The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-07-27
OFFICIAL FLIGHT
THIS AFT TERNOON
Orville to Carry a Passenger
and Remain in Air
One Hour.

After almost a year Of rest and re-
cuperatiOn, OTville Wright this even
ing, at Fort Myer, VIII start upon the
last lap of the track OF endeavor which
winds around the Government contract
for a heavier-than-air machine, which
he and Wilbur signed in Dayton, Ohio,
more than 4 year ago.
According to the law OF averages.
the chances for an official fight by
Mr.. Wright tonight are about 100 to ],
because the wind wasn't cutting up
any praEks this afternoon. the sky
didn't show any symptoms OF a severe
rainstorm, the aeroplane was eminently
At and uninjured and the aviator
was trained to the minute.
The test which Mr.. Wright viii en-
deavor to meet is the one which calls
for endurance and to meet It the
air-navigator must take one man with
him and remain in the air for at least
sixty minutes.
If Mr.. Wright flies with a companion
for those sixty minutes, ne will have
complied with part Of the contract. In
any case IL he takes a passenger today
It will be the first time he has done
so since he began aeropIaning this sum
mer at Fort Myer.
Mr.. Wright will not, unless exception
al opportunity offers, attempt to meet
the other Of his two tests today.
Speed Test Tomorrow.
While it is possible, he informed a
friend this morning. that such an un-
usually good afternoon should come
aIong that he would feel compelled not
to overlook any bets, he regards such
an exhibition of originality in the winds
as extremely unlikely. The test which
will remain, most probably for the NOR
row, therefore, will be the speed" test.
Meeting this Mr.. Wright will fly at forty
miles an hour or more, he hopes. from
Fort AIyer TO Shooters HfII, near Alex
andria, and return.
Mr.. Wright dose not wish to ask for
any extension of time for the fulfIlment
of his contract. That instrument is SUD-
posed to die naturally tomorrow night
at midnight, and the aviator expects to
let it go out before then. II he sees,
however, that he can't help matters IN
any way. he viii try to give it a new
lease Of life by asking Gen. James Al
len, chief of the Signal Corps, to per
form a few cabalistic maneuvers with
a War Department pen.
If Mr.. Wright flies IL should be about
the hour Of when the Aeolian harp
which echoes about the Virginia hills
around Fort AIyer is echOing in the
most minor chords it touches all the
day.
The twenty-seventh President Of these
United States, safe him down on mis-
sion chair under a measly brown khaki
fly" out on the Fort Myer parade
ground last night and watched our
most successful air navigator manlpu-
late his aeroplane for $50 seconds; CON
sequently today William H. Taft may
say that he is the first Executive of
this nation who has witnessed a
heavier-thau-air machine perform, and
Orvine Wright can feel happy in the
knowledge that he is the first man to
have flown in such a machine before
His Excelency, the President, Of the
United States"
In addition to these feelings possible /
to the President and Chevalier OrviIIe. /
Senator Aldrich, Speaker Cannon, Vice
President Sherman, Ambassador Jus
serand. Lieut.. Gen. Miles and Lieut..
Gen. Young also may wake up this
morning and start thinking with pleas
ure about last nights doing5. It's quite
easy to imagine Senator AIdrich when
he reaches the age of eighty-five, tax
ing mis- grandson on his knee as his
aerOplane darts through space at sew
Continued on Second Pare