Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum
Celebrating 100 Years of Flight
It is said that Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first powered, controlled, heavier-than-air airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. It is considered by most the birth of aviation. In 1909, just 6 years after the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight, the first international air meet in the world was taking place. August 22—August 29, 22 of the world’s leading aviators met at a racetrack in Reims, France to compete in the first organized international air meet. Lucrative cash prizes and impressive trophies enticed competitors to set new records in the best flights of distance, altitude and speed. All competitors were French except George Cockburn, a Scot and Glenn Curtiss, an American. Curtiss was the first to fly the two laps around the 10-kilometer course. He averaged 46.5 miles per hour and set the benchmark time of 15 minutes, 50 seconds. Other well know aviators Hubert Latham, Bleriot, Henri Farman and Eugene Lafebvre tried to beat his time, but failed. Curtiss was proclaimed “Champion Aviator of the World.” Between 300,000 and 500,000 spectators witnessed the races and contests during that week.
Curtiss won the Gordon Bennett Trophy and this meant he could choose the site of the 2nd International Air Meet anywhere in the world; he chose the United States. In January 1910, an actor named Dick Ferris, and Henry Huntington, the electric railway magnate, sponsored the first international meet ever held in the US. Records were broken, fame was tasted, and glittering prizes were won. Roy Knabenshue and Lincoln Beachey achieved the unprecedented speed of sixteen and a half miles per hour in a dirigible race, but the meet was dominated by another pair of aeronauts flying heavier-than-air machines, gasoline-powered, propeller driven, double winged, one-man aeroplanes. The fliers were Glenn Curtiss of Hammondsport, New York and Louis Paulhan of France.. Thus began the history of aviation in California.
The site of this 2nd International Air Meet was the 
Aviation Field on the Rancho San Pedro in Southern California. Planners were looking for a site with good weather, soft breezes, and no trees to obstruct flight. They chose the Dominguez Rancho. Its advantages included an undeveloped, isolated, high mesa to better control access for paying spectators. Nearby Pacific Electric “Red Car” and steam train lines afforded transportation and could handle capacity crowds, and importantly, the Dominguez family granted free use of their property.
From January 10 to January 20 the pilots invited a variety of participants that included not only aeroplanes but hot air balloons and dirigibles. Louis Paulhan (French) set a new altitude record (4164 ft.) endurance record (64 miles 1 hr. 49 secs.) and won $14,000 in prize money. Glen Curtiss won two events: fastest speed with a passenger (55mph), and quickest start (6 2/5 secs., covering 98 ft.) Curtiss took home $6500 in prize money. Attendance at the air meet surpassed all expectations. During the ten day period, 226,000 spectators converged on Dominguez Field. Gate receipts equaled over $137,500. Many believe the event launched the aviation industry on the West Coast. The event also appeared in 1911 and 1912.
The Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum invites
you to join them in celebrating the
2010 Centennial Celebration Aviation Day
Saturday June 12, 2010
go to DominguezRancho.org for more information
PLANNING GRANT
By Bill Blanchard
Cable Airport has signed a Grant Acceptance from the FAA. Two goals will be accomplished by the Grant. The first is an update of the Twenty-Year 1980 Cable Airport Master Plan. The second is an update of the 1992 Airport Layout Plan. Acceptance of both of these critical documents is necessary for FAA approval of construction projects on the airport.
City of Upland approval of the Master Plan is required for pulling necessary permits.
The Grant Acceptance was the culmination of several months of advertising for interested firms, rating responses to questions and interviews with the two top-ranked firms. AECOM, an international company that has a large transportation planning and engineering division with a local office in Ontario, has been given a contract to develop both documents.
In order to keep the public (the tenants of the airport, residents of the surranding area, and any other interested parties) informed, a portion of the airport’s web site (cableairport.com) will be devoted to this project.
Bill Blanchard, Planning Director for the airport, will be responsible for representing the airport in discussions with AECOM, the FAA and other entities.
The July CableGram will contain more detailed information and dates for the two public meetings that will be held as part of the process. Pages will start appearing on the web site around the end of June. Eight months is the expected time frame to complete the contract with AECOM.
Always remember that you are unique, just like everyone else.
It is said that Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first powered, controlled, heavier-than-air airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. It is considered by most the birth of aviation. In 1909, just 6 years after the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight, the first international air meet in the world was taking place. August 22—August 29, 22 of the world’s leading aviators met at a racetrack in Reims, France to compete in the first organized international air meet. Lucrative cash prizes and impressive trophies enticed competitors to set new records in the best flights of distance, altitude and speed. All competitors were French except George Cockburn, a Scot and Glenn Curtiss, an American. Curtiss was the first to fly the two laps around the 10-kilometer course. He averaged 46.5 miles per hour and set the benchmark time of 15 minutes, 50 seconds. Other well know aviators Hubert Latham, Bleriot, Henri Farman and Eugene Lafebvre tried to beat his time, but failed. Curtiss was proclaimed “Champion Aviator of the World.” Between 300,000 and 500,000 spectators witnessed the races and contests during that week.