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PROGRESS REPORT FOR JULY & AUGUST, 1931 THE SECOND NATIONAL GLIDING AND SOARING CONTEST When Referee L. F. Ross declared the Second National Gliding and Soaring Contest officially closed at 5P.M.,Sunday August 16th, the American gliding movement had again demonstrated its slow but sure growth; increased interest on the part of the public and the steadily increasing skill of its pilots, young and old. Still facing many handicaps due to the economic situation, the N.G.A. carried thru another successful meet. How successful this contest was is best illustrated by the statistics given below. Despite the failure of the powers that control the weather to properly cooperate, the meet was out-standing success. The owners and manufacturers of equipment; the pilots; the donors of prizes and expense money; the staff both paid and volunteer and especially the local Committee, deserve the thanks of the Glider Association. Thirty-six Pilots and Twenty-six Ships There were thirty-six pilots and twenty-six ships entered in the Contest. This represents a gain in pilots over last year of fifty percent and a gain in ships of ninety percent over last year. With the ships and pilots were crews, friends and interested spectators totalling [[totaling]] roughly 250 people; an approximate gain of 150 percent over last year. The ships included 15 Franklin utilities; 3 Haller ships including the "Schloss-Mainberg", completely over-hauled since last year, and two Haller-Hawks; 3 Cadets 11 of the Baker-McMillen Co., 2 Bowlus sailplanes; one Mead Challenger; one completely redesigned, rebuilt and enclosed Detroit Gull and one home built enclosed primary from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Thirty-eight Qualified Soaring Flights in Eight Days The greatest disappointment of the Meet was the weather which resulted in qualified soaring flights in but 8 out of 15 days. The number of such qualified flights fell off from 99 in 1930 to 38 in 1931. This decrease is due to two factors. First, the weather averaged far below last year. By that we mean that while actual qualified flights were made on eight days, conditions were far less favorable for the performance of the younger, less experienced pilots and for the lower performance ships than during the eleven days of 1930. But an even greater factor was that the qualification rules in 1931, taken directly from the F.A.I. record rules, were far more stringent than in 1930 and it took far more skill to qualify in 1931 than in 1930. This is indicated by the fact that there were 145 trials in which soaring was engaged in. There are no statistics to indicate the number of trials in 1930 but this number must be somewhat in excess of last year. Procedure by days is indicated in the following table: Sunday, Aug. 2. No soaring, Storms. 14 flights in Airport Events Monday, Aug.3. One soaring flight. E. Ridge. No airport Events Tuesday,Aug.4. No soaring. Calm. 8 flights in Airport Events Wednesday, Aug.5. Five qualified soaring flights.S.Mountains.17 flights in Airport Events. Thursday, Aug 6. One qualified soaring flights, S.Mt. 6 flights in Airport Events. Friday, Aug.7. One qualified soaring flights. S.Mt. No Airport Events. Storms Saturday, Aug.8. No soaring. Variable winds. 9 flights in Airport Events
