Racetrack of the Sky

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In the early days of aviation, Belmont Park in Elmont was the site of numerous air shows. The International Aviation Tournament, which was held Oct. 22-30, 1910, was the top aviation event of the year, drawing contestants from England, France and the United States and as many as 25,000 spectators.

The meet's main event, a $10,000 elapsed-time race between Belmont Park and the Statue of Liberty, ended in controversy. Englishman Claude Grahame-White flew the course in 35 minutes, 21 seconds, apparently winning the race.

However, American John B. Moisant, in a borrowed French airplane, completed the course in just over a half-hour, leading spectators to believe he hadn't flown the whole route. But organizers announced that he had indeed done so, and had bettered Grahame-White's time by 43 seconds.