Flights & Flyers

Gasbag Derby. From Cleveland Airport one afternoon last week six gasbags cast off into a leaden sky for the 19th James Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race. Late the next afternoon the two favorites, the U. S. Goodyear and Belgian entries were still aloft, fighting it out for the second leg of the third Bennett cup.

Near Norwich, N. Y., the Goodyear VIII, with the veteran Ward Tunte Van Orman and Alan MacCracken, was hurled down 8,000 ft. by a vertical current. The basket hit the earth, bounced up again, sailed on. Near Canton, Mass., the pilots deliberately landed, they said, to avoid being blown to sea. With a distance mark of 550 mi. they were (unofficially) winners of the fifth consecutive U. S. victory.

Meanwhile in the Belgica Capt. Ernest de Muyter (fourtimes winner) with Leon Coeckelbaerg fought lightning, snow and loss of altitude. All ballast gone, Coeckelbaerg slid down the drag rope into a tree to lighten the load, but the bag settled at Adams, Mass., a 435 mi. mark. For the co-pilot's heroism, disqualification was threatened.

Other unofficial standings: third, Barmen (Germany), 425 mi.; fourth, City of Detroit, 400 mi.; fifth, City of Cleveland, 350 mi.; sixth, Pierre Fisbach (France), 160 mi.

Ladies' Endurance. Mlle Maryse Bastie, sometimes called "most beauteous flyer in the world," flew over Le Bourget Airfield for 37 hr. 54 min. last week, broke the women's world record for endurance.

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