Flights, Flyers

U. S. weather prophets advised against the start. Lieut. Henry B. Clark, in charge of Roosevelt Field (L. I.) declared it would be a miracle if the plane succeeded in leaving the ground. But the young ace thought of his Mexican bride, climbed into the cockpit of his Ryan monoplane, set out on the return flight to Mexico City. Early the next morning a berry picker stumbled across his body, the remnants of his plane, mired in a New Jersey bog. Declining a warship, Mexico requested that a funeral train speed to the border, then pass slowly through the countryside with military escort, hearing Capt. Emilio Carranza, goodwill flyer, back to his Mexican bride.

As the Air Olympics started, last fortnight, it was the Detroit Free Press which proudly hailed Detroit as THE ONE centre of aviation in the U. S. But last week the Detroit News broke with its contemporary, conquered local pride, generously yielded the palm to Cleveland. Said the News, editorially: "Cleveland's foresight has brought its own reward. The landing field is being hailed as 'the world's greatest air traffic center' and sufficient facts are presented to substantiate the boast. The total volume of traffic during the last few months has exceeded that of Tempelhofer Field, Berlin, and Croydon, near London, long holders of first and second place. . . . The airport site is now valued at half a million dollars more than it cost. Other cities . . . may well cheer Cleveland's achievement. . . ."

200 Pittsburghers boarded a special train, sped to New York to study metropolitan airports, carry back ideas for Pittsburgh's new $2,000,000 landing field.