Paulhan Takes First Day of Aviation Meet

Los Angeles Times file photo Glenn Curtiss at the Aviation Meet, 1910.   Lt. Beck inspects a Gnome engine. Jan. 11, 1910: The Times says of Louis Paulhan, who flew 10.75 miles: "Handling his steering apparatus with one hand and waving nonchalantly at the crowd with the other, he drove his monster flying machine without a falter over the parked automobiles, over the boxes containing more than half the society people of Southern California, over the grandstand itself, into the wind, across the air currents -- and, in fact, did everything that was possible for him to do except chase his tail like a dog or turn a somersault as did the Montgomery glider."   The racing balloons New York and Peoria are launched at Huntington Park and land in Colegrove. Going for a drive? Take Eastside beer. "The [dirigible] driven by Beachy first took flight. It rose slowly into the air with a sort of awkward grace, dipping and rising as though breasting the invisible waves of air, its big propeller churning and chugging. It seemed like a fussy fat man."   A remarkable contrast: Airplanes and sheriff’s deputies on horseback. Race results for the first day. Paulhan “is expected to make a flight for height today in his second appearance on Aviation Field.”

L.A. Ready to Take to the Air

An aerial view of Los Angeles. The Times publishes photos of the aviation grounds and members of the aviation committee. "Each of the big aviators are made headliners each day and will contest for one prize or another daily. All machines available are to fly daily, and it depends on the wind and atmospheric conditions where trials for records will be made," The Times says. A brief history of ballooning, with an aerial photo of Los Angeles. By 1910, 26 people had been killed in accidents involving balloons and airplanes, The Times says.  "Airships 500 feet long, able to carry 20 or more passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back without making a landing, are owned by the German government. "The huge air birds of the Zeppelin type are able to carry up tons of artillery and ammunition, fuel and explosives. They are equipped with powerful searchlights and can make as much as 35 mph -- more than the fastest ocean greyhounds." A brief history of Dominguez Rancho, where the aviation events were taking place.  A simplified guide to aviation and the latest models of aircraft.  Glenn Curtiss will be flying an aircraft in which the pilot controls the ailerons with his shoulders.  "The greatest single advance in the entire history of aerial navigation is credited to Prof. John J. Montgomery of Santa Clara College. He designed and constructed the most successful aeroplane glider that has ever been invented. In April 1905, a descent was made in this glider by a professional parachute jumper from a balloon at a height of 4,000 feet before many witnesses." Nov. 1, 1911: Professor John J. Montgomery of Santa Clara College dies in fall from a glider that he was testing.   Occidental moves to Eagle Rock. "No shacks, no temporary homes, no saloons, nothing objectionable of any nature. "

Jan. 9, 1910: The Times publishes a guide to powered flight and ballooning and includes the history of the Dominguez Rancho, where the Aviation Meet took place. Among the many facts presented in The Times is the first flight of a “helicopeter”: 15 inches in 1909.

Pilots Assemble Planes for Aviation Meet

Two views of the Gill-Dosh biplane at Dominguez Station.    View Larger Map 3rd and Boylston streets, home of the Collins wireless station, via Google maps’ street view.

Jan. 7, 1910: Airplanes are being assembled at Dominguez Station for the Aviation Meet and a tent has been erected to serve as a hangar. Los Angeles radio enthusiasts have been sending bulletins along the coast and plan to erect an antenna above the grandstand: a “skyhook” 750 feet long and 60 feet in the air. Messages are being sent at 15 words per minute using the Continental rather than American Morse Code.

World’s First Wireless Phone?

Texting is next!

Dec. 16, 1909:  The Times reports that disagreement over education and missionaries has been resolved on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. “The ruling faction at Oraibi is well content to be included in the progress of the white man and the hostile element was compelled to leave the pueblo. Accordingly, the outlawed ones have established a new village, which they call Bakavi, on the same mesa with the village of Hotavela [Hotevilla], a settlement founded three years ago by a similar seceding element cast out because of dissention.”

Predictions for Aviation Week

Dec. 7, 1909: How would you describe flying in an airplane to someone who’s never done it in a time when all but a few people are earthbound?  "By climbing to the top of a tall tree in a heavy wind," said Mr. Willard in the interesting description of the sensations experienced in an aeroplane flight with which he began his talk, "you can get very much the same feeling that you have during the flight of an aeroplane. I know of no way of describing the sensation more closely."

Plans for Aviation Meet

Glenn Curtiss takes to the air over Los Angeles, 1910.   Plans are underway for an aviation week in early 1910. Glenn Curtiss has already signed a contract to appear. The “woman in black” may be involved in white slavery.

Nov. 15, 1909: "There are more aeroplanes building and in design in Southern California than in any other like section of the world. All these are local products and at least a half dozen new machines are ready to be tried out or about to be tested, while a half score of others are nearing completion and may be ready for aviation week."

Council OKs Raises for Police, Firefighters; Union Effort Collapses

Successful businessmen use the Dictaphone. Great lettering, no?

Nov. 5, 1919: The City Council gives police officers and firefighters a raise and the attempts to unionize the Police Department collapse.

Dark Side of the Moon!

Oct. 27, 1959: In another setback for America in the space race, the Soviets release a photo of the hidden side of the moon, while two U.S. satellites plunge from orbit.

Coming Attractions – Edwards Air Force Base Open House

Dec. 16, 1929: An artist’s concept of John K. Northrop’s Flying Wing.

Alas, the 1929 version of Northrop’s Flying Wing will not be on display during the open house at Edwards Air Force Base on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. But other interesting aircraft will be there, including a B-17, a B-52, a P-51 Mustang, an SR-71 Blackbird and a C-5 Galaxy. Chuck Yeager and Joe Engle are scheduled to break the sound barrier in two F-16s. A Doolittle Raid demonstration will be staged with a B-25, B-17, P-51 and a P-38 (Steve Hinton’s Joltin’ Josie, one of about two dozen airworthy P-38s in existence), and a B-1, B-2 and B-52 will do a flyby in formation.    Further information is here>>>

Reds Beating U.S. in Moon Race!

Sept. 14, 1959: An anxious time for Americans.

Paul Weeks, one of the Mirror's top writers, profiles Nikita Khrushchev.

Can a woman stay happily married to a man who has hit her? I say yes! Like all married people, my husband and I have had our battles. Sometimes he loses his temper and socks me. But he has never hit me in the face or any place where the bruises will show. Also he has never hit me in front of the kids. I think this is very nice of him. I really can't complain because I know when he takes a poke at me I usually have it coming.

An investigator is looking for people who knew Mata Hari's daughter while she was in Los Angeles in 1948, Matt Weinstock says.

Rocket on Moon; Russia Jubilant

Mr. Khrushchev is not coming to the United States to offer significant concessions or recant his lifelong enmity toward us and our values. He is coming prepared to score a propaganda victory, with confidence in his ability to arouse false hopes, weaken our resolves and cause us to make substantial concessions. He must not succeed in such a mission. Vice President Richard Nixon urges Americans not to get overly "excited or hysterical" about the Soviet moon shot. ... and dress designer Gilbert Adrian dies.     At left and above, people from all walks of life voice their dismay over Khrushchev's visit. A University of Michigan astrophysicist doubts the Soviets actually hit the moon.

"Little Do These Simple, Unsophisticated Folks..." The pennant race was on at the Coliseum. The Dodgers fell two games out of first place after a 4-3 loss to the Pirates. Wally Moon homered over the screen in left, but Johnny Podres gave up three home runs. The Times' Frank Finch referred to the Pittsburgh shots as rodent raps or gopher balls. Learn something new every day. There were only 12 games left for the Dodgers. --Keith Thursby

Mystery Observatory Photo -- Update

Los Angeles Times file photo

Cary Schneider and Robin Mayper of The Times library were going through our photos of observatories yesterday looking for pictures of Mt. Wilson and came across this unlabeled item. It appears to have been taken in the early 1930s. Any ideas? Update: As Dale Trader points out, this is the Astrophysics Laboratory at Caltech. Here's a photo from 1939 at the Los Angeles Public Library.