International Aviation Meeting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 20, 18 May 1910, Page 10

International Aviation Meeting.

SENSATIONAL FLIGHTS WITH PASSENGERS.

At the international aviation meeting at Los Angeles on January 10, Paulham, the celebrated Frenchman, appeared in the presence of 20,000 speetiUora, and.

caused a frenzy of excitement. He gave a remarkable exhibition of his control of iiis machine,making sharp turns as gracefully as a gull, dipping suddenly to the ground, scattering frightened oflieials, skimming the grandstand a few feet above the heads of the spectators, ascending again, descending, and just clearing the top of his tent, alighting within a. hundred feet of the entrance. The demonstration following this feat wail one the like of which has seldom been seen in the United States. Curtiss, the American, made a short flight, keeping his machine in perfect control, and several dirigibles sailed over the grandstand 200 ft. above the heads of the spectators. Then Paulhani in his biplane swung round the course at great speed. Girding the course once and half he suddenly cut straight for the grandstand, turned, described another circle, and disappearing from view, soared this way and that over adjacent country, eventually descending in front of his quarters. Again he ascended, darted hither and thither, and then suddenly shot downward. It seemed that he must surely wreck his aeroplane against the solid earth. Groups of men gathered hero and there scattered in fear from the playfully sudden dips of the machine, which was suddenlyheaded direct for the grandstand, but, when almost upon the immense concourse of spectators there assembled, the bow of the aeroplane -was pointed upwards, and it skimmed gracefully over the heads of the crowd.

A thrilling finale was witnessed on the following day in the presence of 30,060 spectators. Records were broken, sensational flights were made with passengers, and four aeroplanes were seen at the same time breasting a semi-gale. Curtiss defeated Paulham in a keen race. He flew in a wide circle in front of the grandstand at the rate of fifty-five miles an hour, with his manager on the seat. Paulham, accompanied by his mechanician, circled three miles. He covered more ground than Curtiss, but at less -speed than his opponent. Paulham drove his big Farniau biplane round and round the course, and then, in a tiny PJeriot monopoly, resembling a giant horsefly, gave an exhibition of nerve and daring, surpassing anything he had done ■before. Then Curtiss, climbing upon his ■biplane, which won the International Cup a.t Rheims, accompanied by his manager, put up a passenger speed record. Circling wide in front of the grandstand he flew at all angles against the wind and landed almost at the spot from