Flying Club To Participate In Intercollegiate Air Meet

The Harvard Flying Club, working on a contract basis with Inter-City Airlines, will send a formidable team to the fourth New England Intercollegiate Air Meet at Easthampton, Long Island on May 14 and 15, in which 20 New England colleges will be represented.

The Crimson flyers, led by President Whedon Johnson '40, recently elected Regional Vice-President of the National Intercollegiate Flying Club, have an excellent chance of repeating their 1937 triumphs.

Fly Fleet Biplanes

Five of the stars of last year's meet will compete again this year: Davis, Martin, Jones, Nelson, and Johnson. Among the new members entering are: Foote, Roosevelt, Hagedorn, and Wickstrom. Altogether, Harvard will send a team of 15.

The Harvard airmen will fly easily maneuverable two-seated Fleet biplanes, medium weight training ships. They have a slower landing speed than heavier and more advanced planes and are extremely versatile. Since there will be no speed event, as all events involving hazard were ruled out at the National Intercollegiate Flying Club Conference in Washington this April, they are splendidly adapted for this meet.

There will be five events, two spot landings, bomb dropping, paper strafing, and a treasure hunt. The pilot must fly alone in all but the last event. In the paper strafing and bomb dropping, the pilot must have a private license. In the other events, the only requisite is a solo rating.

In the bomb dropping event, two pound sacks of flour will be dropped over the side at a target from an altitude of 500 feet from level flight.

There will be two spot landing events. In the first the pilot crossed a line headed into the wind at an altitude of 1500 feet. He then throttles his engine back and makes a 360 degree approach to the line, landing as close to its far side as possible. If the overshoots it, he is disqualified.

Treasure Hunt

In the other spot landing, the pilot tries to land at the bull's-eye of a large circle. He may approach in any manner he pleases but must throttle his engine back when he reaches the height of 500 feet. In both landings, the motor must idle after the pilot has reached the designated altitude in order that the conditions simulate a dead-stick landing.

The main event of the meet will be a handicap treasure hunt, with only qualified pilots entered. Information is handed out at the start which gives a clue to the first destination. The flyers will not have to land on any field not an airport. Sometimes directions will be laid so that actual landing will not be necessary. After the order of ordinary treasure hunts, the first plane returning to the starting point having fulfilled the requirements is the winner.

On June 21 the airmen will participate in the National Intercollegiate Air Meet to be held in Akron, Ohio. This Meet will be of the same type as the Easthampton one, with teams from colleges the country over participating.