Patrick Skach's Blog

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Air & Water Show (1959-2008).  However, Chicago was host to to a very notable Air Event long before 1959.

 Beginning in 1920, a newspaper publisher by the name of Ralph Pulitzer (Pulitzer Prize) sponsored a trophy race for military airplanes in New York.  These were a series of Pylon & Cross-County types of races which were considered to be both a proving ground as well as a public demonstration of the speed and reliability of modern aircraft.  This first show turned out to be a huge success and became an annual event known as the National Air Races which took place every year from 1920 - 1949.   

Every year there was something new added to the venue which eventually included Landing Contests, Glider Demonstrations, Airship Flights (Blimps) and Parachute Jump Contests.  

In 1930, Chicago became host of the National Air Show for that year.  The location was the Curtiss Air Field which later became known as the Glenview Naval Air Station.

   During World War II, the National Air Show Races were placed on hiatus beginning in 1940 thru 1945.  When the National Air Show Races resumed in 1946, they continued until 1949 when the show was held in Cleveland, Ohio and a pilot lost control of his P-51 airplane and crashed into a single family residence killing himself and two residents inside the home.  

Here are the Climate Statistics for the 1930 National Air Show in Chicago

 Date                                 Maximum Temp     Minimum Temp     Rainfall

8-23-1930   Saturday            77º                        66º                         0.00"

8-24-1930   Sunday              79º                        61º                         0.00"

8-25-1930   Monday              79º                        66º                         0.00"

8-26-2008   Tuesday            84º                        66º                         0.00"

8-27-1930   Wednesday      90º                        67º                         0.00"

8-28-1930   Thursday          83º                         69º                         0.01"

8-29-1930   Friday                76º                         68º                         Trace

8-30-1930   Saturday           79º                         65º                         Trace

8-31-1930   Sunday             84º                          71º                         Trace

9-1-1930     Monday             87º                          69º                         0.04"  

Since this post is being drafted on Saturday, let us examine a Climate Map for the First Date of the 1930 Show which was also a Saturday. A balloon sits in a field at the National Air Show, held at Curtiss-Reynolds Airport. Two people stand near an automobile on the left, and on the right near the balloon is a sign near gas tanks that reads: "No Smoking". In the background there appears to be a crowd on a grandstand.
 The 1930 National Air Races were moved to Chicago, IL. The site would be the the Curtiss-Reynolds Airport, race dates August 23rd to September 1st. The first Thompson Trophy Race would take place in Chicago.

1930 Poster  

Aerial view of the Air Race site at Curtiss Field

                                            
        
                                                       
   Granville Bros. side by-side two seat biplane on display

1930 Race official describing the current event to the crowd.

After the embarrassing defeat of the Nation's finest pursuit ships in the 1929 races at Cleveland, the military was out for revenge. This time the Navy would attempt to put the civilian aircraft manufacturers in their place. This year was sure to be different!

The Navy had a plan; take the Curtiss Hawk Seaplane F6C-3 that won the 11th and final Curtiss Marine Trophy Race at Anacosta Navel Air Station on May 31st. and have Curtiss modify it to Navy Specifications.

The lower wing was removed and part of the upper wing was covered with coolant radiators. Seaplane floats were replaced with a set of streamlined landing gears with special wheel pants. The stock Curtiss D-12 engine was replaced with a 700hp supercharged Curtiss Conqueror with a new cowling.

 

The modified Hawk had a top speed potential of 250mph at it's best altitude and a projected average speed of 220mph in the race.  

Jimmy Haizlap with the Shell Travel Air entry

The Travel Air R that won the Thompson Cup was now owned by Curtiss-Wright and was on tour for the Company. Several more Travel Air R’s were produced; one was purchased by the Shell Oil Co., the other by Texaco.

Lee Schoenhair, chief pilot of the B.F. Goodrich Company and second place winner of the 1929 cross-country race called "Matty" Laird president of the E.M. Laird Aircraft Company of Chicago and asked him to build a racer for the 1st Thompson Trophy Race. There was a little over three weeks time to complete the plane, but Laird agreed it could be done.                                                  
        

 

"Matty" Laird, "Speed" Holman and Lee Schoenhair standing (L-R) in front of the just completed racer. A last minute decision put "Speed" Holman in the pilot' seat due to his Laird racing experience.

Capt. Mcready crashed during one of the smaller cubic inch races. Miraculously, he escaped with only a broken nose.

U.S. Marine Corps fighters on display     

Starting line-up for the Thompson Trophy Race

Wiley Post"s Lockheed Vega would later become the Winnie Mae

The men's non-stop cross country derby  ( Los  Angeles to Chicago) attracted no less  than four Lockheed Vega's and one air express.
                                                     1st place Wiley Post
                                                     2nd place Art Goebel
                                                     3rd place  Lee Schoenhair
                                                     4th place  William Brock
                                                     5th place  Roscoe Turner  (Air Express)

              The Women's Class A Pacific Derby from Long Beach CA to Chicago IL
                                                    1st place   Gladys O'Donnell in a Waco
                                                    2nd place  Mildred Morgan in a Travel Air
                                                    3rd place   Jean LaRene  in a American Eagle

              The Women's class B Dixie Race from Washington DC to Chicago IL
                                                    1st place  Phoebe Omlie in a Monocoupe
                                                    2nd place Marty Bowman in a Fleet
                                                    3rd place  Laura Ingalls in a DH Moth