The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-07-07
AVIATOR MAKES THREE FLIGHTS
At FORT MYER BEFORE
LARGE CROWDS.
REACHES HEIGHT OF FORTY FEET
AeropIane Works Well, EncircIing
Drill Grounds Numerous Times
Brothers Satisfied With Trial
and Will Make Several More.

Washington, July 2.-Calm, conf
| dent and nerveless Orville Wright en-
circled the Fort Myer drill grounds
time after time in his aeroplane in
three successful flights while a crowd
of thousands cheered him for the sue
cess that attended his persistency and
| pluck. Excitement and enthusiasm
permeated the air as the machine
arose into the air Immediately after
leaving the starting track, climbing
higher and niger, and skirting the
drill grounds.
AeropIane Wheeled Out.
Shortly after 6 o'clock, just as the
sun was sinking, the aeroplane was
wheeled from the shed at the south
ern end of the field to the starting
track at the opposite end. Previous
ly the field had been cleared by a
troop of cavalry. The damage sus-
tanned by the aeroplane in Wednes-
days flight had been repaired by
splicing new piece to the broken
skid. Everything had been tested
carefully before the machine was re-
moved for a trial flight.
Bishop Milton Wright, the proud
father of the aviators, and the broth
err, Reuchlin, who had never before
seen his brothers machine fly, were
on the field.
After the motor had been tested the
weight that gives the aeroplane it's
start was hoisted up and everything
was ready for a flight. The propel-
lors were cranked and Orville turned
on the motor. The screws whirled
around at what seemed like greater
speed than on the previous occasions,
and as Orville climbed into his seat,
Wilbur put his hand on the right wing
ready to run along with the machine.
Makes Beautiful Start.
Nodding to his brother, Orville re-
leased the machine and it started
down the track at a rapid rate. AS
it neared the end of the starting rail
Orville turned up the forward hort
ZOntal rudders and the machine rose
into the air.
1t was a beautiful start and the
crowd that lined the sides of the aer-
odrome cheered heartily. Down the
field the aeroplane sailed, curved
gracefully about the lower end and
back up the east side Of the field,
along the edge of Arlington cemetery.
beautifully.
Wright was making very short
turns, but as he seemed to regain the
familiarity with the ground over which
he was travelling, he increased the
radius of his trips about the field.
The first round was made in so sec
onds. Five times the machine skirted
the field, attaining height which va
ried from Is to 80 feet.
On the sixth round Wright came to
earth within a few hundred feet of
the starting point, completing the
flight in exactly five minutes. The
landing was perfect, the machine
swooping down in successive glides
until within few feet of the earth,
when Orville pulled the string which
stops his motor and the aeroplane
glided smoothly over the grass on it's
skids until it came to stop.
Second Flight Successful.
The machine was returned to the
starting apparatus while the two
brothers held a consultation. Again
the aeroplane was placed in position,
the motor was tested and another
| flight was essayed. The start was as
| cnnnnccf,,1 ho To
Orville made much wider turns and
rose to a greater height.
It was noticed mat at times the
motor skipped, but this seemed to
have no effect on the progress of the
aeroplane.
On his second fight Orville made
nine rounds of the field in a few Sec
onds less than eight minutes. He
made another graceful landing, but
flew dangerously close to the ground
for some time before stopping his
motor and descending. He held an
other confab with his brother before
the machine was again returned to
| the starting rail at 7 o'clock
In his last attempt he remained
aloft for few seconds more than
nine minutes and encircled the field
9a times. For one complete round
he flew very close to the ground, evil
IDENTIFY preparing to land. This he did
within 200 feet of the aeroplane shed.
During this last fight he went higher
/ than on his previous trials, reaching
height of 40 feet.
Orville fastened to the shed and
Wilbur acted as spokesman. He said
that the flights were very satisfactory
to them, although he would make a
number of additional preliminary
flights before essaying the official
trials.
Major Squier expressed the opinion
that the rounds on the first flight
were approximately half mile in
length. AS the machine made these
rounds in so seconds each. 1t probab-
ly was travelling at speed Of from
g. to 80 miles per hour.