Aeronautics: Becalmed Elmira

Of the few places in the U. S. suitable for soaring and gliding, Elmira, N. Y. is one of the best.* High hills on three sides of a valley assure the necessary upcurrents whenever a reasonably brisk breeze blows. Perversely, except for an occasional gusty storm, the wind failed to blow for nearly all of 14 days of the National Glider Association's second annual meet which ended last week. Nearly 30 gliding and soaring craft (20 of them the famed Franklin type) were assembled for the meet. For ten days the pilots tried with little success to make sustained flights. Then came a breeze worthy of the name. J. H. ("Bud") Stickler of Manhattan, who had won his license only the week before, took off from South Mountain and did not return for 7 hr. 28 min. Later Albert S. Hastings, last year's record holder, beat Stickler's time by more than a minute to win the Edward S. Evans trophy a second time.