This was the first competition for the prestigious Gordon Bennett Trophy, sponsored by Gordon Bennett, publisher of the New York Herald, which was won by the American Glenn Curtiss in competition with Louis Bleriot.
During the eight-day event, Henri Farman broke the world record for the longest flight, covering a distance of 180 kilometers. The event also saw the flight debut of the lightweight Gnome 7 Omega engine (8 L / 50 hp), the first mass-produced rotary engine.
A prototype of this engine still exists and can be seen at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
