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[[Image]] The world's first Air Race held in Rheims, France, in 1909. Quite different from the National Air Races held today. [[image]] Sixteen years of National Air Racing The World's Premier Air Classic in Retrospect [[image]] Lincoln Beechey, "taking off" during the first American Air Races held at Dominguez Field, Los Angeles, California, in 1910. Before a small gathering inspired chiefly by curiosity, the first Air Races were held in 1909. During the 27 years that have elapsed since the memorable occasion the National Air Races have grown steadily in popularity and usefulness. Today they are recognized as the most important and impressive aviation events in the world, drawing an aggregate attendance in excess of one quarter million people. Not only have the National Air Races afforded thrilling entertainment to millions of people since their inception, but they have played a most important part in the rapid strides made in aviation. The Air Races are the recognized proving grounds for the developments and improvements made each year by the designers, inventors and manufacturers of planes, safety devices and flying equipment. The various trophy races with their handsome cash prizes have promoted the development of greater speed and safety flying. The friendly competition thus afforded has resulted in safe, fast planes which today are flying the airways of the world. The National Air Races, of the United States, most distinguished of aeronautical projects and now famous throughout the world, had their inception in 1920 when aviation was at its lowest ebb. At that time the general public considered riding in an airplane just as dangerous and spectacular as diving over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Mr. Joseph Pulitzer, desiring to stimulate commercial advancement and public interest in aviation, offered a valuable trophy to be competed for in closed course racing. It was posted at the first air meet held November 25, 1920, at Mitchell Field, Long Island, under the direction of the Aero Club of America, which at that time held exclusive rights to conduct aircraft contests under the rules and regulations of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. The race was held in four laps over a course 29 miles long, a total of 116 miles. Capt. C. C. Moseley of the Army Air Service captured the trophy, flying a specially built Berville-Packard 600 horse-power racer at an average speed of 156.54 miles per hour. Capt. H. E. Hartney of the Army Air Service won second place in a Thomas-Morse plane powered with a 300 horse-power Wright motor. This type of plane was later converted into the standard single-seated fighter of the Army. Third place was taken by Bert Acosta, who piloted an Ansaldo-S.P.A. Speed Records Tumble Speed records tumbled in the second Pulitzer race, which was held at Omaha, Nebraska, on November 3, 1921. Bert Acosta bettered the previous year's record by twenty miles per hour when he won the trophy by flying a Curtiss navy bi-plane at an average speed of 176.76 miles per hour. Clarence Coombs was second in his Curtiss tri-plane, the "Cactus Kitten," with a speed of 169.56 miles per hour. Lieutenant J. A. MacReady of the Army Air Service was third with a speed of 160.36 miles per hour. Detroit was the scene of the races in 1922, when for the first time they were conducted on a large scale as a connected whole. Besides the Pulitzer race, six preliminary events were scheduled, including the first race for commercial planes and the first cross-country derby and a free-for-all for civilian planes flying to Selfridge field from distant points. The other events were the Curtiss Marine Trophy Race, the Detroit News Aerial Mail Race, the Liberty Engine Builders' Trophy Race, and a race for the John L. Mitchell Trophy. The third Pulitzer race was, of course, the center of attraction, and it furnished the usual speed and thrills. The trophy was won by Lieut. R. J. Maughan of the Army Air Service, who piloted a Curtiss army plane at an average speed of 205.8 miles per hour. Second place went to Lieut. L. J. Maitland, who completed the course in a similar plane at 198.8 miles per hour. Lieut. H. J. Brow of the Navy won third place with an average speed of 193.8 miles per hour. During the Detroit meet the National Aeronautic Association in its present status was formed. The meet for 1923 was awarded by the N.A.A. to St. Louis, which occupied three days and included a number of special events in addition to the famous Pulitzer race. The "On-to-St. Louis" derby was open only to civilians and was won by C. S. "Casey" Jones who flew 900 miles from Garden City, Long Island, in 13 hours and 20 minutes. Many events were schedules for commercial planes only, and for the first time since the advent of the races, civilians mixed with military pilots in the competition. The Pulitzer Trophy Race in 1923 was as usual attended by sensational thrills. The Navy, still smarting from its complete defeat at the hands of the Army in the Detroit meet, had prepared fully for the 1923 races by building four new racers. The Army used the same planes as in the previous year. Lieut. A. J. (Al) Williams of the Navy piloted his Curtiss R2-C1 racer four times around the course at an average speed of 243.68 miles per hour, winning the trophy. Lieutenant Brow of the Navy was second with 241.77 miles per hour, and Lieut. L. H. Sanderson, U.S.M.C., third with an average speed of 230.06 miles per hour. [[image]] The World's Premier Classics of the Air as they appear now. Thousands thrill at these spectacular presentations. Wright Attends Races On the historic field in Dayton, Ohio, where the Wright brothers made their early successful flights, the 1924 National Air Races were held, October 2, 3 and 4. Thousands of spectators witnessed a series of contests leading up to the climactic Pulitzer race, which well depicted the remarkable progress of aviation within only a few years' time. One of the most interested spectators was Orville Wright. A spectacular aerial carnival was staged by Army pilots, assisted by the noted Langley Field bombers, the same planes that destroyed the Ostfriedland off Cape Hatteras. "Casey" Jones again won the feature derby, flying his famous Curtiss Oriole. This airman also won the Central Labor Union Trophy Race in the same plane, with an average speed of 125 miles per hour. PAGE 28 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION Interest in the Pulitzer Trophy, however, began to wane in 1924, when the Navy did not enter a single ship. Lieut. H. H. Mills, in a Verville Sperry, won the trophy with an average speed of 215.72 miles per hour. Mitchell Field, New York, was the scene of the 1925 National Air Races, in which all of the previous year's records for the same trophies except two were shattered. Several new types of military planes were developed for the meet; and new commercial planes, including the Bellanca with the Whirlwind engine, were first demonstrated. Foreign competition appeared for the first time when France sent over two Breguet observation planes for active competition. Both the Army and the Navy sent lone representatives to compete for the Pulitzer Prize. Lieut. Cyrus Bettis of the Army won the race with an average speed of 248.98 miles per hour, bettering by more than five miles an hour the record of Lieutenant Williams in 1923. Lieutenant Williams failed to attain his former record, coming second to Lieutenant Bettis with a speed of 241.7 miles per hour. Both pilots flew Curtiss R3-C1 racers. A specially built plane with an OX-5 motor, flown by Kenneth W. Montee of Santa Monica, California, won the "On-to-New York" cross-country derby. The Merchants Association Trophy was won by "Casey" Jones in his Curtiss Oriole at a speed of 134.2 miles per hour. Basil L. Rowe won the free-for-all Glen Curtiss trophy by averaging 102.9 miles per hour with his Thomas-Morse scout over a 12-mile triangular course. The Liberty Engine-Builders' Race was won by Captain Lemaitre of France, who flew his Breguet observation plane at 129.1 miles per hour. Races Are Established By 1926 the annual air classic was definitely established. In this year the National Air Races were held at Model Flying Field in Philadelphia, in conjunction with the exposition then in progress at that city. Aviation's remarkable advances were vividly illustrated in several innovations at the Philadelphia races. For the first time in air race history the substitution of a new engine was made in a plane so that it could compete in another event. For the first time also crowds in the grandstand heard music broadcast from a Sikorsky plane flying over the field. The use of air-cooled motors in modern pursuit ships was noted as marking the return of this type of engine to wide use. Although the Pulitzer trophy was no longer competed for, the free-for-all pursuit race was a worthy successor. Lieut. G. T Cuddihy of the Navy won this race with a Packard-Boeing pursuit plane, averaging 180.015 miles per hour. One of the most informative events in the 1926 races was for transport planes carrying a minimum pay load of 1,000 pounds. This race was won by C. C Champion, both for speed and for efficiency. He flew his Wright-Bellanca-Whirlwind at an average speed of 121.531 miles per hour. James G. Ray, flying a Sesqui-Wing, outsped "Casey" Jones' Oriole to win the Aviation Town and Country Club race at an average speed of 136.37 miles per hour. For the first six years of their existence the National Air Races had been confined to the East. In 1927, however, the scene was moved to Spokane, Washington, where large and enthusiastic crowds attended the twelve scheduled races. Trans-continental and sectional air derbies was inaugurated at these races, and they attained such popularity that they have been repeated annually. The feature derby from Roosevelt Field, New York, to Spokane was captured by C. W. Holman, who spanned the continent in his Laird Plane in 19 hours 42 minutes 47 seconds. The feature event of the 1927 closed course events was the Seattle Chamber of Commerce Trophy Free-for-All Race, won by James Ray in his Pitcairn, which averaged 136.15 miles per hour. Ray also carried off the Detroit Aviation Town and Country Club Trophy with the same plane at an average speed of 138.39 miles per hour. The trophy for winning the military pursuit ship race went to Lieut. E. C. Batten, whose speed averaged 201.24 miles per hour. The Turning Point Dating from the 1928 National Air Races, each subsequent meet has been larger and more successful from every point of view. The 1928 races, held at Miles Field, Los Angeles, California, from September 8 to September 16, drew capacity crowds, attracting a total attendance of over 300,000 people. It marked the turning point in the history of the National Air Races. Prior to this, the project was a 2 to 3-day air meet on a small scale basis with only military participation. It introduced commercial aviation. The Army and Navy were present with their best ships and most competent pilots. The Navy's "Three Sea Hawks" and the "Army's "Three Musketeers" flew in marvelous "eschelon" and "V" formations, holding the crowds spellbound. Colonel Lindbergh presented an unusual exhibition flight, as did Amelia Earhart in her "Moth," "Dill-Pickle" and "Baby Bullett" planes. Never had enthusiasm run so high in the nine years of air races as at the 1929 races in Cleveland. This "Air Classic of the Century" was attended by more than a half million people during the ten days from August 24 to September 2. For the first time in the history of the races military planes and pilots were forced to yield the spotlight to commercial planes and civilian pilots. Doug Davis of Atlanta, Georgia, easily vanquished both the Army and the Navy in the sensational free-for-all race. He flew his special low-wing Travel-Air at an average speed of l94.90 miles per hour. (Continued on Page 30) 1936 NATIONAL AIR RACES PAGE 29
