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new article of commerce with the opening of the fiscal
year 1911…12。
Two of the prominent developments of 1911 were the
introduction of the hydro…aeroplane and the motorless glider
experiments of the Wright brothers at Killdevil Hills； N。 C。；
where during the two weeks' experiments numerous flights
with and against the wind were made； culminating in the
establishing of a record by Orville Wright on October 25；
1911； when in a 52…mile per hour blow he reached an elevation
of 225 feet and remained in the air 10 minutes and 34
seconds。 The search for the secret of automatic stability
still continues； and though some remarkable progress has
been made the solution has not yet been reached。
NOTABLE CROSS…COUNTRY FLIGHTS OF 1911。
One of the important features of 1911 in aviation was the
rapid increase in the number and distance of cross…country
flights made either for the purpose of exhibition； testing；
instruction or pleasure。 Flights between cities in almost every
country of the world became common occurrences。 So great
was the number that only those of more than ordinary importance
because of speed； distance or duration are recorded。
The flights of Harry N。 Atwood from Boston to Washington
and from St。 Louis to New York； and C。 P。 Rodgers from
New York to Los Angeles were the most important events
of the kind in this country。 The St Louis to New York flight
was a distance by air route； 1；266 miles。 Duration of flight；
12 days。 Net flying time； 28 hours 53 minutes。 Average
daily flight； 105。5 miles。 Average speed； 43。9 miles per hour。
Transcontinental Flight of Calbraith P。 Rodgers。All
world records for cross…country flying were broken during
the New York to Los Angeles flight of Calbraith P。 Rodgers；
who left Sheepshead Bay； N。 Y。； on Sunday； September 17；
1911； and completed his flight to the Pacific Coast on Sunday；
November 5； at Pasadena； Cal。 Rodgers flew a Wright biplane；
and during his long trip the machine was repeatedly
repaired； so great was the strain of the long journey in the
air。 Rodgers is estimated to have covered 4；231 miles；
although the actual route as mapped out was but 4；017 miles。
Elapsed time to Pasadena； Cal。； 49 days； actual time in the
air； 4；924 minutes； equivalent to 3 days 10 hours 4 minutes；
average speed approximating 51 miles per hour。 Rodgers'
longest flight in one day was from Sanderson to Sierra Blanca；
Texas； on October 28； when he covered 231 miles。 On November
12； Rodgers fell at Compton； Cal。； and was badly injured；
causing a delay of 28 days。
European Circuit Race。Started from Paris on June 18；
1911。 Distance； 1；073 miles； via Paris to Liege； Liege to Spa
to Liege； Liege to Utrecht； Holland； Utrecht to Brussels；
Belgium； Brussels to Roubaix； Roubaix to Calais； Calais to
London； London to Calais and Calais to Paris。 Three aeronauts
were killed either at the start or shortly after the race
was in progress。 They were Capt。 Princetau； M。 Le Martin
and M。 Lendron。 Three others were injured by falls。 Seven
hundred thousand spectators witnessed the start from the
aviation field at Vincennes； near Paris。 There were more
than forty starters； of which eight finished。 The winner； Lieut。
Jean Conneau； who flies under the name of 〃Andre Beaumont；〃
completed the circuit on July 7； his actual net flying time for
the distance being 58h。 38m。 4…5s。
Circuit of England Race1；010 Miles in Five Sections。
Start； July 22。 Finish； July 26。 Prize； 50；000。 Twenty…
eight entries and eighteen starters。 Seventeen finished the
first section from Brooklands to Hendon； a distance of twenty
miles。 Five reached Edinburgh； the second section； a distance
of 343 miles； and four completed the entire circuit。
Paris to Madrid Race。This race was started at the Paris
aviation held at Issy…les…Moulineaux on Sunday； May 21。 There
were twenty…one entrants； and fully 300；000 spectators gathered
to witness the initial flight of the aerial races。 The race
was divided into three stages as follows： Paris to Angouleme；
248 miles； Angouleme to St。 Sebastian； 208 miles； and from
St。 Sebastian to Madrid； 386 miles； a total distance of 842
miles。 After three of the entrants had safely left the field；
Aviator Train lost control of his plane； and in falling struck
and killed M。 Berteaux； the French Minister of War； and
seriously injured Premier Monis。 The accident caused the
withdrawal of all but six of the original entrants； and of these
but one finished。 The race called for a flight over the
Pyrenees Mountains； and Vedrines； the winner； had to rise
to a height of more than 7；000 feet to pass the mountain
barrier near Somosierra Pass。 Both Vedrines and Gibert； another
competitor； were attacked by eagles during the latter
stages of the flight。 Vedrines； who started from Paris on
Monday； May 22； finished the long and perilous race at 8：06
a。 m。 Friday； May 26。 Vedrines net flying time； all controls
and enforced stops subtracted； was 14h。 55m。 18s。 The various
prizes to the winner aggregated 30；000。
The Paris…Rome…Turin Race。The conditions of this race
called for a flight between the cities of Paris； Rome and
Turin； covering a distance of 1；300 miles。 The aviators were
permitted by the rules to alight whenever and wherever they
desired and the time limit was set from May 28 to June 15。
A prize of 100；000 was offered the winner； but the contest
was never finished； as one after another the aviators dropped
out until Frey fell near Roncigilione； France； breaking both
arms and legs and unofficially ending the contest。 There
were twenty…one entries and twelve actual starters。
International Speed Cup Race。The third annual international
James Gordon Bennett speed cup race was held at
Eastchurch； England； on July 1； 1911； and for the second
time was won by an American aviator； C。 T。 Weymann； in a
French racing aeroplane。 The distance was 150 kilometres
equivalent to 94 miles； and the winner's time of 1h。 11m。 36s。
showed an average speed of 78。77 miles per hour。 The first
race was held in 1909 and was won by Glenn Curtiss； who
flew the twenty kilometres （12。4 miles） in 15 minutes 50 2…5
seconds at an average speed of 47 miles per hour。 In 1910
the winner was Grahame…White； who covered 100 kilometres
（62 miles） at Belmont Park； L。 I。； in 60 minutes 47 3…5 seconds；
an average speed of 61。3 miles per hour。 In the 1911
race there were six starters： three from France； two from
Great Britain and one from the United States。
Milan to Turin to Milan Race。This race which was
started from Milan； Italy； on October 29； was restricted to
Italian aviators and had six starters。 The distance was
approximately 177 miles and won by Manissero in a Bleriot
machine in 3h。 16m。 2 4…5s。
New York to Philadelphia Race。The first intercity aeroplane
race ever held in the United States was started from
New York City on August 5； and finished in Philadelphia the
same day。 The prize of