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Air Meets |
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Akron, U.S.N. Airship: Similar View without Bombers |
Beginning in 1929, the All American Air Races became an annual event on the Miami scene. Held at the Municipal Airport, the event included much more than air races. It included expositions of old and new aircraft, stunt flying, aerobatics competitions, and demonstrations of military aircraft. It attracted large numbers of aviation enthusiasts to Miami in January of each year. They could fly in and enjoy the warm Florida weather. |
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Air racing was conducted on a circular course marked out by pylons. Planes flew in direct competition as opposed to basing results on recorded times. Pictured here are two competitors rounding a pylon in one of the races from 1932. |
All American Air Meet. View over Curtiss Hangar |
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Plane Rounding Pylon, 1930 |
Flying in these competitions could be dangerous since the races occurred at low altitudes on a very tightly laid out course. Often several planes would be evenly matched and flying in close proximity. |
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Pictured here are three planes rounding a pylon in a race from 1930. Air races were popular events in the 1930s and there was a regular circuit of air races. The Miami All American races highlighted the winter season. Racing pilots traveled across the country competing during the summer months. |
Air Meet 1930 Three Planes Rounding Pylon |
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Beech-Craft Plane, All American Air Meet, Side View, 1-7-40 |
Pictured here is the "Miss Miami Aviation". This monoplane carried race officials and judges at the 1940 All American Air Races. Over 1,000 aircraft participated in the 1940 air meet. The 1940 air races would be the last major air meet in Miami. The the outbreak of the Second World War brought an end to the annual air races in Miami. | |||||||||
| This photograph from the 1933 Miami All American Races shows a demonstration performed by U.S. Army bombers. These bombers made several flyovers in different formations and even made a simulated low level bombing raid. Military demonstrations were a frequent occurrence at the air meet. |
Air Meet, Fifth Annual All American. Bombers over Timing Stand. 1933 |
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Parachutist & Blimp, 1930
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Other types of aviation demonstrations were also included at the air meet. This photograph shows a parachuting demonstration. The Goodyear Blimp is seen in the background. | |||||||||
| Another photograph of the Goodyear Blimp over the stands shows the size of the crowds attracted to the air meet. This photograph is from the 1930 event. The Goodyear Blimps were based in Akron, Ohio; but were annual visitors to Miami. In order to fly in good weather, the blimps spent the winter months in South Florida. For many years they were a fixture on Watson Island near downtown Miami. They are now based at Pompano Beach during the winter months. |
Air Meet 1930 Goodyear Blimp over Stands |
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All American Air Meet Blimps over Field and Spectators 1932 |
This photograph from the 1932 Miami All American Air Races shows the Goodyear Blimps "Defender" and "Puritan" making a low pass over the field. |
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This photograph shows another parachuting exhibition from the 1932 event. Judging from the number of photographs that Romer took of parachutists, they must have been real crowd pleasers. |
All American Air Meet. Dick Hunter, Parachutist, of Greensboro, N.C. 1932 |
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