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234

AERO 

June 8, 1912

[[image with subtitle DREW COMPLETING A TURN IN THE McCORMICK-ROMME "UMBRELLAPLANE"]

and coming down in plowed ground turned over, but did not hurt himself or his plane beyond a wing tip. A feature of Saturday afternoon was an exhibition by Field Director Drew in Lillie's Wright. Drew went up to demonstrate exactly how far an aviator can go safely in departing from safe flying. He did several small figure eights and then came down from 1,000 feet in a spiral.

The feature of Sunday afternoon, June 2, was the aerial mail race between Lillie and Studensky. Lillie went to Elmshurst in the Wright carrying Charles Dickinson as passenger, besides his mail. Studensky in the Beech-National went four miles further to Wheaton with the mail alone, so that the pair were evenly matched. Lillie came home a minute ahead of Studensky. Mestach again demonstrated the fact that he is probably the best monoplane pilot in this country now by an exhibition of very remarkable low flying. Thompson complete his tests for pilot's license, half of which were made a week ago, and Brodie also passed the tests. While the mail carriers were racing across country, Drew entertained the crowd experimenting with the McCormick-Romme "umbrellaplane." Drew is using on the machine a control similar to the Wright control, to which he is accustomed.

Probably the most interesting phase of the meet lies in the fact that none of the aviators were outsiders, in the sense that they came to Cicero for the meet alone. All of them are making Cicero their headquarters, so that the meet was very easily arranged, and will be followed by several others this summer at frequent intervals.

BREAKING CHICAGO'S AERO ORDINANCE
CHICAGO, June. - This city, which boasts the only city ordinance governing aeroplanes, has already made two arrests of violators. This ordinance, which is section 51 of chapter 7 of the 1911 Code of the South Park Commissioners, reads as follows:

No person shall make any descent in or from any balloon, aeroplane, or parachute nor shall any person aid or permit any balloon or aeroplane to ascend from, or any balloon, aeroplane, or parachute to descend in any park or in any boulevard.
Any person violating any clause or provision of this section shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $100 for each offense.

Farnum T. Fish, the Los Angeles boy, was the first offender. On May 17, just before his flight from here to Milwaukee, while flying over Grant Park on the lake front, he was suddenly forced to land on account of adverse air currents. His reception committee was comprised of two park policemen, who promptly placed him under arrest. He was taken to the South Clark street station, where he was later released on a $400 bond signed by James E. Plew, of the Aero Club of Illinois. Fish protested against the ordinance as being inadequate, saying he was forced t land to save his life. After having the law thoroughly explained to him he returned to his machine. The code also forbids ascending from a public park. This placed the aviator in another predicament. How was he to fly away? Finally he was allowed to push his Wright to a distant corner of the park near the lake shore, from where he ascended.

Another violator of this ordinance is Max Lillie, also a Wright pilot. He flew from the Aero Club field at Cicero to the Columbia Yacht club in Grant Park to keep a luncheon engagement. He was not apprehended until he had made a short flight over the lake with a passenger. Upon landing in the park he was "collared" by four policemen who had seen him go aloft from Michigan avenue. They placed him in a patrol wagon and he was taken to Central station, later being released on a bond signed by his passenger, James Pugh.

That this law is crude and incomplete is obvious. Farnum Fish suggests that they allow a certain space in one of the parks for ascending and alighting of pilots in distress as may be done in New York.

[[image - man in front of an airplane with caption "ANDREW DREW AND THE McCORMICK-ROMME MACINE"]] 

Transcription Notes:
mandc:Chicago, June 2. "forced to land" From the book Aero and Hydro: 1912, Volume 4, p 234 edited by Edmond Percy No�