Orange County Almanac
Orange County’s aviation history includes a 1935 air speed record set by Howard Hughes.
Hughes flew an all-metal, low-wing monoplane at a National Aeronautical Assn. speed course just north of Costa Mesa, near what was then called Eddie Martin Airport.
Hughes’ plane dazzled admirers on the ground, and it reached the then-record-breaking speed of 351 m.p.h.
Hughes’ triumph almost ended in tragedy. His plane ran out of gas after breaking the speed record, and he could not make it back to the airport. He landed safely, however, in an Orange County beet field.
Today
Swimming season is approaching, and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center is offering parents a drowning prevention seminar.
Presented in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Orange County, the free seminar will emphasize life-saving measures designed to protect children in and around the water.
The session will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Saddleback Memorial, 24451 Health Center Drive in Laguna Hills.
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