideal conditions offered by the Che mung Valley of southern New York State.
 The entries will set 8 new rec ord, representing an increase of 25 per cent over the previous high
 for an American soaring contest.
 The widespread development of public interest in aviation is re- garded as the reason. Each year for the past decade American soaring pilots have met in Elmira for their annual con- test. The high hills with flat tops surrounding the city offer perfect sits for launching of the motor less craft. After taking off from a hilltop, the sail planes ride slope currents or "thermals," rising mass eS of warm air.
 THOUSANDS
 IN PRIZES
 Between $500O and $10,000 will be distributed at the end of the con- test, July g, besides 8 large nmber of trophies. Chief among the awards will be the Vincent Bendix prizes for the longest flights. The pilot who has the best record will receive $500 in cash and gold cup. Silver and bronze trophies go to the second and third places. If the national soaring distance record is broken by the winner, the cash award will be 5000. Motorless flight offers thrills at little cost, as well as invaluable training in navigating" the air. The Germans proved after the Word War that it was unnecessary to have powered planes in order to fly.
 Prohibited from owning airplanes
 under the Versailles Treaty, the German pilots turned to the type of craft with which Orville and Will
 bur Wright experimented before they made their first engine-pro- pelled flight.
 Construction of glider or sail- plane is not complicated or ex- pensive. Young men with en- thusias for flying can build motorles craft in garage or back yard. With competent in- struction, the training course is not tedious. After learning to pilot a glider, the enthusiast is not
 faced with the expense of gaso oline or engine repairs.
 SOARING
 DU POINT
 Some pilots like Richard c. du- Pont, scion of the wealthy indus trial family, look upon soaring as the greatest thrill in aviation. A li- censed airplane pilot, duPont has been the American leader in soar ing for several years and was twice national champion. Others entered in the contest are preparing for careers as areonau- tical engineers. Students from the
 Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology, University of Michigan, Per due University, Carnegie Institute of Technology and other institu- tions, who have built gliders and sailplanes as part of their study of aerodynamics, will test their theor- ies.
 Although soaring is purely a sport, it is recognized for it's scien- tific value. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics will have representative at the Elmira meet. The Army Air Corps will send an official observer Engi- neers and heads of many of the leading aircraft manufacturing corportions will attend.