Indianapolis Motor Speedway Aviation Show - June 1910

One of the most unique chapters of Indianapolis Motor Speedway history was the June 1910 aviation show. Speedway President Carl Fisher loved leading edge technology, and he was almost as fascinated with aviation as race cars. This folder is packed with articles about that six day event which featured appearances by the Wright brothers and their star pilot, 21 year old Walter Brookins, who set a world altitude record at the meet. Carl Fisher got into the act, riding with Orville Wright in one of his pipe and stretched silk biplanes at dusk on one of the evenings. Fisher and Wright, fully exposed to the elements, laid on their stomachs, the Speedway president white-knuckling the metal pipe structure.

Wright Aviators Welsh & Coffin

Two photos of Wright Brothers aviators, A.L. Welsh and Frank Coffin. You can see the control levers of their planes and get a sense of how they sat in them.
Wright Planes Arrive at Speedway

This package includes an article on the arrival of Wight airplanes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the June aviation meet. There is another photo of a Wright aviator: Ralph Johnson. Finally, there is an interesting article on the juxtaposition of the dangers of driving automobiles and flying.
Aviation Meet Plans Discussed

This package from June 8, 1910 includes an article explaining how the Wright Brothers thought the meet should be conducted.
Wright Mechanics Prepare Planes

This article discusses the team of Wright Brothers mechanics and their efforts to prep their entries to the June aviation meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The article appeared June 9, 1910. It appears in two pages, the first one is distorted.
Sex Discrimination at Aviation Meet

This is an interesting article of how aviator Melvin Marquette protested Speedway policy not to let his wife enter the grounds. The article was printed June 6, 1910.
Practice Trials

This article ran the morning of Friday, June 10, 1910. It discusses practice and preparation work being done in anticipation of the aviation meet beginning the following Monday. An interesting point is a report on the Overland Company's "Wind Wagon," a car powered by a giant propeller.
Mechanical Bird in Flight

This article, dated June 11, 1910, is a fairly exhaustive piece on the state of aviation at the time and how the impending aviation meet was impacting Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Also, it provides a good overview of events planned for the aviation meet.
Mechanical Bird in Flight - Photos

This material is associated with the "Mechanical Bird in Flight" article. Also, good image of driver sitting in the Overland Wind Wagon.
Wind Wagon vs. Airplane

This content was originally published in the Indianapolis Star on Thursday, June 16, 1910. This is the first of many articles that focuses on the surprise treat that was 21-year-old aviator Walter Brookins, who flew for the Wright Brothers. He emerged as the star of the meet.
 
Walter Brookins' Engine Fails

This June 18, 1910 article describes the dramatic glide from the clouds Wright Brothers aviator Walter Brookins took when his engine failed. Also, this article contains the program of the final day of the meet.