Chronology of Aviation History for 1909 Speed: 47.82-mph, Louis Blériot, Blériot XII, 28 August, 1909, France Distance: 145.53-miles, Henry Farman, HF.1 N° III, 3 November 1909, France Altitude: 1,486-feet, Hubert Latham, Antoinette VII, 1 December 1909, France Weight: 1,367-lbs, Blériot, Blériot Model XII, France Engine Power: 89-hp, De Dion, Bouton, France (undated) 1909 1909 (Omaha, Nebraska) — Fort Omaha Balloon School becomes the first United States Army school for balloon observers. January 1909 January 7 (Paris, France) — The Aéro-Club de France grants its first 15 pilots' licenses: number 1 is Louis Blériot and number 15 is Wilbur Wright.

January 23 (Baddeck Bay, Nova Scotia) — John McCurdy flies the Aerial Experiment Association's Silver Dart biplane 40 feet over the frozen Bras d'Or lake at Baddeck Bay, thus becoming the first flight of a heavier-than-air machine in Canada. February 23 (Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada) — John McCurdy makes the first aeroplane flight in Canada in the Silver Dart. He flies 2640 feet at Baddeck, Cape Breton. February 1909 February 24 (Montgomery, Alabama) — The Wright Brothers found a school in the USA to train pilots for exhibition flights. March 1909 March (Germany) — The Zeppelin LZ.3 entered service into the German Army as the Z1. April 1909 April 6 (Bouy, France) — The first machine wholly designed by air pioneer Henry Farman took to the air at Buoy, France for its initial test flight. The HF.1 biplane is the first aircraft to incorporate practical ailerons attached to the trailing edges of the wings.

May 1909 May 1 (Fulham, London, England) — The de Havilland N°1 is unveiled by Geoffrey de Havilland, a bus engineer. The aircraft is a single-seat biplane with two pusher propellers. May 14 (England) — Samuel Cody makes the first aeroplane flight in the UK longer than 1 mile (1.6 km) in British Army Aeroplane No. 1. June 1909 5 June (England) — First flight of the Roe I Triplane. June 12 (Paris, France) — Louis Blériot flies his Blériot XII monoplane at Issy-les-Moulineaux with two passengers, Santos-Dumont and André Fournier. This marks the first time a pilot has flown with two passengers. July 1909 July (Frankfurt, Germany) — The International Exhibition of Aviation opens in Frankfurt-am-Main (now known as ILA and regularly held in Berlin).

July 13 (France) — Flying 25.6 miles in his Blériot XI, Louis Blériot wins the Aéro-Club's Prix du Voyage of 4,500 FF. July 19 (Calais, France) — Hubert Latham makes the first attempt to cross the English Channel. He flies 11 miles from Calais and lands in the water. July 23 (Essex, England) — On this date, Alliott Verdon Roe, took his triplane out from its hangar under an arch of a railroad bridge, over to the river Lea at Walthamstow, near London for its initial test flight. The Avroplane took off from Lea marshes on an initial straight-line flight of 899 feet. This triplane aircraft thus made history by being the first airworthy machine designed and piloted by a Briton. July 25 (Sangatte, France) — Louis Blériot takes off from Sangatte, France at 4:35 am for his history making flight across the English Channel. Thirty-seven minutes later he lands his Blériot XI monoplane at Dover, Kent, England.

Louis Blériot therefore wins the £1,000 Daily Mail prize for the first Channel crossing by airplane in daylight. Blériot also received an additional £3,000 from the French government. July 25 (Odessa, Russia) — First official aeroplane flight in Russia, made by Van den Schkrouff flying a Voisin biplane at Odessa. July 29 (Sweden) — First official aeroplane flight in Sweden, made by French pilot Legagneux flying a Voisin biplane. July 30 (Fort Myer, Virginia) — Orville Wright flies with passenger Lt. Benjamin Foulois at an average 42.58 mph over a measured round-trip course, successfully completing flight tests in the Wright Military Flyer for the U.S. Army at Fort Myer, Virginia. The Army buys the airplane for $30,000. August 1909 August (Reims, France) — First International Air Races held in Reims. Glenn Curtiss wins Major Prize. August 1 (Washington, DC) — The Wright Military Flyer entered into service of the U.S. Army as Aeroplane No. 1.

August 2 (Washington, DC) — The United States Army bought its first aeroplane, the Wright Military Flyer from the Wright brothers. August 22-29 (Reims, France) — World's first international aviation meeting held at Reims, France. August 28 (Reims, France) — Hubert Latham, who came in second to Henry Farman in the distance race at Reims with a 96-mile flight, had the crowd gasping when he soared to a new record altitude of 512-feet in his monoplane, the 1909 Lavavasseur Antoinette VII, and carrying off a FF10,000 prize. September 8 (Aldershot/Farnborough, England) — Samuel Cody flies from Aldershot to Farnborough and Back (46 miles in 1 hour and 3 minutes). The first recorded cross-country flight in the United Kingdom.

September 1909 September 16 (Saint-Cyr, France) — Santos-Dumont takes off in his Demoiselle in 300 feet and in 6 seconds, thus beating by 32 feet the record distance for take-off set by Glenn Curtiss. October (Germany) — Die Deutsche Luftschiffahrt Aktiengessellschaft (DELAG) becomes the world's first airline, founded at Frankfurt-am-Main. October 1909 October 7 (United States) — Glenn Curtiss becomes the first American to hold an FAI airplane certificate. October 15/October 23 (Doncaster, England) — Britain's first Aviation Meeting held at Doncaster Racecourse. October 22 (France) — Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to officially pilot and solo in an aeroplane. October 26 (France/England) — Marie Marvingt becomes the first woman to pilot a balloon across the North Sea and the English Channel from Europe to England. October 27 (College Park, Maryland) — Mrs. Ralph H.

van Deman flies with Wilbur Wright for four minutes at College Park, MD, thus becoming the US's first woman passenger. October 30 (Romania) — First official aeroplane flight in Romania made by Louis Blériot flying a Blériot monoplane. October 30 (England) — John Moore-Brabazon in a Short Brothers aircraft flies the first circular mile in the UK and wins £1,000 from the Daily Mail newspaper. November 1909 November 3 (England) — Alec Ogilvie patents the first airspeed indicator. November 4 (England) — John Moore-Brabazon makes the first live cargo flight by airplane when he puts a small pig in a waste-paper basket tied to a wing-strut of his airplane. November 16 (Germany) — Foundation of the first air transport company in the world, DELAG (German Aviation Company). December 1909 December 5 (Australia) — George Taylor becomes the first person to fly a heavier-than-air craft in Australia, in a glider he designed. On the same day Florence Taylor becomes the first woman in Australia to fly a heavier-than-air craft, in the glider designed by her husband.

December 9 (Sydney, Australia) — First official aeroplane flight in Australia. Colin Defries flew an imported Wright biplane over the Victoria Park Racecourse at Sydney. Works Cited Gunston, Bill, et al. Chronicle of Aviation. Liberty, Missouri: JL Publishing Inc., 1992. 14-17 Parrish, Wayne W. (Publisher). "United States Chronology". 1962 Aerospace Yearbook, Forty-Third Annual Edition. Washington, DC: American Aviation Publications, Inc., 1962, 446-469. Shupek, John (photos and card images), The Skytamer Archive. Skytamer.com, Whittier, CA Copyright © 1998-2016 Skytamer Images, Whittier, California ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Big Race of 1910 | History | Air & Space Magazine Air & Space Magazine The Big Race of 1910 How the first U.S. air race launched an aviation tradition. With Lincoln Beachey at the controls, a Curtiss design dashes past the crowd, but not fast enough to earn points from the judges.

(NASM-9A03618~A) By Don Berliner Air & Space Magazine | Subscribe January 2010 When Glenn Curtiss edged Frenchman Louis Blériot at the world's first air race, in Reims, France, in August 1909, few Americans had seen an airplane, let alone an air race. Curtiss won them the opportunity. By bringing home air racing's first important award—the Gordon Bennett Trophy—Curtiss also won the right for his country to host the next international air meet. And thus America got its first air race, held in the city of Los Angeles 100 years ago. From This Story Louis Paulhan (front, with a passenger in his Farman). (NASM-9A03624~A) A souvenir medal. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) A Blériot, the first monoplane to fly in America. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) With Lincoln Beachey at the controls, a Curtiss design dashes past the crowd.

(Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) The year’s final big air meet, in New York, brought out high-altitude specialist Hubert Latham, shown getting into the cockpit of his Antoinette monoplane. (SI-80-12307-B~A) Curtiss and his Reims racer were celebrities. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) In 1910, Los Angeles drew all sorts of contraptions, including J.S. Zerbe’s five-winged failure (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) A souvenir from the race. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection (2)) Site of the last major air race of 1910: Belmont Park, Long Island (ticket). (NASM-9A00716~A) And the crowd goes wild: Glenn Curtiss soars in his biplane over Dominguez Field near Los Angeles, putting aviation’s indelible stamp on southern California. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) A meet poster. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) Race officials on the field of the (1st Annual) International Air Meet, at Dominguez Field, Los Angeles, 1910.

(NASM-9A03618~A) Pilots Charles Willard, Charles Hamilton, and Curtiss (left to right) all won cash prizes. (NASM-9A03620~A) Curtiss first won fame in Reims, France, in August 1909, where a Blériot monoplane rounds a pylon and an enterprising photographer. (SI-95-2260~A) Roy Knabenshue, who was instrumental in getting the meet to Los Angeles, maneuvers his airship above the field. His dirigible race with Beachey had the crowd on its feet. (Courtesy of John Garrett Collection) A Glimpse of Things to Come In October 1909, airship pilot Roy Knabenshue, from Toledo, Ohio, and Charles Willard, the first man Curtiss taught to fly, met and decided to use southern California as a winter base for their aerial demonstrations. They contacted Curtiss, thinking his fame would help draw crowds as big as those that attended the event in Reims.

Curtiss agreed to the plan, though he had no intention of using the venue to defend the trophy; that race would be months away and held in New York, where he believed more money was to be made than in California. Knabenshue contacted Los Angeles promoter Dick Ferris, who in turn, got the Los Angeles Merchants and Manufacturers Association on board for financial support, and persuaded railroad magnate Henry Huntington to pledge $50,000. (For Huntington it was a no-brainer; his trains, after all, would haul spectators to the meet.) "No one knew who would come," says Judson Grenier, a history professor retired from California State University at Dominguez Hills. "But there was a great economic optimism, with the city bringing in water [by funding a $23 million aqueduct] and getting a port [by annexing nearby San Pedro], both in August 1909. So the feeling was: If we can do that, we can do anything." One of the first to see economic opportunity in air racing was newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst, who flogged the event in his Los Angeles Examiner, one of the city's four daily newspapers.

Hearst, who had traveled down from San Francisco, arranged for a hot-air balloon to be tethered on the grounds during the meet. On the balloon's side were the words "It's all in the Examiner." And it was, including fashion tips for women spectators. The races—along with demonstrations—took place at Dominguez Field, just south of Los Angeles, on land loaned by the family of Manuel Dominguez, from January 10 to 20. Workers had erected a grandstand capable of seating 26,000, and pitched large tents for the pilots to store and work on their airplanes. The advertised prize money was $70,000. Much of it was for specific tasks, such as $10,000 for a nonstop balloon flight to the Atlantic coast, which went unawarded. More realistic were the prizes for breaking major world records, although many of those too were never claimed. But all helped achieve the goal of bringing together some of the most skilled and daring pilots in the United States. Skilled and daring pilots were not plentiful in 1910 America.

Although 43 flying machines were officially entered, only 16 showed up, and not all of them flew. One five-wing "multi-plane" built by a local high school teacher, for example, participated only as a static display; it couldn't get off the ground. Despite the nearly empty skies, the meet caused a sensation in Los Angeles. Fans clambered aboard Huntington's streetcars, which left the city for the field every two minutes. More than 20,000 packed the stands each day. To draw out-of-towners, the meet's executive committee, of which Ferris was a member, had cleverly arranged for each day to honor a different city: "San Diego Day," "San Francisco Day," and so on. Schools in the honored districts were closed on those days, so when it was Los Angeles' turn, a 13-year-old named Jimmy Doolittle (who himself became a famous race pilot, before gaining even more fame for leading a World War II bombing raid on Tokyo) got to see his first airplane. "The city was turned on," says Grenier. "I don't think any other event has had that kind of effect of shutting down the city for two weeks.

You had businesses closing, schools letting out, women's groups coming in en masse. Anybody who could walk, and some who couldn't, made it to the meet. Cars were pretty primitive then, with canvas tops, so only a very small number of people came in cars. Most of them rode the train, then walked the half-mile to the field. It was kind of the climax of boosterism that's so characteristic of Los Angeles." The star of the show was a charismatic Frenchman, Louis Paulhan, who had brought two Farman biplanes and two Blériot monoplanes and was guaranteed $25,000 to appear. Described in newspapers as "the wonderful little Frenchman," he had worked in a military balloon factory and taught himself to fly airplanes. Paulhan's appearance qualified the meet as "international," and he set new world records for endurance and altitude. He took to the air at the slightest encouragement, often appearing to plan his flight as he went along. Paulhan's 45-mile round trip between the field and the Santa Anita racetrack brought thousands of people to rooftops and farm fields in hopes of seeing the fearless aviator.

Curtiss, who was the first in the air over Dominguez Field in his Reims racer, was not bothered by all the applause for Paulhan, according to C.R. Rosenberry's book Glenn Curtiss: Pioneer of Flight. "I am satisfied to let Paulhan have the applause, providing I am able to take the prizes," he was quoted as telling a colleague. Single Page Previous Page 1 of 3 Next 1 2 3 Like this article? Airshow & International Aspirations | First Super Speedway Airshow & International Aspirations By: Mark Dill The great Los Angeles-to-Phoenix off-road race (more commonly known as " The Cactus Derby ") was another of the terrific classics from the sport's early days. In its 1914 edition, track racing legend and barnstormer Barney Oldfield entered the same Stutz racer he had piloted to fifth place in that year's Indianapolis 500. Below are the margin notes David composed to support his art: The article in attachment IMSaero091509 was originally published in the September 15, 1909 Indianapolis Star. The lead focuses on the liklihood that Charles H.

Warner , who with his brother Arthur Pratt Warner founded the Warner Electric Instrument Company , would enter the planned aviation meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway October 14-16. The bulk of the article reports on the burgeoning interest across America in hosting aviation shows and speculates on the likely venue for the James Gordon Bennett Cup airplane competition to be hosted in the United States in 1910. Consistent with Bennett Cup precedent in auto racing and ballooning the home country of the winner would host the contest the following year. American Glenn Curtiss won the Bennett Cup at the first international show in Rheims, France in August 1909. The Warners were aviation enthusiasts but a curious aspect of this report is that Charles is mentioned as the owner of the plane in question, a Glenn Curtiss built machine. In subsequent articles it is Arthur Pratt Warner mentioned and it is generally held he was the more accomplished pilot. I suspect this is an error in this article and it was Arthur all along as the owner of the plane. Regardless the Speedway's 1909 aviation show never materialized although an aviation was staged in June 1910 . The article reports that many cities across America - St.

Louis and Cincinnati are specifically mentioned - were vying for quality aviation shows in general and the honor of hosting the next international show in particular. In the style of journalism sensational absolutism of the day the article says, "...it is certain that the world will be given a duplicate to the great Rheims meet here in this city." Despite this the article singles out a particular challenger - the site of America's first great auto race, the Vanderbilt Cup . The American Aero Club (AAC) had recently reached an agreement with the Long Island Motor Parkway for a section of ground near Garden City was reserved as the club's aviation field. The Star however pointed to the Speedway's permanent facilites such as grandstands and aerodromes as distinct advantages in cost savings of staging the competition. Planning was on hold until the American Aero Club President Cortlandt Field Bishop returned from the international balloon race - the James Gordon Bennett Cup for ballooning - at Zurich, Switzerland on October 8. Bishop had agreed to act as aid to balloon pilot Edgar W. Mix , an American vessel designed the previous year for James (John?) E. McCoy . For whatever reason Bishop eventually did not serve as Mix' aid.

Money, as always, was the lynchpin to making things happen. Long time AAC official Alan R. Hawley urged the development of a $100,000 fund for the development of aeronautics in the United States. The fear was that foreign aviators were unenthusiatic about the time consuming and expensive trip to America to compete for the Bennett Cup. The general belief was that the circumstance created an opening for European organizations to create more lucrative events on the Continent that would siphon off the best of the overseas performers. The Bennett Cup offered prestige and a $5,000 cash prize. This attachment also contains several grainy images of planes of the day. They were captured at the Rheims show. They are, in order: a Curtiss bi-plane, Louis Paulhan in a Voisin , Hubert Latham in an Antoinette monoplane, Roger Sommer in a Farman airplane and Louis Bleriot in one his own machines. Keep in mind that it was during this time that the Speedway's huge brick-paving project was underway .

Attachment The first US Air Meet, 1910 - Air Facts Journal The first US Air Meet, 1910 An advertisement for the first Aviation Meet in America featured a variety of flying machines. Viewing the aeroplane for the first time Fans attended the first major International Air Meet at Reims, France, in August 1909, with close to 500,000 spectators. It set the standard for all future air shows of the time. To meet the challenge, they built special grandstands, numerous restaurants, a barbershop, and even press facilities. The main drawing card was the Gordon Bennett Cup Race (speed contest). In the end, a handful of Americans cheered their countryman Glenn Curtiss to a six-second victory in the Gordon Bennett Cup (46.77 mph). The race, and the entire Reims meet, was a huge success and helped establish air meets as an international spectator sport for fans and dignitaries of Europe and the US. Challenged by the Reims Meet, Albert Bond Lambert (St. Louis Lambert International Airport namesake), who attended the event in France and was a leading St.

Louis industrialist and aviation enthusiast, offered Glenn Curtiss a guarantee of $5,000 (2013 – $122,000) to fly his Gordon Bennett Trophy winner, the “Golden Flyer,” at the Airship Show in St. Louis, October 1909. Curtiss, who was the fastest man in the air (47 mph at Rheims) and the fastest man on the ground (motorcycle at 136.27 mph at Ormond Beach, Florida, in his own V8 engine design), accepted the challenge and proceeded to St. Louis in late fall for the St. Louis Centennial Week exhibition. Thousands of St. Louis citizens turned out to watch Glenn Curtiss in his Reims racer–the “Celebrity of the New Air Circuits.” At the time, the newspapers were full of headlines of the Wright Brothers suing all the pilots (worldwide) and air meets for infringement of their patents, as they felt they owned the rights to the all the flying experiences. The public’s aviation interest at St. Louis and at Reims inspired a group of aviators at St.

Louis, including Curtiss, to get together to discuss how they could capitalize on the growing interest in aviation. They decided to hold a world-class air meet of their own, in the style of Reims, in the United States as soon as possible. It would be an “International Event,” featuring the best aviators from around the world. With winter on the horizon, Los Angeles was their choice of location. At that time, Curtiss was considering the West Coast as a potential site for his winter flying as Hempstead Plains, Long Island, New York proved to be impossible with the northern winters and the winds. In October 1909, airship (not aeroplane) pilot Roy Knabenshue, from Toledo, Ohio, and Charles Willard, the first man Curtiss taught to fly, met and decided to use Southern California as a winter base for their aerial demonstrations. To reinforce the event’s “international” billing, French aviator Louis Paulhan, a notable from the 1909 Reims Meet, was invited.

He took part in many air meets, including Douai in July 1909, where he set new records for altitude (492 ft) and duration (1h 07m), covering 47 km, and the Grande Semaine d’Aviation in Rheims. In Lyon, flying a Farman, he broke three records: height at 3,036 ft, speed of 12 miles in 19 minutes and weight, carrying a 160 lb passenger. Paulhan was guaranteed a small sum of money as encouragement to attend the Los Angeles meet. They then persuaded railroad magnate Henry Huntington to pledge $50,000 (2013- $1,170,000). The Wrights refused to partake in the flying event due to Sunday flying and the non-competitive spirit. Glenn Curtiss flying over the crowds.

Hence, with the help of Dick Ferris (LA promoter), Henry Huntington (LA railroad owner), Los Angeles Merchants and Manufacturing Association, all the major cities of the West Coast, plus William Randolph Hearst (Los Angeles Examiner owner and aviation fan), they decided to move ahead and a few months later, Los Angeles hosted the “First American Air Meet.” The first major U.S. aviation meet took place at Dominguez Field, just 15 miles south of Los Angeles, from January 10-20, 1910. The first location considered was a field in Santa Anita, but physical obstructions such as tall trees led the aviators to search for another site. About a month before the January start date, Dominguez Field was agreed upon. The Dominguez family donated the property for the event as it was a former battle area from the Mexican War. This field was located on the top of a small hill in land once a part of the Rancho San Pedro, an early Spanish land grant and could not be viewed by non-paying attendees as Rheims was.

Arriving from the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Curtiss agreed to the plan, though he had no intention of using the Meet to defend the Bennett Trophy he captured at Rheims; that race would be months (October) away and held in New York at Belmont Race Track; however, he believed more money was to be made than in California. Curtiss was looking for winter quarters somewhere in the warmer climate of Southern California. He made several inquiries during the Dominguez Meet and residents from both Los Angeles and San Diego made inviting offers. The greatest inducement came from the Spreckles Sugar Company, who offered some vacant land they owned in the San Diego area known as the North Island for a token rental fee of $1.00 per year. Large crowds and aeroplanes awaiting takeoff. All of the US states west of the Mississippi had been plastered with posters/brochures; special trains from San Francisco, Arizona, San Diego, and St. Louis had all been booked. Trainloads of lumber were required for the building of 26,000 seats for the fans, along with electric lights for the tent city of aeroplane hangars. Auto roads for parking were constructed.

At the Hotel Alexandria (pilots’ hotel) all the rooms were booked. Fifty thousand people were estimated from San Francisco, and all politicians had their schedules fixed. Huntington’s trains were designed to haul 600-800 people every two minutes. A full medical hospital staff was on duty along with a small army of special police (300 men under Sheriff Hammel) to keep the fans away from the aeroplanes, off the infield and to subdue pickpockets, a popular venue at the time. Telegraph companies placed special wires in the reserved box seats to keep the world aware of the current events. The “Aviation Camp” was ready. The weather cooperated, with average winds of 3mph and temperatures of 65F during the day–significantly warmer then NYC which was hit on January 15th with 14″ of snow in a blizzard and several deaths. Paulhan and Didier Masson were served Wright lawsuit papers as soon as they arrived at the port of New York City on January 3, 1910, as was Curtiss prior to his departure from New York.

Judge Basel granted a temporary wavier for the flyers against the Wrights, just days prior to the meet, to allow for no restrictions at the Air Meet . The plan unfolded to create the “1910 Los Angeles Air Show” with a circus-like atmosphere (literally). Spectators who got off one of Henry Huntington’s trolley cars and walked half a mile on the newly-built sawdust roads to the Aviation Field were met by sideshow barkers, a Ferris wheel and deep sea divers. Attractions (most from the Seattle World’s Fair the previous summer) also included conjoined twins Cora and Etta, who were dubbed the Human Biplane in honor of the occasion. Cash prizes were allotted for competitive events in altitude, speed, and endurance. With Lincoln Beachey at the controls, a Curtiss design dashes past the crowd. The spectators paid for a 35-cent train ticket (round trip–35 miles) and fifty cents for grandstand admission. All admission tickets had to be bought prior to boarding the train. Fourteen-year old Jimmy Doolittle attended, as well as William Boeing, Thaddeus Lowe, Pancho Barnes (Right Stuff fame), Glenn Martin and William Randolph Hearst.

Contributing talks and aeroplane lectures were given at the YMCA and University. Cortland Bishop, President of the Aero Club of America, gave his approval for the advancement of aviation for this event. Each day was dedicated to “Special City Program,” from San Francisco to Arizona Day. Curtiss made the first flight over California and the Pacific coastline in a new 4-cylinder which sounded like 100 motorcycles all set in motion at the same time. Spectator turnout numbered somewhere around 254,000 by most accounts for the full event (LA population at the time was 319,198). Although 43 flying machines were officially entered, only 16 showed up, and not all of them flew over the mile and three-quarters course, rolled perfectly flat for the aeroplanes’ takeoffs and landings. The Los Angeles Examiner called it “one of the greatest public events in the history of the West.” Gate receipts for the event totaled more than $137,500 at fifty cents per ticket (2013 – $3,217,500).

In 1910, that number represented more than half of the population of Los Angeles and that does not include the attendees who didn’t pay for grandstand seats and a 125% return on investment for stakeholders. The key participants included Glenn Curtiss, the American hero who had won the prestigious Gordon Bennett Cup at the Reims Race one year prior. Curtiss, a true American aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, was most famous with his motorcycle speed records. On Jan 12th, Curtiss broke three world records in front of 20,000 spectators. C.F. Willard finished off Tuesday’s record with a perfect flight and landing score. Paulhan went on to capture the world altitude record for 4,165 ft off the ground. This earned him the San Diego Medal. Paulhan won the prize longest cross country flight the world had known to date: 1 hr 2 min, winning $10,000 (2013- $244,000). Curtiss still retained the speed record for the event at 55 mph.

Louis Paulhan making his record flight in his Henry Farman biplane. Also featured were Charles Hamilton and Lincoln Beachey, (who were flying dirigibles at that time, and later would become America’s greatest early exhibition pilots) and Paulhan, who was the international star of the show. The Los Angeles Air Meet drew many other famous aviators, most of whom were American. Others included Roy Knabenshue, Charles Willard and Clifford B. Harmon, many of whom are listed among the Early Birds of Aviation. French aviators at the event included Paulhan and Masson. Strict rules were enforced that all the pilots had to fly either Monday or Tuesday to be considered for the prize monies for the remainder of the Meet. Paulhan dominated the Dominguez meet financially and won the opening day prize of $500 ($12,200 in 2013) for “Best Opening Day Show.” Mr.

Paulhan brought with him to the event two Bleriot Monoplanes, with Gnome engines, flown for the first time in the US and famed for its English Channel crossing in 1909, plus two Farman Biplanes, two student pilots, his wife and pet poodle from France (he employed eight mechanics). Consider the logistical issues of shipping these four aeroplanes and crew from Europe via ship and train and wagons to Los Angeles in an age with limited delivery service, no shipment tracking, and lack of telephones. The main line of communication was the telegraph. In addition, the poor quality of gasoline on the opening days caused excess engine maintenance and unexpected flight delays. In 1908 the record altitude was 25 ft above the ground, and aircraft had just started to make turns. In 1909 at Rheims, the record was under 100 ft above the ground (1/3 football field) at 47 mph. By 1910 a new record was set: 10,746 ft above the ground (2 miles) and 55 mph with a companion by Curtiss at the LA Meet.

Every day was a new record–on almost every flight. First, Paulhan set a new flight endurance record by carrying a passenger almost 110 miles (177 kilometers) in his Farman biplane in 1 hour, 49 minutes. Then he went on to achieve a new altitude mark of approximately 4,164 ft. Later that year, Paulhan flew the “Le Canard,” the world’s first seaplane, designed by Henri Fabre in France. He also performed several aerial feats during the week, and near the end of the show carried U.S. Army Lieutenant Paul Beck aloft to perform one of the first aerial bomb dropping tests, using weights to simulate the bombs. Nine famous aviators at Los Angeles (l to r): Hilary Beachey, Col.

Johnson, Glenn Curtiss, Louis Paulhan, Charles Willard, Didier Masson, Lincoln Beachey, Roy Knabenshue and Charles Hamilton Overall, Paulhan ruled the skies over Los Angeles, winning as much as $19,000 (2013 – $463,410) in prize money, but it seemed like Curtiss, a $6000 winner (2013- $146,000), grabbed all the headlines with the Wright lawsuit and their legal battle to fly and build aeroplanes on a worldwide basis. At that same time promoters were staging the first international air shows, exhibition aviators were putting on their own demonstrations. Lincoln Beachey, the most inexhaustible daredevil of the early exhibition pilots, entertained more than 17 million people during a 31-week period in the 1910s. This is especially impressive, when one considers that the entire U.S. population at the time was only around 76 million.

As you think about this Air Meet, remember that in 1910, there were no parachutes, no heaters, no enclosed cockpits, no seat belts, no shoulder straps, no brakes, no deicing, no flying instruments and no radios, but there were poor performing engines, wood spars and cloth wings. By end of 1910 there were approximately 1000 men and women all over the world with pilot’s licenses. And yes, aeroplanes and air meets were here to stay. air racing | sport | Britannica.com Air racing Air racing, sport of racing airplanes , either over a predetermined course or cross-country up to transcontinental limits. Air racing dates back to 1909, when the first international meet was held at Reims, France. British pilot Steve Jones flying his aircraft between air gates during the Red Bull Air Race World … Denis Poroy—AP Images for Red Bull Air Race Sporting aviation dates back to the early days of flying, when aviation pioneers used distance and speed contests as a means of developing and testing airplanes. Early manufacturers also encouraged such events as a forum to demonstrate their most advanced airplane designs.

Most of the early aviation meets were held in France and were attended by many famous aviators. The strong competitive rivalry between contestants proved very good for the advancement of flying. World War I interrupted these sporting events, but during the 1920s and ’30s air racing came to the fore as a result of some now famous events and trophies. For example, the Pulitzer Trophy (1920), the Thompson Trophy (1929), and the Bendix Trophy (1931) in the United States and the Kings Cup (1922) in England attracted some of the best pilots from around the world. The most famous event, though, was the series of races for the Schneider Trophy , a truly international speed contest for seaplanes, which was held at various locations around the world, starting with Monaco (1913). The racing series ended in 1931, following three consecutive victories by the English entrant (in 1927, 1929, and 1931), as under the trophy rules the first country to win three times within five years would permanently retain the trophy.

French aviator Jules Védrines turning the pylon in the James Gordon Bennett Cup Race, … Rare Book and Special Collections Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital. id. cph 3b52232) The U.S. Navy team at the seaplane races for the Schneider Trophy, August 1926. Rare Book and Special Collections Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital. id. cph 3b52232) Similar Topics Daytona 500 With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, sporting races halted again, and aeronautic pioneers and manufacturers put their efforts into the development of highly complex military aircraft. By the end of the war, the cost of sport racing with open (unrestricted), or state-of-the-art, airplanes had become prohibitive. The best option for resuming sport air racing seemed to be in the development of formula racing (competitions organized according to factors such as engine size), using surplus military aircraft, which could be bought quite cheaply, and small, fast planes built specially for racing.

Formula races around pylons originated in the United States in 1947, the principle being that aircraft of a similar performance would race round a fixed course defined by pylons, rather like an automobile racetrack. The Air Racing Council of the United States (ARCUS) recognizes several fixed-race classes, including Formula 1, Formula V, Biplane, T-6, T-28, Sport Class, and Unlimited. Formula 1 pylon races are held regularly, mainly at Reno, Nev. The United Kingdom also runs some Formula 1 races. The Royal Aero Club is almost unique in continuing to organize prewar-type handicap air races, including the famous Kings Cup. Handicap races have a staggered start time, calculated to get theoretically the whole field over the finish line together, which allows aircraft of very different sizes and powers to race fairly together and produces an exciting spectacle. A few Formula 1 races are held in France also, but most European countries instead favour air rallies and precision flying events.

Question: In which country was the world's first international Air show held in 1909?
Answer: FRANCE