Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-26
ABLE TO HANDLE MACHINE
Wilbur Wright Makes Flight and
Lands Safely After Stopping Motor.
GLIDEs GRACEFULLY TO EARTH
Lieut.. Lahm Remains Aloft More
Than Twelve Minutes-Lieut.
Humphreys Record.

For the first time since the government
training flights were started at College
Park the student officers who are being
taught by Wilbur Wright today handled
the aeroplane alone Lieut.. Frederick
Humphreys was the first pupil to go up
alone. The machine had been put on the
rail soon after o'clock and the young
aviator was sent away with a fine start.
He went into the air without difficulty
and the enlisted men of the signal detail
who had been acting as supers at the
aerial theater cheered when it was seen
that the start vas successful. He cir
ced the field twice, showing perfect con-
troll of the machine, but had been warned
by Mr.. Wright against going very high
and confined himself to an altitude Of
about twenty feet.
Lieut. Lahm was next sent off alone.
He stayed in the air longer. being told
that he could remain up twelve or fifteen
minutes. He was gone twelve and one
half minutes. His first start was fall
ure the machine sliding along the
ground for a short distance after the
motor had stopped. Both of the landings
were regarded as exceedingly good.
Another Bad Start.
At OIL there was another false start.
Lieut. Humphreys was given charge of
the machine. but there was slight wind
blowing down the rail and the aeroplane
would not rise. 1t was brought back and
at 9:22 he started on a second flight, re-
naming up little over eight minutes.
and went somewhat higher. reaching an
altitude of about thirty feet.
There was a ripple of applause when
he made an excellent landing little to
the south of the shed. He had no sooner
finished his mornings. work than he
| changed his cap for campaign hat,
| and. getting into his motor car, changed
| aerial for terrestrial riding, and went
home.
! Mr.. Wright then took the machine and
made a short circle. being IN the air
| less than two minutes. When at height
| of between fifty and seventy-fve feet
| he cut out the motor and glided down.
coming almost straight. 1t was very
| gentle landing, and the aerOplane was In
the air with the motor inactive about six
seconds.
Pupils Make Good Showing.
| Mr. Wright was asked if he had de-
| cided as to how much longer he would re-
| main at College Park himself, but he
said he had not yet determined. 1t is
very difficult to get him to say anything
about the progress of his pupils, but he
admitted that Lieut.. Humphreys was
handling the machine alone rather sooner
! than anybody else that he had taught.
Up to date Lieut.. Calderara Of Italy
has been the prize pupil. being intrusted
with the management of the machine
after he had been flying for nine days.
At that time, however, the weather was
very much better for training. and a
much larger number of flights were made
in the same space of time. Mr.. Wright
remained with him in the machine for
| great number of flights when he was
| handling the levers alone.
| After the morning work the machine
! was taken back to the shed and the en-
| gine was speeded up for long run with
the machine stationary to see just how
| many revolutions the propellerS were
making, and what proportion of the car
was being absorbed by the one-man
| flights.