In Time for Golf

Air service is established between New York and Newport. The Gray-lark made the first trip, covering the air distance of 149 miles in 80 minutes and returning against a head-on wind in 112 minutes. (By train, the trip takes 7 hours.)

Henceforth society people will be able to leave the airport at the foot of East 31st Street, Manhattan, on Friday afternoon at 2:30 and 3 o'clock and Saturday at noon and reach their destination after an hour and a quarter of exhilarating flight over Long Island Sound. The return schedule calls for flights at 6 o'clock Sunday evening and 9 and 9:30 Monday morning. Hand luggage and golf bags can be carried free of charge and the one way fare is $30. Heavy bookings are announced for the Summer.

The Graylark and its two sister ships represent the very last word in modern construction. It is the fastest commercial flying boat in the world, driven by a Liberty motor and having a speed of 130 miles per hour when fully loaded with pilot, four passengers and gas for three or four hours' cruising. A single wing is adequately braced by a pair of struts projecting on either side from the hull, the structural resistance in the air being reduced to a minimum. The engine starts at the pressing of a button -- gone are the days when mechanics had to swing a propeller painfully and dangerously and many times. Passengers are partially enclosed and protected from wind and rain, yet have a magnificent view. The inside of the cabin is like the inside of a high-class automobile. Every detail of control, seating and power plant installation is perfect. Mooring rings and anchor provide for any kind of emergency landing. When a ship such as the Graylark is compared with the seaplanes used during the War, such as the HS-2, equipped with the same Liberty motor, but painfully making 68 to 70 miles per hour, huge in wing spread, clumsy to handle in the air and on mooring, there is every reason for congratulations on the progress made.

William Vincent Astor is given chief credit for the new air-route. He has always been interested in speedy methods of transportation by sea and land. In his early youth he met with many accidents, including the notorious smashing of Mrs. Ogden Goelet's car at Newport.

In 1917, having gone to War, he was doing guard duty on Brooklyn Bridge. In 1919, he was returning from patrol service, a naval lieutenant, second in command of the U-117, noted for bravery.

Astor was a Freshman at Harvard when the Titanic went down and he was left in charge of the Astor estate. " He found himself so very rich -- that he could not afford to finish his college course." He is now 32 years old.

Notable among the other backers of the Newport air route is Mr. T. Suf- fern Tailer. Mr. Tailer met the first passengers on their arrival at Newport and took them for a round of golf before dinner.