Races for Sale

Of twelve national air races held in the U. S. only two have made money--Cleveland's in 1929 ($100,000), Chicago's in 1930 ($30,000). On the strength of its success, Cleveland persuaded the National Aeronautic Association to let it keep the races for five years beginning 1931, with option to renew for five years more. Each year National Air Races of Cleveland Inc. would pay the N. A. A. a $12,500 "sanction fee."

In 1931 the Cleveland races lost $100,000, largely through writing off the cost of permanent buildings. Last year the loss was $17,000. Few weeks ago Managing Director Clifford Henderson began looking about the country to see what city would like to borrow the 1933 races, the borrower to pay the $12,500 sanction. He visited Chicago, went last week to Los Angeles where he managed his first races in 1928. No results were made public.

In contemplating this year's races the Cleveland committee must have reflected that a meet in any city would surely be overshadowed by the air displays to be held at Chicago's World Fair. Therefore it behooved Cleveland to transfer its $12,500 obligation without delay.

Cleveland's announced reason for transferring the races: the discovery that ten-day meets in one spot in successive years were more than the public would support. A possible solution offered in the February Aero Digest by Associate Editor Cyril Cassidy ("Cy") Caldwell: Let each year's races be operated like a road show, playing three or four days in, say, New York about Decoration Day; another few days in Philadelphia around July 4; thence to Boston, Chicago, St. Paul, ending in Cleveland on Labor Day.

Wherever held, Manager Henderson intends to limit the races to high-speed ships, eliminate events for commercial types, cut out all cross-country derbies except the transcontinental Bendix Trophy; slash admission prices.

Sir Sergeant-Major

New Year's saw an "upgrading" in Britain's Royal Air Force, inflation of its status without actual increase of its ranks. The R. A. F.'s commanding officer, Sir John Maitland Salmond, was upped from the rank of Air Chief Marshal to Marshal of the Royal Air Force, equivalent to a Field Marshal in the army. To fill Sir John's old rank, not one but two Air Chief Marshals were created. That required promotions all down the line. Vice marshals became marshals; air commodores were boosted to vice marshals; group captains to air commodores; wing commanders to group captains; squadron leaders to wing commanders; etc., etc.

Last week the R. A. F. upgrading reached the enlisted ranks. Prouder than any air marshal were the sergeant majors, highest ranking non-commissioned officers, heretofore "one step removed from a gentleman." Henceforth the sergeant major is a warrant officer, to be "addressed by airmen as 'sir' and to be referred to as 'mister.' "

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