AAHSAAHS FLIGHTLINEFLIGHTLINE #170, First Quarter 2010 American Aviation Historical Society www.aahs-online.org 100th Anniversary of the First International Aviation Meet in U.S. January 2010 marks the 100th Angeles to establish preliminary contacts anniversary of the first international and finalize the plans for the event. aviation meet (air meet) held in the Momentum for the Aviation Meet began United States. The location was to build with invitations being sent to Dominguez Field, part of an old Mexican pilots to participate, including Louis land grant that is now the Los Angeles Paulhan, a well known French aviator of suburb of Carson, California. the time. Dominguez Field adjoined the present- The dates January 10-20, 1910, were day campus of California State set, a site was selected and work began University (CSU), Dominguez Hills. on constructing grandstands. Pacific Interest in aviation had been rapidly Electric extended an existing trolley line growing in the U.S. since the Wright and built a station to help handle the brothers, first powered flights. This large number of spectators that were interest was accelerated with the news expected to attend. The organizers invit- Poster promoting the Aviation Meet. coverage of the First International Air ed a variety of participants. including Meet held in Reims, France, in 1909. operators of hot air balloons and dirigi- Shortly after the Reims event a bles as well as airplanes. Prizes were favorite at the event, having arrived with group of air enthusiasts and pilots at an established for scheduled events that two Bleriot monoplanes, two Farman aviation event in St. Louis, Mo., included altitude, speed and endurance biplanes and an entourage that included discussed the possibility of holding an competitions. his wife and a black poodle. He didn’t air meet in Los Angeles. This group disappoint the crowd with his included Charles Willard, Roy The Participants performance and would be the top prize Knabenshue and Glenn Curtiss. The The final list of participants was winner of the event. He established a group was determined to explore this Glenn Curtiss, Louis Paulhan, Charles number of firsts during the competition. project and sent Dick Ferris to Los Willard, Didier Masson, Lincoln One was that he gave William Randolph Beachey, Roy Knabenshue, and Charles Hearst his first plane ride. He also took Highlights of What’s Inside: Hamilton. Lt. Paul Beck of the U.S. Army up on a Paulhan was the heavyweight flight. During the flight, Lt. Beck - 100th Anniversary of the First U.S. International Air Meet - History Lives at the Military Aviation Museum - AAHS Launches New Web Site Design - Air-Britain Annual AAHS Award - Meet the AAHS Staff Regular Sections - Wants & Disposals - President’s Message - Photo Archives Report - Book Reviews Postcard commemorating the Aviation Meet. (From the CSU Dominguez Hills - New Members archives) Text in blue is linked to its subject matter meet. Financially it was PRIZES and WINNERS a success with gate Prize Award* Winner receipts totaling more Best Speed during Meet (10 laps) than $137,000 ($3M), First $3,000 ($66,000) Glenn Curtiss – 23:43.4 which do not include Second $2,000 ($44,000) Louis Paulhan – 24:59.4 ancillary revenues for Third $500 ($11,000) Charles K. Hamilton – 30:34.6 food and transportation Endurance, best during Meet generated by the event. First $3,000 ($66,000) Louis Paulhan – 1:58:32 / 75.77 miles Second $2,000 ($44,000) Glenn Curtiss – 1:35:05 / 37.05 miles The 1910 Meet was Third $500 ($11,000) Charles K. Hamilton 39:40 / 19.44 miles considered by many to Height at any time during Meet have helped alleviate a First $3,000 ($66,000) Louis Paulhan – 4,165 ft. perceived economic Second $2,000 ($44,000) Charles K. Hamilton – 626 ft. drought in the area. It is Third $500 ($11,000) Glenn Curtiss – (not recorded) considered by some to Slowest lap during Meet $500 ($11,000) Charles K. Hamilton – 3:36.4 have been instrumental Quickest takeoff $250 ($5,500) Glenn Curtiss – 6.4 sec. in launching the aviation Shortest takeoff distance $250 ($5,500) Glenn Curtiss – 98 ft. industry in the L.A. Starting & Landing in Square $250 ($5,500) Charles F. Willard Cross-Country (distance) $10,000 ($220,000) Louis Paulhan – 45 miles / 1:02:42.8 basin that would grow to include Douglas, * Numbers in parentheses are the current-day, dollar-value equivalents. Northrop, Lockheed, and North American, performed what was essentially the first bombing test by among others. dropping weighted bags at markers located on the ground. Paulhan and Curtiss would go on to win most of the prizes, Charles K. Hamilton was one of the first aviation with the other participants putting in a competitive showing. barnstormers. He took up hot air ballooning and parachute The unofficial results and prize money awards are shown in the jumping at circuses and fairs at the age of 18. By the 1910 accompanying table as presented in the January 21, 1910, Los Aviation Meet, he had been piloting dirigibles with Roy Angeles Times. Published results from other sources indicate Knabenshue, toured Japan in a dirigible and in 1909 had that Paulhan’s total winnings were $14,000 ($66,300), while become an exhibition pilot for Glenn Curtiss. After the Meet, Curtiss took home $6,500 ($143,000). he went on to win $10,000 ($220,000)1 for flying from New York City to Philadelphia in June and participated in the New 1 Figures shown in parenthesis are the current dollar value York International Air Meet in October. He joined the equivalents in today’s money. Moisant’s International Aviators touring the U.S. in 1911. While performing in El Paso, Tex., he used his plane to observe Editor’s note: California State University Dominguez troop movements over Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, between Hills is conducting a fund raiser to honor the 100th anniver- Mexican Government troops and rebels – one of the earliest sary of the Los Angeles International Aviation Meet. These recorded uses of a plane for military purposes. funds will go to producing a PBS quality documentary along A race car driver and Harvard graduate, Charles Willard with a companion coffee table book, DVD, and a physical/dig- was one of Glenn Curtiss’ first students. He went on to become ital archive. For more information go to Glenn Martin’s chief engineer and help design flying boats for http://csudh.edu/1910airmeet/fundraiser. Curtiss. Roy Knabenshue was one of the first dirigible pilots, piloting the “California Arrow” at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. In 1909 he became the manager of the Wright Brothers Exhibition Flying Team responsible for booking their events. Lincoln Beachey and Glenn Curtiss are well known for their aviation exploits, so are not addressed in this article. The Event The Los Angles International Aviation Meet kicked off on January 10, 1910, as scheduled. An opening day crowd estimated at 20,000, including most of Los Angeles’ prominent business men and society people, witnessed a display of aerial feats from early afternoon until dark. According to the Aviators walk the track in front of the grandstand. (l-r) Jerome Fanguilla Los Angeles Times, all went home “wild over avia- (Glenn Curtiss' manager), Glenn Curtiss, Didier Masson, Louis Paulhan, tion.” Over the course of the 11-day event it is esti- Charles Miscarol and Charles Willard. (From the CSU Dominguez Hills mated that more than 225,000 people attended the archives) AAHS FLIGHTLINE No. 170, First Quarter 2010 2 www.aahs-online.org History Lives at the Military Aviation Museum by Felix Usis Above: B-25J "Wild Cargo," 44-30129, N7946C, makes a low pass on arrival at the museum August 29, 2008. Right: Detail of the nose art on this beautifully restored airplane. (All photos by author) Almost 70 years ago, in the skies over America, the sounds creating the museum’s hangar, a 1937 100-foot tall red and of U.S. Navy, Army Air Force, and Coast Guard aircraft could white checkered water tower was disassembled, moved from be heard training and preparing for war. Now, these sounds Kentucky, and reassembled on location as part of the fire live again, as a North American P-51D Mustang, General suppression system. Motors built TBM Avenger, or one of the 30 other military Even though the hangar vintage aircraft, start engines in preparation to fly. Once again was completed in 2003 they take to the skies accompanied by the mighty roar of an and opened to the public Allison, Pratt & Whitney, or Merlin engine. on the first of May 2008, This is all at the Military Aviation Museum located at 1341 the site is not complete. Princess Anne Blvd, Virginia Beach, Virginia. The museum Approval has been houses one of the largest private collections of propeller-driven granted for the building airworthy fighters, bombers, trainers and seaplanes, spanning of a 16,000 square foot the time of military aviation from before WWI through the maintenance hangar for Korean War era. the relocation of the The museum’s vintage military aircraft are available for Fighter Factory. The flight demonstrations, static display, movie production, Fighter Factory is the commercials, and air shows. Most important, the aircraft and indispensable mainte- many items of ground support equipment are available for nance component of the general viewing from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day of the museum, and is located year, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. at Suffolk Executive They fly off the 5,000-foot long strip of Virginia Beach Airport (SFQ). Without Airport (42VA).