AERONAUTICS: Meeting

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High over the Bay of Bengal sped a lone seaplane, bound for the coast of Burma. Looking down on the watery waste, the pilot beheld three other seaplanes, westbound. The man above was Major A. Stuart MacLaren, British Air Force; the planes below bore Lieutenants Smith, Wade and Nelson, of the U. S. A. It was the meeting of history's first round-the-globe air-racers, but the participants did not stop to exchange greetings.

The American contingent led by some 6,000 miles, having completed more than half of their 23,000-mile circuit when they alighted that evening at Calcutta, India; whereas the Briton had about 17,000 miles between him and England when he reached Rangoon, Burma.

Three divisions of the Americans' flight remained: Calcutta to Constantinople, Constantinople to Hull, Hull to Mitchel Field, L. I. (via Iceland, Greenland, Canada). They were expected to be back in their hangars by Aug. 8.