From the Elizabethville Echo, 3 July 1930, and 10 July 1930, via Newspapers.com.
BIG PROGRAM FOR AIRPORT DEDICATION
The air race program for the Robinson Field Dedication is rapidly filling out and from the great numbers of additional attractions that are being booked, a wonderful two-day program is assured for July 12 and 13.
Lieut. J. Morgan Harding, test pilot for the Aristocrat Aircraft Corporation has assured the management of his intentions to be present with a specially built low-wing racing monoplane which was built to be entered in the $25,000 circus derby to be staged next month. This ship is extremely fast, having a speed of about 180 miles per hours.
On Sunday afternoon, Lieut. Harding will attempt to make an outside loop with his this ship. If he is successful aviation history will have been made, as no one has yet attempted an outside loop with a monoplane. On the other hand, if the strain proves too great, Lieut. Harding will in all probability become a member of the Caterpillar Club, which is an organization of fliers who have been forced by emergency to abandon their ships in the air and return to earth by way of the parachute.
Jim Faulkner, test pilot for the Pitcairn Aviation, who won the acrobatic contest at a number of races at the recent Allentown Air Meet, competing with a number of the country’s premier flyers, is another constant who gives promise of supplying many a thrill for the spectators.
The flying Maryland schoolmarm has just assured Pat Brooke, director of the local airport program, that she intends to be on hand. Miss Cox is in Wichita, Kansas, this week, taking delivery from the factory, of her new Cessna monoplane, which she will bring to Millersburg on Saturday.
Mrs. Sylvia Nelson, who won the Women’s Derby at Allentown on June 22, is also expected to bring her Pitcairn sport wing to to the Millersburg races. Miss Violet Kilpatrick is another of the fair sex who will exhibit her daring as a parachutist on both days. Miss Kilpatrick recently entered a strong field of professional male jumpers and on last Sunday won a contest at the Coatesville Airport.
Elaborate plans are being made for the entertainment of this host of birdsmen and women during their stay in Lykens Valley, and it is the intention of the communities served by the airport to make their stay a really pleasant one, one that thy will long remember.
______________________________________
From the Elizabethville Echo, 10 July 1930, via Newspapers.com:
THOUSANDS EXPECTED TO ATTEND AIRPORT DEDICATION SATURDAY & SUNDAY
CABINET MEMBER, CONGRESSMAN AND COMMISSIONER TO FLY HERE FOR SATURDAY PROGRAM
Lykens Valley will be treated to its first “aerial armada” with the dedication of Robinson Field of the Valley Airways Airport, near Millersburg, Saturday and Sunday.
Beginning early Saturday morning, planes of all sizes and types will wing their way across the skies to the Robinson Airport. Many of the planes will arrive as early as nine o’clock. Army and Navy Air Forces have been invited to send pilots to the events. It is expected between thirty to fifty ships of combat, pursuit and every type of commercial ship will be there. Pilots will register and make entry in the various competitive events that will be staged on the two days.
According to Pat Brooke, director of the program for the air races, the following schedule will be adhered to as closely as is possible.
12:00 Noon. Start of the Lykens Valley Air Tour, in which passengers will be flown over Lykens Valley in a formation flight. The object of this tour being twofold. First , it presents and opportunity for many who are interested in having an aerial view of the Valley which is their home, and also to make photographs from above while secondly, it provides a means of advising the various communities through the valley that the airport is officially opened and that events are to to start immediately upon the return of the caravan. Between forty-five minutes and an hour will be necessary to make the flight. It will be a wonderful opportunity for many to enjoy the thrill of a cross country flight, and to view from aloft, what is properly termed the “Valley Beautiful of Pennsylvania.”
1:00 Lunch on the field for the flyers and demonstration flights.
1:30 Flag Raising to “colors” by the Millersburg Boys’ Drum Corps. Dedication by Burgess Hay W. Bowman, Millersburg, presiding with Burgesses Snyder of Lykens, Shell of Tower City, and Kieffer of Elizabethville.
2:00 o’clock will find all ships entered in the OX-5 race on the starting line, and with the firing of the starting gun, the most thrilling two-day program of events ever witnesses in this section will have begun, to continue to Sunday afternoon.
2:30 Dead Stick Landings, from 1,000 feet to mark.
3:30 – 550 cu. in. race. Ten laps of triangular course.
4:00 Aerobic Contest. Open to commercial pilots with any type of ship. Each pilot to have the air 15 minutes. Each perfectly performed maneuver to be a point to his credit.
5:00 to 6:00 – Demonstration and passenger carrying.
6:00 Parachute Jump. Landing to the mark from 2,000 feet.
Operators of the air field have completed arrangements to entertain the large number of notable flyers who will be at the field for the dedication and air races.
A banquet is scheduled for 8:30 Saturday evening at Hotel Lykens, where a number of authorities on aeronautics are to speak. Marion U. “Hops” Gilbert, manager of the airport, has arranged to give the history of Mail Pilot Robinson, after whom the field was named. Robinson was killed when his plane struck the telephone cables across the Susquehanna River, strung from Berries Mountain to Mt. Patrick on the west shore.
Many other air officials and winners of the day’s events are to give their opinion of the field and of aviation in general. Miss Helen Cox, “The Flying Schoolmarm,” is expected to talk on “Women in Aviation” why it is expected that more women will learn to fly.
Immediately following the banquet the guests are to attend a ball at the Moose Home in Lykens. The public is invited to attend both affairs, and it is anticipated that a large crowd will attend both events.
Sunday afternoon’s program will open with a period of from one to two o’clock for passenger carrying and demonstration flights.
2:00 – Climbing Contest
3:30 – Aerobic Trophy Contest.
4:30 – 850 cu. in. race.
5:00 – Navy Plane maneuvers.
5:15 – Army Plane maneuvers.
5:30 – 550 cu. in. race.
6:30 – Parachute contest.
On Sunday afternoon aqt the close of events, most of the visiting pilots will leave for their respective destination, some of them being several hundred miles away. This fact demonstrates the paracticability for flying as a business proposition intending to lessen the distance between various points.
LATE FLASHES FROM THE AIRPORT
Congressman I. H. Doutrich of Harrisburg is to be present at Robinson Field for the dedication on Saturday. Secretary of Labor James J. Davis, Pennsylvania Senatorial candidate, will fly from Washington ith a stop-off at the Middletown Field to pick up Dauphin County COmmissioner Harvey M. Taylor. All have consented to take part in the dedication ceremony.
Lieut. J. Morgan Harding, test pilot for United States Aircraft Corporation, will attempt an outside loop Sunday afternoon. This will be the first outside loop ever attempted with a monoplane.
The Millersburg Boys’ Band will attend both days and will supply concerts during intervals.
Captain Sanford, Commanding Officer of Troop A of the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol has assigned Sergeant Yuckey with a troop of patrolmen to handle the heavy traffic to and from the airport both days.
An entry from J. Shelly Charles of Richmond, Virginia, received this mornign states that two other ships will accompany him from Richmond. Pilot Charles holds the distinction of being the premier test pilot of the East.
John Vickers of Philadelphia will arrivec Saturday with the beautiful “Red Robin” plane, “Stanoco.”
Parachute jumpers from all over the East have signified their intention of attending.
Early Tuesday evening, three ships took off from the airport to circulate this and surrounding towns with advertisements of the races. Over each town was drppped a long white streamer to which was attached a letter which was to be delivered to the newspaper editor. The finder of these letters if they will make delivery as directed as directed will be entitled to free admission to the airport both days.
_______________________________________
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.