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[[newspaper clipping]] SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1911 BIPLANE FLIGHTS FEATURE OF GREAT DAY AT EL PIZMO The most successful aeroplane flight ever witnessed in this county was the feature of the greatest celebration in the history of El Pizmo beach yesterday, when Fred Wiseman, the noted aviator, circled the beach at an altitude of nearly 1000 feet over the heads of an assembled multitude of 5000 people gathered from San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. There were many other interesting features of the day, but the aeroplane flights were what all were most anxious to see, and the success of this portion of the entertainment has given El Pizmo beach a boost which the people of this section will not soon forget. The crowd was the largest gathered at the popular resort in some time. There were about 950 tickets sold over the excursion trains from this city alone, and it is estimated that fully 1500 came down from King City and intermediate points. It was necessary to run an extra section here, and it was also necessary to run extra sections to accommodate the crowds from Guadalupe and other points to the south. Beside this hundreds came in rigs, autos and private conveyances of all kinds. In the morning the assemblage enjoyed a concert by the San Luis Military band while the beach was dotted for miles with those enjoying a stroll or a siesta on the sands. Many donned bathing suits and enjoyed a bracing dip in the surf, although the sky was overcast and the weather none too warm. At soon the exercises were held, Deputy Sheriff Ed Van Gordon acting as president of the day, which capacity he made a most fitting speech. Warren M. John was president of the day, and delivered a brilliant oration on the flag and its history, and the greatness of the American nation today, which was received with liveral aplause. In the [[?ing]] in the pavilion, for which excellent music was furnished by the San Luis Military band. Many brought basket lunches and enjoyed a leisurely repast on the beach, which was an act of rare foresight as the El Pizmo Inn was crowded to the doors throughout the noon meal and the excellent hospitality of the popular dining hall was taxed to its utmost capacity. Manager Percival handled the crowds most efficiently throughout the day and was the recipient of many compliments for his fine management. Two flights were made by Wiseman who won a reputation yesterday that will stand him in good stead wherever he goes through the state in future. The first was a test along the beach, in which the aviator rose gracefully in the presence of admiring thousands and made a short flight, showing wonderful control of his biplane. The second flight was made shortly after four o'clock. The aviator rose from a point near the hotel and soared off toward the hills to the northeast, rising abruptly as it seemed he was about to run into them, and making a sharp turn. He skimmed back over the beach at a height of 1000 feet, and disappeared rapidly into the fog banks in the direction of Oceano, reappearing in a few minutes flying back at the rate of more than a mile a minute. He soared over the heads of the crowd once more, and making another graceful circle, descended at an acute angle which showed wonderful control of his bird-like conveyance, upon the beach within a few feet of his starting point. So successful were the flights, and so pleased were all who saw them, that the management of El Pizmo beach has decided to retain the aviator over next Sunday, when he will [[?]] flights. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] WISEMAN FLIES INTO CLOUDS FROM THE SURF Disappears From the Sight of Crowds on Ocean Beach [Special Dispatch to The Call] PIZMO BEACH, July 4. — Aviator Fred J. Wiseman gave a remarkable exhibition of flying here this afternoon before thousands of persons gathered at the beach for the Independence day celebration. He made three flights, two of which were out over the ocean and the other over the town, tent city and beach resorts. At the beginning of his second flight Wiseman was driven by the throngs on the beach into the surf before he was able to rise, but despite the fact that water was breaking clear over his machine, he managed to get into the air and flew for several minutes with the tail of his machine broken by the pounding of the surf. After a few minutes given to repairing the machine, Wiseman made a third flight of 30 minutes' duration, during which he was several times lost to view behind heavy banks of clouds. At the conclusion of the flight he made a spectacular spiral dive to the beach from a height of several hundred feet. Efforts are being made to arrange for another exhibition Sunday. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] A GREAT FLIGHT Wiseman Shows he is a Live Wire in the Air Fred J. Wiseman showed the people who were fortunate in being on the beach at El Pizmo Sunday afternoon what a real aviator is and put an absolute end to all the doubts and skepticism about the success of the Pizmo Aviation exhibitions. He quelled the skeptic with the first turn of the propeller of the biplane. No preliminaries were necessary with him. When the time for flight arrived he started the motor, gave it the customary turning, took his seat and flew. Yes, actually flew, giving the people of San Luis Obispo and those who were there from the surrounding country their first real view of a real flying machine in flight. On the first flight Wiseman's plane speeded along the ground before taking to the air, when he turned his elevator skyward and the machine left the ground, the large crowd cheering with delight. To them the unexpected had happened. The problem with many was how the El Pizmo Resort Company could afford the great expense of a genuine birdman, but they were shown. Wiseman flew to a point opposite the north end of the beach, made a graceful turn over the ocean and soared back over the heads of the people, waving to them as he passed and in turn received many a hearty cheer. The famous aviator travelled back and forth in the upper air strata above the beach completing his first fight by a trip to Oceano and return. The return leg of the Oceano trip was made in the remarkable time of two and a half minutes. It was claimed by some that the distance was four miles which would make Wiseman's speed 96 miles per hour, but he said it could not be over three miles as he did not have his engine wide open and could not have been going fast. At three miles the speed would be 72 miles an hour. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] WISEMAN TO TRY HIGH FLIGHT Santa Rosa Birdman Building Aircraft to Cross the High Sierras. Special to the Union. MARYSVILLE (Yuba Co.), Nov. 20. — Fred Wiseman, the Santa Rosa aviator, and his manager, Jack McFadden, a salesman for A. Meister & Sons of Sacramento, visited Marysville yesterday for the purpose of witnessing the flight of Thad Kearns, the Chico aviator, and will spend the next few days here making preparations to use Knight's park for experimenting with an aeroplane that is under course of construction at the Meister shops in Sacramento. Wiseman stated last night that he thinks that he has solved the problem of crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains in a flight from Sacramento to Reno and has figured out the plan of an aeroplane that will enable him to cross without any trouble. It is the intention of Wiseman to use some of the Wright ideas combined with a few of the Curtiss inventions in the construction of his machine. The machine when completed will be much larger than the machine used by Fowler or the one Mars will use when he attempts to cross the mountains, and will be especially built to brave the strong air currents that are common in the high altitudes. Wiseman has had much experience with flying machines, being one of the first men to make a successful flight in California, which he did at Santa Rosa. He made several successful flights in Washington last year and has won much praise, both here and in Washington. For the past few months he has been experimenting quietly with kites on the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains and says that he has made a very thorough study of the currents there. He thinks from his observations that a flight across the mountains at this time of the year would be out of the question, and that the best time to cross the high altitudes will be in the spring of the year after the winter storms are over. It is the intention of Wiseman and McFadden to build the machine in Sacramento, where they will have the facilities for the work, and then bring it to Marysville and make the trial flights here. Both men were very much impressed with the surroundings at Knight's park, and say that it is the best place in the valley to make flights, as there are no hills close by and the ground is level and smooth enough to make starting easy. McFadden stated that he thought they would be ready to make a trial flight about December 15 and is of the opinion that Wiseman will be able to give an exhibition flight during the time of the proposed "home coming" week, which will be held here during December, when the electric arches will be completed. Thaddeus Kearns, who made a successful flight in his home-made biplane Sunday afternoon, has left Marysville. He will go to Los Angeles and will give exhibition flights in several California cities during the winter. He is trying to prove himself eligible to the professional ranks and secure a pilot's license. [[/newspaper clipping]]
