Aeronautical Society Meet

The second Harvard-Boston aviation meet, which was held at the Aeronautical Society's field at Atlantic, from August 26 to September 6, proved to be just as successful as that of last year, and served to demonstrate the remarkable strides that have been made in aviation during the past year. The meet was unfortunate from the point of view of the weather. It stormed so hard on August 29 and 30 that the events of those days had to be postponed to the corresponding days of the following week. The management deserves great credit for the fact that there were no accidents, so that Boston has had two great aviation meets in which no aviator has been hurt. Unlike last year, it is difficult to pick out any star, for nearly at one time or another. Perhaps the most sensational flight was that of Ovington, by which he won the Boston Globe prize of $10,000 for the inter-state cross-country race.

Grahame--White started out on the first day to repeat his performance of last year and carried away nearly all the prizes for that day. He used a Nieuport monoplane with a 70 horse-power Gnome engine, and it was the prettiest machine on the field, as well as one of the speediest. On the second day of the meet, however, it was Beachey who was the centre of interest. The weather was unfavorable for flying, being cloudy and threatening with a small gale blowing, but in spite of this he ascended some 2,000 feet in his Curtis biplane, and pointing it into the wind, against which he could make no headway, he remained stationary in the air. He descended in a most sensational manner, volplaning and banking against the wind. It was on this day, too, that Atwood, having just returned from his remarkable cross-country flight, landed on the field after a short flight from Wollaston, and was received with great enthusiasm.

The weather proved a bar to flying the next three days, but on the following day the meet was resumed with many brilliant performances. The chief event was the flight to Boston Light. This event was competed four different days, three prizes, aggregating $2,500 daily, being offered each time. This year there were five machines entered as against only one last year. The course consisted of once around the field, and twice around the light and back, a dictance of 33 miles. On this day, Sopwith took first and Ovington second, although Grahame-White made the fastest time only to be disqualified. The other contestants either had engine trouble or lost their way. Other events were the altitude quick-climbing to a height of 2,000 feet, in which Beachey again demonstrated his skill in management when he came down in thrilling spirals; the accuracy in landing contest, and the quick start.

On the following day, Beachey took nearly all the prizes and accomplished one of the most remarkable feats that has been done at any meet this year, by beating, in his Curtis biplane, one of the fastest Bleriot monoplanes, over the Boston Light course. Ovington took second place. A wind of 28 miles an hour was blowing, and on account of this Beachey was the only aviator willing to risk the flight to the Blue Hills observatory and back for the $1,000 prize. He encountered many difficulties on the trip but accomplished it safely in 20 minutes, 22 seconds.

On Labor Day, Boston witnessed the best flying that it has ever seen. Ovington won the Boston Globe $10,000 cross-country inter-state flight for monoplanes in 3 hours, 6 minutes, 22 seconds. The course lay first to Nashua, N. H., then to Worcester, from there to Providence, R. I., and back again to the field. The contest committee offered a special prize of $7,500 for a flight by biplanes over the same course, which was won by Lieutenant T. D. Milling, U. S. N., in a Burgess Wright machine in 5 hours, 22 minutes, 27 seconds. The only other man to enter the Globe contest was Stone, but he had trouble with his motor and had to land at Medford. He was granted a consolation prize of $1,000, however. While these long flights were going on, Grahame-White and Sopwith made several creditable performances on the field.

On the final day of the meet the weather permitted Grahame-White to show the real speed of his Nieuport monoplane and he covered the Boston Light course, a distance of 33 miles, in the remarkable time of 27 minutes, 35 1-5 seconds.

Had the conditions been as good as might reasonably have been expected there is little doubt that this second Harvard- Boston aviation meet would have been the most successful and sensational meet that has ever been conducted in this country. Yet in spite of everything one who saw the meet of last year could not have helped being greatly impressed with the enormous advance in the science of the aviation in so short a period