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[[newspaper strip 1]] Phila Euquieua 2 8-9-26 Phila. To Get 1926 National Air Races 1000 Entries Expected to Fly in the Event Held in Connection With Sesqui Day and Night Circus Will Be Feature; All Types of Planes on Exhibition By Richard J. Beamish Arrangements have been completed for the greatest day and night aviation meet in the history of the world to be held in Philadelphia in connection with the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition Sept. 4 to 11. Entries are still coming in and the prediction is made that the number of planes in the eighteen events during the eight days of the international tournament will not be far from 1000. The City of Philadelphia has given $150,000 and the use of the city's 260-acre Model Farm, and $30,000 in cash prizes in addition to a number of valuable trophies, have been hung up for the winners. The epoch-making tourney is listed officially as the National Air Races of 1926, an annual event in which the world competes and which yearly reveals all the developments in aviation. Air Courses Laid Out Two air courses marked by pylons have been laid out by [[underlined]] Major Howard F. Wehrle [[/underlined]], managing director of the tournament. One extends from the course on the Model Farms westward and is a five mile circuit. The other crosses the Delaware into South Jersey and is a twelve mile circuit. A grand stand and a parking field of 100 acres for motors are part of the equipment on the course that has been constructed at Model Farm under [[underlined]] Major Wehrle [[/underlined]]'s direction. The entire surface of the Farm has been leveled and sown with timothy which already shows a fine growth of grass. The subsoil has a network of drain pipes and a large emergency drain system which will take care of heavy storms. In addition to the races in which civilians, army and navy fliers will compete, there will be stunt flying of all descriptions. Night circuses will be see for the first time in America over the brilliantly illuminated field. Air raids, aerial bombardments, combats, parachute leaps, aerial radio tests, comedy stunts, and transport and aerial advertising will all be demonstrated. Foreign Aces to Compete Foreign pilots of the first rank and foreign planes that have not yet been shown in public will be among the competitors. Opposed to these will be American civilians, naval and military pilots and plans with advanced equipment which will be seen here for the first time. The "Oh to the Sesqui" race, the opening event, permits the entrants to start at any time after August 24 from any part of the country and cover any distance, so that they arrive at the meet field before midnight of September 3. It is a contest to demonstrate the cross-country ability of commercial aircraft; army and navy and U.S. mail airplanes will therefore not be permitted to compete. It is open to any type of civilian aircraft. This race is a permanent feature of the National Air Races, similar events having been on the programmes of the meets at Detroit, St. Louis and Dayton in previous years. It carries a cash prize of $4000. and the winner receives the Sesqui-Centennial trophy. Light Plane Races Other features worthy of special mention are the three races for light airplanes with engine piston displacement of 510 cubic inches or less. The first two fo these races are elimination contests, each with $1250 in prizes. Pilots who gain a place in each race may compete in the third race for $2000 in money prizes, the winner to be the permanent possessor of the Aero Club of Pennsylvania trophy. The race for pilots and machines of any National Guard unit carries $1000 in cash prizes and a trophy offered by C. Townsend Ludington. It will become the permanent possession of the winner. The air transport and speed efficiency race for the Detroit News trophy and $2500 in cash prizes is designed to bring together in a reasonable test all commercial planes with a speed of eighty miles an hour or more, and at least 1000 pounds payload capacity. The free-for-all pursuit ship race is ... naval planes of [[/newspaper strip 1]] [[newspaper strip 2]] New Air Mail Service Will Be Started Here Route Between This City and New Brunswick Begins September 4. Howard F. Wehrle, managing director of the national air races, received word from W. Irving Glover, second assistant postmaster general, yesterday, announcing that the Post Office Department will establish an air mail service between Philadelphia and the easter terminus of the transcontinental route at New Brunswick, N.J., beginning on the opening day of the national air races at Model Farms Field on September 4. The service will be twice a day and several veteran pilots famous for their night and day flying activities with the air mail will be assigned here for similar duties. The Federal mail planes which will carry rush letters and packages mailed in Philadelphia and vicinity are the new Douglas machines, which have just been developed from the planes flown on the 'round-the-world flight. Each plane will carry 1000 pounds of mail. The planes will operate from the Model Farms Flying Field in southwest Philadelphia, which is being equipped with flood lights and aerial beacons to accommodate not only the mail pilots arrive and departing at night, but also hundreds of other machines which will operate off that field during the air races. The trip between Model Farms and New Brunswick will be made in less than an hour. Mr. Glover, in his letter to the race officials, said that a twice-a-day schedule would be arranged to make connections with both the day and night service westward out of New Brunswick and northward into New England out of New York. The service will last, at least, until the close of the air races on September 11. It will bring Philadelphia mail within 34 hours' delivery of the Pacific coast, and will provide a mile-and-a-half-a-minute service between this city and all points on the 10 contract air mail lines now operating throughout the country. It will also reduce by hours, adn in certain instances a half day, delivery time between Philadelphia, Hartford, Conn., and Boston. Officials, commenting on the new air mail branch, said that if Philadelphia business houses and other commercial interests display an active interest in this service there is a strong possibility that it will be made permanent. Phila Pican [[?]] 8-9-26 [[membership card]] No 368768 The American Region Official Membership Card 1927 January 28th, 1927 This is to certify that Howard F. Wehrle at the date of issuing this card was in good standing in Wm. T. Fitzsimmons Post Post No. 8 Located at Kansas City Mo. Howard F. Wehrle Not valid unless countersigned by the member Joe Davies Post adjutant or [[crossed out]] finance officer [[/crossed-out]] [[newspaper strip 3]] 1,000 Planes To Visit Sesqui Invite Aerial World to Participate in Exposition The air program of the Sesqui-Centennial will afford a continuous spectacle, Major George F. Zimmer, director of aviation told the members of the City Business Club at luncheon in the Adelphia Hotel today. Plans include a visit from Commander Byrd, North Pole flyer, who has announced he will attend if possible. Roald Amundsen also has sent word he will bring the Norge here if he can. The aerial world has been invited to attend the Sesqui, Major Zimmer told the business men. More than a thousand planes are expected to visit the exposition between September 4 and 11. The largest passenger plane in the world with capacity for thirty passengers will visit the grounds. The United States Government will send the Nation's finest flyers for the exposition. [[newspaper strip 4]] Kansas City Rotary Club Trophy [[image]] During the American Legion Convention in Kansas City some years ago, the Rotary Club purchased a trophy to be awarded at the Derby to be contested by by airplanes brought from various parts of the country. This cup which cost the club in the neighborhood of $2,000.00 was competed for but once, the rules for final ownership of the trophy being that same must be won three consecutive times before becoming the property in fee of the posessor. The cup has been on display at the Jaccard Jewelry Company ever since nothing further having been done in regard to it. On advice of Major Howard Wehrle, the cup was placed as one of the awards in the races held at Dayton, Ohio, but which were never held. When Major Wehrle went to Philadelphia as Managing Director of the National Air Races for 1926 to be held there in conjunction with the Sesqui-Centennial Celebration, he asked permission to award the cup in the name of the Kansas City Rotary Club as one of the prizes to be contested for there. Such permission was granted him by the Board of Directors and the cup has been packed and shipped by the Jaccard Jewelry Company to Major Wehrle at Philadelphia. The cup will be displayed on the ground floor of the Atlantic Building, Broad Street side, previous to its final disposition. Elsewhere in this issue of the Buzz Saw the cup is shown as it now stands. The following rules govern the event as which this trophy shall be awarded: [[newspaper strip 5]] January 31, 1927 AVIA Pacific air lines will be demanded, and I believe that a regular passenger service around the entire globe will be available in the very near future." Major Gardner has no define plans as to the date on which the trip will start, owing to the necessity of synchronizing the steamship sailing dates with the air schedules. After making the decision to take the trip, he cabled the Deutshe Luft Hansa as follows: "Reserve place first Peking-Moscow trip stop attempting round World trip twenty-four days." The following reply was received: "Date first Peking-Moscow trip not yet decided stop will advise you in time and reserve accordingly." The trip will be made, not only to show the possibility of speed but as a demonstration of the low cost, comfort and safety of the new air routes. In 1926, Messrs. Evans and Wells circled the globe in 28 days, 14 hr., 36.5 min. and the trip cost $32,000. These two travellers kept moving day and night, with very little rest. Major Gardner believes that it will be entirely possible to reduce the time by four days and yet only fly two nights. The National Aeronautic Association has been requested to petition the Federation Aeronautique Internationale to make the around-the-world trip by air and steamship a recognized record trip. By this encouragement would be given to the spanning of the oceans and making the entire trip by air increasingly frequent until it will become a regular air route of the greatest importance.
