LINDBERGH RACE

Evening Star, Issue 22515, 7 December 1936, Page 11

LINDBERGH RACE

BIG MONEY PMZES Two million francs in prices will be offered for the transatlantic air derby from New York to Paris winch the French Air Ministry is organising to be held on May 21 next year to commemorate the tenth anniversary, of Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh’s flight (says the New York ‘ Times ’). Rules for the contest have been drawn up by a committee of the Aero Club de France, and will be. submitted to Pierre Cot, Air Minister, for his approval. They provide a prize of 1,000,000 francs for the winner, 500,000 francs for the second flyer. 300,000 francs for the third, and 200,000 for the fourth. • , ' Each entrant in the derby will be obliged to pay an entrance fee of francs for each aeroplane entered. This money will be distributed also among the winners, the victor receiving half of this total ’and the second and third getting one-quarter each. All types of land aeroplanes or land autogiros will be permitted to enter. Each aircraft must carry radio equipment. and pilots must make an exhibition flight over the starting field, in the presence of qualified judges within, four days before take-off date for the derby. Pilots judged not to be qualified to undertake such a flight may be barred from competition. It is stipulated that under all nor. mal conditions the race must start oi» May 21, 1937, but in the case of'exceptionally bad weather the Race Commit, tee will have power to postpone the start. One of the provisions is that the competitors will not be, barred from refuelling en route, which will mean that the flyers can take fuel from refuelling aeroplanes at sea or on land in Ireland or Great Britain and taka off again for Paris. The departures will be made at spaced intervals in an order to be decided by lot. The winner must cross a line to be drawn on Le Bourget Field. Those entrants who have not crossed the line within 48 hours after the starting gun has been fired will be declared not to have finished. As soon as they are approved by the Air Minister the complete set of rules for the race" will he available at the Aero Club do France.