INTERNATIONAL AVIATION MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 38, 14 February 1910, Page 8

INTERNATIONAL AVIATION MEETING.

» RECORDS BROKEN. SENSATIONAL, FLIGHTS WITH PASSENGERS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, January 14. At the intera—i.kmal aviation meetim*-a-t Los Angeles on January 10, Paulham, the celebrj.ted French_o_-i, appeared in the presence of 20,000 spect-tors, and caused a _-er__y of exc-t-ment. He gave a remaTkahle exhibition of his control of ii-s ma-—line, r___—ing —harp -turns. as gracefully a_ a gull, dipping suddenly to the ground, scat-cring frigh-tcned officia_s, ski—rming the grandstand a few feet above the head- of the spectator-, ascending again, descending, and just; clearing the top of his tent, alighting within , a hundred feet of the entrance. The I denx>nsti__on fol_ow-__g this feat was, | one the like of which has seldom been seen in the United States, Curtiss, the American, made a short flight, keeping his madline in perfect contral, and sevj eral dirigibles sailed over the gi__ads—_nd i 200:t. above the beads of the spectators. j Then PattL_-_mrn___?b-p-a__e _-w_ngro__d I the course at great speed. C_r_ang the I course once and half he suddenly cut j —trajgl-t for the grandstand-, turned- dei scr-hed another circle, and disappearing , trom view, scared t-Tts way and __-t | over adjacent country, ev_-___tly dcs- ; cending in froirt of his quarters. Again he ascended, darted rather and thither, j and _.en suddenly shot downward. It I seemed _iat he must s_rely wreck his ! aerc»p_—ie against-the solid ear—— Groups of ___i gathered here and there scattered in fear from the pLay-TtQy sudden dips of the machine. w_id_ was suddeirrv headed direct for the grand--aad, but, . when almost upon the immense concourse of spectators there assenibled, the bow of tie ae-ropfc__e svas pointed upwards, and ire s_______ed gra-ref—_ly o~_r _—s beads of the crowd. A _— ____le -was w__-_3se_ on tire following day in the presence of 30.000 spec—_—on?. Records were broken, sens_£so__l f_g_ts wexe Trrarl*. with passe—gars, and four aeroplanes were 6een at ■■__c same -ti-ne l?re_s—__ *■ a semi-gale. ! C_rt—s defeased I_,i_____o in a keen race. He new in a wide circle in front of the _T__edst__d at the rate of fifty-five miles an ironx. with bis ma_ager on the seat. Pa_lha__- accompanied by bis me__anici_n, circled three males. He covered trore ground than Curtiss. bat _t less speed than his opponent. Pa_B—un drove -his big Fa____—. bipl__e round and ra_3_ the course, and tben, in a tiny Bleriot inanopoiy. resenrbting a giant horsefly, gave an exhibition of nerve and | —-ring, __rpassir»g »iryt___g he had done : before. Then Curtiss, climbing upon his | biplane, which won the International I Gup at Rbeims. accompairicd by his man- , ager, put up a passenger speed record. Oirelrng wide in front of the grandstand jhe flew at all angles against the wind and landed almost at the spot from winch he started. At the first attempt lie lowered all records for distance, and for time in leavin? the ground afteaquitting the starting point. He rose 98 feet' from the starting point, the best ] previous record being 150 feet. He made i a second trial and rose 6 2-ssecs. after j leaving the starting point, establishing a I now record, the best previous being eight ! seconds. Paulham attempted to do the I same feaits, but was unable to get anything near Curtiss' records, his heavy I machine being unable to make such a I quick ascension. The same result folI lowed PauUi_r_'s attempt to beat Curtiss' records with a Bleriot monoplane. Finally. Curtiss ascended, Paulham, WTI- 7--lard. Krrubenskue. and Beaehy followed, and there were three aeroplanes and two balloons circling overhead. Curtiss stopped and picked up a passenger, and Paulham followed suit, the rivalry between these two camps aTousixig the greatest enthusiasm and excitement.