20,000 ATTEND OPENING OF AIRPORT
A thoroughly air-minded week-end was spent by the residents of the Lykens Valley as they dedicated their airport, Robinson Field, east of Millersburg, with a two-day round of races and acrobatics, ceremonies, speeches and entertainment.
It is estimated that 20,000 persons were present on the field in the course of the two days, while other thousands motorists and residences of the valley witnessed the races which were held over a course between Millersburg and Williamstown.
The airport was formally dedicated Saturday afternoon when May Elizabeth Gilbert, small daughter of H. S. Gilbert, of Millersburg, and sister of Marion U. “Hops” Gilbert, operator and manager of the field, raised the American flag while thirty nine planes assembled for the occasion soared overhead. Burgess Hay W. Bowman, of Millersburg, made an address tracing the history of locomotion in the valley. Congressman I. B. Doutrich, Harrisburg, was among those present.
Would Aid Aerial Growth
After an afternoon of aerial events that kept all eyes above and nerves taut, a banquet was held at the Hotel Lykens. Rev. Harry Mills, army flier stationed at Middletown, in an address suggested that tax money collected on gasoline used by planes should be turned back into a fund for the further development of aviation in the State.
Presented Trophies
Other speakers were Hay W. Bowman, Millersburg Burgess, and publisher, who was toastmaster; Burgess Walter E. Snyder, of Lykens; Burgess Schell, of Tower City; M. Pat Brooke, of the Lancaster Airways; Martin Jensen, of Harrisburg, who was second in the Dole flight across the Pacific Ocean; and Marion Gilbert, Jesse Jones of the Lancaster Airways presented trophies to the following winners of the afternoon events: John Weiss, of Easton; J. Shelley Charles, Richmond, Virginia; Jim Faulkner, Philadelphia; Tony Little, Philadelphia; and Richard Reitenbaugh, Bethlehem.
Minor Accidents.
Several planes were damaged slightly in minor accident, but no one was injured. Miss Helen V. Cox, Hagerstown’s “Flying Schoolmarm,” now of Roosevelt Field, Long Island, landing here in an Arrow sport plane, damaged the landing gear and one wing; A. Ryan, monoplane, piloted by Henry Alexander, had the under-carriage, the right wing and propeller damaged when a wing struck a rut.
A strong cross wind put an element of the uncertain into the parachute jumping and resulted in Miss Violet Kilpatrick in one leap landing among the spectators in the grandstand and in another outside the boundary fence of the field.
In the feature event Sunday, J. Shelley Charles, of Richmond, executed a breath-taking series of loops, spins and rolls to take the Shenk and Tittle Trophy for Aerobatics.
Wins Climbing Contest
Climbing to an altitude of 1000 feet and touching ground again in two minutes and thirteen seconds, George Zinn, of Camden, won the climbing contest and received the Kendall Oil Company Trophy. Jesse Jones, of Lancaster, was second.
Tony Little, Norristown, won the 550 cubic-inch race covering the twenty miles in nine minutes and nine seconds. Marion Gilbert was second in ten minutes and two seconds. Little received the Heckert Trophy.
John Weiss won the OX-5 race in thirteen minutes and twenty-four seconds and then received a screw plate set donated by the Lacord Tool Company.
Jones Wins Free-for-All
The free-for-all race was won by Jesse Jones, who covered the course in eight minutes and eleven seconds. George Zinn flew second.
in Saturday’s events Weiss won the race for OX-5 planes, covering the twenty-five mile course in thirteen minutes and three seconds. Clarence W. Hunter, formerly of Millersburg, was second.
The dead stick landing was won by J. Shelley Charles, who dropped from an altitude of 1000 feet to set down his plane thirty-three feet from the center ring of the field. Lloyd O. Yost was second.
In the free-for-all race, Jim Faulkner, Philadelphia, nosed out Zinn by one second to win the Earl Barnhart trophy.
The N. H. Trout Trophy for parachute jumping was presented to Howard Reitenbaugh, who with Miss Kilpatrick brought the meet to a close with two leaps.
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From the Lykens Standard, 18 July 1930, via Newspapers.com.
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