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6 California Outdoors and In
Aviation's Supreme Event Comes to Los Angeles
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in the past, the management of the 1933 classic offers the largest total daily prize money ever awarded in the history of the National Air Races.
The principal innovation on the 1933 program is a provision for one race a day for each of the 200, 375, and 550 cubic inch classifications, with accumulative sweepstakes trophy awards and cash purses for each class. With the sweepstakes awards, total prizes available for each of these classes in closed course races are $10,000 for the 550; $4,000 for the 375, and $2000 for the 200 cubic inch.
As in past years, the three major events will be the transcontinental speed dash (New York to Los Angeles) for $10,000 in cash and trophy; the Charles E. Thompson trophy closed course unlimited free-for-all race (increased to 200 miles) for $7,500 in cash and trophy, and the Cleveland Aerol trophy race for women for $3,000 in cash.
Three-kilometer straightaway speed dashes for Shell trophies will include a qualifying event for the Thompson trophy and 1,000 cubic inch races offering $2,500 in cash; a woman's event qualifying for the Aerol trophy race and offering $1,500 in prizes, and a 550 cubic inch qualifying event offering $1,000.
Other events on the program include two closed course races for planes in the 1,000 cubic inch class offering $5,000 in prizes; two altitude races offering $2,100 in prizes, and daily parachute jumping contests with sweepstakes awards offering a total of $1,000 in cash.
Sweepstakes awards for the daily 200, 375, and 550 cubic inch free-for-alls will be determined on the basis of accumulated points won by pilots who fly the same plane four consecutive days. In each daily contest, first place will receive 5 points; second place 4 points; third, 3 points; fourth, 2 points, and fifth, 1 point.
In all events prize money will be awarded on the basis of first place, 45 per cent; second, 25 per cent; third, 15 per cent; fourth, 10 per cent, and fifth, 5 per cent.
In laying out a 4-day program of high-speed events, the management of the National Air Races has recognized that major air meets have graduated from the amateur to the professional class.
As pointed out recently by the National Aeronautic Association, air racing has passed through three distinct stages. the first was during the early twenties when air meets were fostered by a few Service pilots and a handful of barnstormers.
The second stage was marked by the Ford Tour-a period in which great crowds were drawn to meets extending over many days and featuring contests between standard type airplanes.
Today, the advent of the special racing plane-coupled with the fact that the public has largely lost interest in conventional airplanes in competition-is bringing a new and important cycle.
It is expected that the next few years will see a trend toward three distinct types of competitive flying. The first, as exemplified by the National Air Races, will be free-for-all contests for cash prizes large enough to warrant the development of special speed jobs. The second will be sectional and local contests featuring A.T.C. races. The third will be meets for owner-flyers or sportsmen pilots.
Recognizing this trend, the N.A.A. Contest committee has set up three distinct classifications for sanctioned meets. The first, termed championship meets, are designated as those offering $2,500 or more, and the third, sectional races, with prizes of $2,500 or less.
To encourage the establishment of a national racing circuit and to discourage the holding of unsanctioned events on dates conflicting with sanctioned races, the National Aeronautic Association has ruled that "Any person who shall enter for, act as a pilot in, officiate or in any manner whatever take part in an unsanctioned competition shall be suspended for a period of not less than one year, except in the case of meets where the prize money is more than $3,500, in which case the suspension will no the for less than three years."
It is understood, of course, that only F.A.I. licensed pilots in good standing are eligible to compete in the 1933 National Air Races and other meets and record attempts conducted under the rules of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale and sanctioned by the National Aeronautic Association.
In explaining the action of the National Aeronautic Association, the contest committee stated that it recognizes the justice and importance of protecting race managements as well as participating pilots from the danger of conflicting dates. It said, "In these days of super-depression, it is difficult enough to stage an air meet without the added burden of destructive conflict in dates."
This year's national classic is expected to bring out several planes that will exceed 250 miles per hour in closed course events, and, it is hoped, at least one that will pass the
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