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1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field



 
 
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Old July 8th 19, 02:28 PM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.aviation
Miloch
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Default 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1910_L...ingu ez_Field

The Los Angeles International Air Meet (January 10 to January 20, 1910) was
among the earliest airshows in the world and the first major airshow in the
United States. It was held in Los Angeles County, California, at Dominguez Field
in present-day Carson, California. Spectator turnout numbered approximately
254,000 over 11 days of ticket sales. The Los Angeles Times called it "one of
the greatest public events in the history of the West."

Los Angeles' place among the earliest airshows

While it is well documented that Wilbur and Orville Wright first flew on
December 17, 1903, the early 1900s saw several competing claims to have made the
first practical airplane. The Wrights filed for a patent on their flying machine
on March 23, 1903, and Patent Number 821393 is dated May 22, 1906. They moved
their flying north east of Dayton to a 100-acre field called Huffman Prairie and
continued to develop their aircraft design. The year 1908 saw the Wright's first
publicized demonstration flights.

On August 8, 1908, at the Hunaudières track near Le Mans, France, the Wrights
silenced European doubters. In a first demonstration lasting only one minute 45
seconds, Wilbur Wright's effortless banking turns and ability to fly in a circle
amazed and stunned onlookers, including several French aviation pioneers, among
them Louis Blériot.

Several airshows featuring competitions, aircraft makers, and pilots were held
in 1909, including ones at Frankfurt in Germany and Reims, France. The Frankfurt
airshow, which began in July 1909 (now named Internationale Luft- und
Raumfahrtausstellung (ILA)) claims to be the world's first such
multi-participant show. The Grande Semaine d'Aviation in Reims took place during
August 1909, and attracted by over half a million spectators. Shortly after the
Reims airshow, Charles Willard and A. Roy Knabenshue resolved to stage the first
such show in the United States, targeting the winter of 1909 - 1910 for its
occurrence.

Los Angeles preparations

Knabenshue and Willard selected the Los Angeles, California, area for its
favorable winter weather. After receiving a promise of participation from Glenn
Curtiss, Knabenshue contacted Los Angeles promoter Dick Ferris, who in turn
mobilized local businesses and formed an organizing committee.

A field near Santa Anita Park was considered, but physical obstructions such as
tall trees led the aviators to search elsewhere. By December 1909, they selected
Dominguez Field atop a small hill that had been developed by Manuel Dominguez on
land once part of Rancho San Pedro, an early Spanish land grant.

Once the site was finalised, promotion of the meet began and grandstands with a
capacity of between 50,000 and 60,000 were erected. An aviators' camp was also
constructed nearby. The passenger platform at the local Pacific Electric Railway
station was expanded to accommodate visitors to the rural site who might travel
from downtown Los Angeles.

Organizers invited pilots of monoplanes, biplanes, balloons, and dirigibles. To
reinforce the event's "international" billing, French aviator Louis Paulhan, a
notable from the 1909 Reims meet, was invited. Paulhan was guaranteed a small
sum of money as encouragement to attend. Cash prizes were allotted for
competitive events in altitude, speed, and endurance.

Participants

The 1910 Air Meet drew many famous aviators, most of whom were American. Glenn
Curtiss, American aviation pioneer and founder of the Curtiss Aeroplane and
Motor Company was the most famous. Other participants included Roy Knabenshue,
Charles Willard, Lincoln Beachey and Charles K. Hamilton, Howard Warfield Gill,
and Clifford B. Harmon, many of whom are listed among the Early Birds of
Aviation. French aviators at the event included Louis Paulhan and Didier Masson.

The Wright brothers did not take part in the event, but were there with their
lawyers in an attempt to prevent Paulhan and Curtiss from flying. The Wrights
claimed that the ailerons on their aircraft infringed patents. Notwithstanding
their allegations, Paulhan and Curtis still made flights.

Paulhan gave William Randolph Hearst his first experience of flight. However,
William Boeing, who had been enthused by the new invention of the airplane, was
unable to get a ride on any aircraft at the air meet:

"While attending the first American Air Meet in Los Angeles, Boeing asked nearly
every aviator for a ride, but no one said yes except Louis Paulhan. For three
days Boeing waited, but on the 4th day he discovered Paulhan had already left
the meet. Possibly, one of the biggest missed opportunities in Paulhan's life
was the ride he never gave Boeing.

As part of the larger Wright brothers' patent cases, the Wrights actually won
monetary damages in U.S. courts for Paulhan's public performances that day.

Attendance

An estimated 254,000 tickets were sold, and gate receipts were roughly
$137,500.[2] During the time the meet was running, streetcars ran to Dominguez
Fields every 2 minutes from the Pacific Electric station in Los Angeles.[14] The
great crowd turn-out, averaging more than 20,000 spectators per day, made it
possible to return $1.25 to "the subscribers to the aviation fund for every
dollar advanced".[15] Probably not the only future-notable person to see the
show, 9-year-old Florence Leontine Lowe, later better known as "Pancho" Barnes,
was brought by her grandfather, aviation pioneer Thaddeus S. C. Lowe. It was
here that she was inspired to begin her own later career in aviation.[3] By the
end of the event, the backer announced a profit of $60,000 after disbursing
prize money.[16]

Competitive events

Aviators competed for the $75,000 in prizes according to a standard procedure.
The aviators would first "notify the judges for which prize they [were] about to
compete"[13] and then fly around the 1.61-mile (2.59 km) course, always in an
anti-clockwise direction.[13] Aviators were informed that they "must not fly
over the grand stand or any place where a crowd is assembled without permission
of the judges." Violators of this rule were penalised.

All flights taking place between 2 p.m. and sunset counted towards scoring for
prizes. Aviators were encouraged to fly as many times per day as possible, and
to make as many record attempts in the competitive events as possible. In fact,
those contestants who "do not make a flight every day between the hours of two
and five o'clock p. m. of one complete circuit of the course in competition for
the speed or endurance competitions will be penalized five per cent of their
best time for the prize." Only the best time was counted during the judging at
the end of the meet.

Ballooning competitions and events were also held in the Los Angeles suburb of
Huntington Park throughout the week. These events included attempts to reach a
new altitude record and passenger flights.

Prizes offered

The following prizes were offered at the air meet. All prices are given in 1910
US dollars.

$10,000.00 for "the machine which, carrying two or more persons, breaks all
worlds records for duration, altitude, distance and speed."
$7,500.00 for "the machine making the best general average in all events."
$5,000.00 for setting a new height record.
$5,000.00 for setting a new endurance record.
$500.00 for "the circuit of least diameter."
$500.00 for the shortest take-off time.
$500.00 for the shortest take-off distance.
$500.00 for the "greatest ability during flight (general average)."
$500.00 for the longest glide with the motor shut off.
$500.00 for the "best general average in landing at a given point."
$1,500.00 for any aircraft which was designed and built by a resident of
California, Arizona, or Nevada which was able to fly five miles or more.
$500.00 for any aircraft which was designed and built by a resident of
California, Arizona, or Nevada which was able to fly two miles or more.
$2,500 for an aircraft that could "soar (not glide) without power save that of
the aviator."
$10,000.00 for a dirigible flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
$5,000.00 for a non-stop dirigible flight with more than two passengers from Los
Angeles to San Diego and back.
$10,000.00 for a balloon flight to the Atlantic Coast without landing.
$5,000.00 for the first balloon flight to east of the Mississippi River without
landing.
$2,500.00 for breaking Count de la Vaux's long distance record of 1,193 miles
(1,920 km).
$2,500.00 for the first balloon to land within five miles (8 km) of San
Francisco.

Prize winners

Paulhan dominated the Dominguez meet, winning $19,000 in prize money with the
following accomplishments:

*New flight endurance record; carrying a passenger almost 110 miles (177
kilometers) in his Farman III biplane in 1 hour, 49 minutes.

*New altitude mark of approximately 4,164 feet (1,269 m).

He also performed several aerial feats during the week, and carried U.S. Army
1st Lieutenant Paul W. Beck aloft on January 19 for one of the first tests of
aerial bomb-dropping.

Glenn Curtiss set a new air speed record of approximately 55 miles per hour (89
kilometers per hour),[19] and took home the prize for the best quick start. In
all, he won approximately $6,500.




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