SECRETARY'S REPORT 119 



Museum records to be helpful : the Aero Club of Washington selected 

 its honor guests for the annual banquet on the basis of accomplish- 

 ments determined in part from information furnished by the Museum ; 

 the Air Force Association used the Museum's files in planning its con- 

 vention; the OX-5 Club, formed of pilots who flew behind the 

 worthy engine of that name, was aided in preparing its meetings ; and 

 the reunion of the World War I 20th Squadron was made more en- 

 joyable because of help from the Museum. The Early Birds, an or- 

 ganization of those who flew solo during the first 13 years of human 

 flight, continue to ask the Museum to help in arranging meetings, re- 

 calling historic events, and preserving their treasures associated with 

 early flying. 



The city of Philadelphia was assisted in celebrating the 45th 

 anniversary of a "race" between Lincoln Beachey, Hugh Robinson, 

 and Eugene Ely, flying from Governors Island, N. Y., to Phila- 

 delphia in Curtiss pusher airplanes. The Art Center at Kalamazoo, 

 Mich., was helped in preparing a display of artistic and aerodynamic 

 kites. Artists were aided in preparing authentic paintings of World 

 War aircraft, airmail planes, and Zeppelins. Many reporters consulted 

 the Museum for details, especially at the time when the Presidential 

 helicopters landed on the White House lawn, and newspapermen 

 wanted to know of previous instances when landings had been made 

 there. The Museum told them about Harry Atwood making a Presi- 

 dential visit in his Wright-B airplane in 1911 and James Ray piloting 

 an autogiro to land beside President Hoover in 1931. 



Among the many publications that checked their articles from 

 Museum facts were the National Geographic Magazine inquiring 

 about airplane control, and Air Force history ; Reader's Digest asking 

 about Sikorsky's helicopters and Lindbergh's flight to Paris; Life, 

 needing details on polar flying ; the Saturday Evening Post to get the 

 story of the first transcontinental flight ; Fairchild Aircraft's Pegasus 

 to obtain photographs and to learn about the military demonstration 

 flights at Fort Myer, Va., in 1909 ; Coronet asking about the pioneer 

 of rocketry, Robert Goddard; and the World Book Encyclopedia to 

 receive help with biographies of noted flyers. 



Many schoolteachers received help in planning their aviation 

 courses, and numerous students appealed to the Museum for answers ; 

 the newly established school at Cedar Rapids, named for the Wright 

 brothers, obtained from the Museum a series of photographs of 

 Wright aircraft to decorate its halls; while college students used 

 Museum facts in preparing their theses. 



Several of the aviation motion pictures that were shown during the 

 year had utilized Museum records in their preparation, notably, the 

 "Spirit of St. Louis." Aeronautical books reflected the work of their 



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