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AFTER GRILLING: HOT DAYS CLEVELAND IS REACHED
Part one 
--AIRMEN
Cleveland Prepared to Greet Race Pilots
DETROIT FREE PRESS - Aug 23
Air Speed Classic to Open There Saturday and Continue Through September 7

  Cleveland, by the end of this week, will be host to the majority of the country's outstanding fliers and its airport facilities will be accommodating the fastest planes American aircraft designers have been able to turn out during the past year. The national air races open there Saturday.
  With the passing of American participation in the Schneider cup race, the national air races have become the major speed classic open to American pilots. The races continue through September 7 and it is confidently expected that speeds far exceeding those of previous meets in this country wlil [[will]] be attained.
  Men and women pilots are to take part, and no attempt will be made to keep the women in events of secondary importance. In a 50-mile race for women, which has the Aerol trophy as its principal prize, no limitation is placed on the size or horsepower of the planes. A speed of 140 miles an hour is necessary to qualify and many observers expect Ruth Nichols' record of 210 miles an hour, established near Detroit last April, will be shattered.

         Records to be Sought

  In the Thompson trophy race, for men pilots, a qualifying speed of 175 miles an hour is necessary. This event is to be flown over a 300-mile closed course. The eight fliers who are grooming planes for the race will endeavor to break the world mark for land planes, 277.805 miles an hour, which was set in France. The American record, established in 1923, is 266.59 miles an hour.
  Men and women pilots alike will dive from a height of 1,312 feet that they may flash onto the course traveling at a maximum speed. The Thompson and Aerol races constitute the high spots of the speed program, but from the spectator's standpoint they will be nearly equalled in excitement by dozens of other events.
  Military participation in the program will include formation flying by the entire First Pursuit group, stationed at Selfridge field; a fleet of naval planes, including a squadron of large patrol boats of a type rarely seen inland; and marine corps ships. The military pilots will not race.

          Foreign Fliers to Race.

  Though the speed classic's official designation is national air races, it will be decidedly international in character. Responding to invitations extended by the race backers, many European countries are sending men and women fliers selected from among their foremost pilots.
  As a preliminary to the race program proper, the national air derby starts this Sunday at Santa Monica, Calif. Approximately half a hundred ships, flown by men and women, will lift their wheels from Clover field there to speed to Cleveland.
  Participants in the cross-country contest will race under a handicap formula designated to give every pilot an equal chance regardless of the power and cargo of his ship. As in the case of the races at Cleveland, generous prizes will spur the fliers on. The winning man and the winning woman each will receive $6,000 and other prizes will be proportionately large.

          Derby Planes Mixed

  Ships ranging from a 25-horsepower light plane to a tri-motor, having a total of 1,200 horsepower, are to take part. The course is approximately 2,400 miles long.
  The famous Siskin flight of the Canadian royal air force, consisting of five Siskin all-metal fighting planes, will head the trans-Canada air pageant in a day's visit to the 1931 national air races, September 4.
  September 4 has been officially designated Canadian day. Some fifteen planes owned by members of numerous Canadian flying clubs are in tthe [[the]] trans-Canada pageant.


      AIR RACES BRILLIANT

Events at Cleveland Attract 500,000 Spectators

  Cleveland, Aug. 29 - (U.P.) - A fanfare of pageantry, filling the sky with spiraling aircraft and the ground with moving spectacles of color, formally inaugurated today the national air races.
  Skyward the winged divisions of Uncle Sam's fighting forces roared in frenzied speed, repulsing sham attacks, while far below a five-mile chain of floats, bands and marchers moved at a snail's pace in the annual flower parade. Walled along the line of march, which extended 25 miles from University circle to Cleveland airport, were more than 500,000 spectators. 

        International Team Flies

  Lieutenant Alford J. Williams, former navy ace, took his international team of flying specialists skyward. Composed of Lieutenant Colonel Mario de Bernhardi of Italy, Captain Boleslaw Orlinsky of Poland, Major Alois Kubita of Czechoslovakia and Major Ernest Udet of Germany, the aggregation circled the field before diving in review before the stand.
  Stunt ships and a quintet of autogiros were sent aloft. The autogiros were piloted by Amelia Earhart Putnam, Captain Lon Yancey, Dewey L. Noyes, Don Walker and Jimmy Ray.
  From the stands high officials of the government aviation and representative lines of business watched the exhibitions. Rear Admiral William A. Moffett was seated with David S. Ingalls, assistant secretary of the navy in charge of aeronautics. Admiral Moffett said he hoped the navy's newest and largest skycraft, the dirigible Akron, would be a visitor before the races are over. The zeppelin is now receiving final finishing touches.