Evening star., 1947-09-02
Pilots Safety Meeting
Called Today After
Air Races Fatality
By tho Associoted Press

CLEVELAND, Sept. 2.-Air rae
ing's. newly crowned champions,
preparing to 60 home with more
than 100000 in prize money, paused
today to study the record OF the
widest race in sport flying history.
Four planes dug into the wet dirt
near Municipal Airport during the
running, of the Thompson Trophy
classic at the National Air Races
Yesterday. The toll was one pilot
dead, two injured and one able to
walk away from mass of burning
wreckage.
The day, rich in flying marks, saw
Cook Cleland of Cleveland boost the
worlds closed course record to 1861
miles an hour, an increase of II
miles an hour, and set a new
Thompson mark for one lap by turn
ing up 4044 miles an hour.
Professional Pilots to Meet.
The Professional Racing Pilots
Association, headed by Arthur Ches-
ter of Los Angeles, was called into
meeting this afternoon to discuss
steps to increase safety and specta-
tor enjoyment. There were inti-
nations the pilots will ask for
stricter regulations for botll flyers
and planes, and also will seek
changes in the race courses.
Cleland's performance in the 20
lap 3O0-mile race for $4,000 first
prize topped brilliant three-day eX-
hibition. A second Cleland entry,
flown by Richard Becker OF suburb
an Willoughby, finished second.
The third Cleland plane figured in
the days tragedy. Tony Jannazo,
popular young flyer, crashed with
it in the seventh lap and died in the
wreckage. All three planes were
Corsair Navy fighters powered with
the largest and most powerful rec
iprocating engines ever flown.
Series of Crashes Start.
Jack Hardwick, Arcadia, Calf,
started the crash series by setting
his Psi Mustang down in field
near the race course. 1t was a
rough landing that tore the plane
to pieces and started fire, but
Hardwick walked away and within
IS minutes was back in the race
stands.
Then Janazzo crashed and. al
most Immediately Woody Emond-
son of Lynchburg, Va, made a
forced landing that sent him to
nearby Berea Hospital. His condi-
ton was described as fair.
Jean L. Ziegler, Kenmore, N. Y,
flying an experimental fighter, the
Curtiss xP40-Q, and apparently in
the race without authorization, gave
the entire race crowd an unlocked
for scare by abandoning his plane
and parachuting in full sight OF the
stands. He broke a leg in landing.
Ziegler's participation caused some
difficulty In the timers booth, and
official results were delayed an hour.
He was given no recognition IN the
formal report of results.
Only Six Finish.
Only six of the 13 planes which
took off in the Thompson classic
finished.
Cleland's win was worth $l9,5O0,
including $4,000 for a new record
and ST 500 in lap prizes.
William Brennand of Oshkosh,
Wis, took home $500 for victories
in the Goodyear Trophy race for
midget planes. He averaged 1853
miles an hour round a Emile
rectangular course.
1t. Col Robert L. Petit of Ven
tura, Calf, averaged 500.7 miles an
hour for 154 miles to win special
division of the Thompson for jet
planes. He flew a P-80 Shooting
Star, as did the other five con-
testants.
There was considerable private
controversy when the judges took
first place away from 1t. Col Benja-
min S. Preston, jr,, stationed at
Andrews Field, of Washington, be-
cause he cut a pylon on the second
lap. The jets flew 22-mile. course.
Ken knight of Walnut Ridge,
Ark, won a special race for P-63
Kingcobra planes with speed OF
1921 miles and won $4,000.
Race officials estimated paid at
tendance at II 900, bringing the two
day total to about 10000. Saturday S
program was washed out by thun-
derstorms except for the Bendix
Trophy race from Van Nuys, Calf,
to Cleveland, a race that started
before the cancellation.
Paul Mantz, Hollywood stunt flyer
and plane collector, won for the
second straight year with an average
of 460 miles an hour for the 1850
mile dash. He bettered his previous
mark by Is miles an hour