~oa~i~ JULY 1937
AT THE CONTEST
NAL LICENSE FOR MOTORLESS FLIGHT
leAN
RICHARD C. duPONT
Richard duPont, president of the Soaring Society of America,
o
makes his home at Granogue, Delaware, and is a member of the Del
aware Soaring Association. He is the present holder of the American
distance and altitude records, 158.29 miles and 6,233.73 feet respec
tively, made with his Bowlus-duPont sailplanes "Albatross II" and "I"
during the 5th Annual National Soaring Contest in 1935. At the
time he established the distance record it stood as a new world record.
No. 32 He was the National Soaring Champion in 1934 and 1935. This
year he is flying a Goppingen 3, "Minimoa", high-performance sail
plane.
STANLEY W. SMITH
Stanley Smith is an instructor at the Aviation Ground School,
Utica, N. Y. He was the National Soaring Champion in 1933 and
won his Silver C during the 7th Annual National Soaring Contest in
1936 where he was flying a Rhonbuzzard sailplane. His best perform
ances were: distance, 34.5 miles; altitude, 5,463 feet; and duration,
No. 236
8 hours 10 minutes.
HENRY N. WIGHTMAN
o
Henry Wightman, a student at the University of Michigan,
where he is a member of the U. of M. Glider Club, lives at Upper
Montclair, N. J. He completed his distance requirement for his Sil
ver C during last year's contest with a remarkable flight of 135 miles
from Elmira to Middletown, N. Y. in the duPont Utility glider. Dur
No. 238 ing this flight, his highest altitude was 5,980 feet and his time 5Vz
hours. He is flying the same ship again this year.
CHESTER J. DECKER
Chester Decker, the present holder of the title of National Soar
ing Champion, is a member of the North Jersey Soaring Association
and lives at Glen Rock, N. J. With the "Albatross I", which he pur
chased from Richard duPont, he made a distance flight of 146 miles,
the third longest flight ever made in America, during the 7th Annual
No. 240
National Soaring Contest last year.
Fred '1'. LoomiJ
IGN
JONAS PYRAGIUS
o Jonas Pyragius, the first Lithuanian pilot to receive the Silver
C, comes from Kaunas, Lithuania. His best performances have been:
distance, 47 miles; altitude, 5,672 feet; and duration, 22 hours 26
minutes. He has come to America to compete in the 8th Annual
National Soaring Contest with a Goppingen 3, "Minimoa", sailplane.
Pa9S 3