Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-09

air
The machine was then rolled back to
the shed with the announcement that
III re would be no more flights till the
extra levers were installed for the beneht
of the pupils.
Five Accents Yesterday.
The first series of training flights yes
terday afternoon comprised five ascents
one after another. but they were all
short They occupied from three to five
minutes, and were spread out from 800
to $50. The first three Mr.. Wright took
by himself to make sure that the motor
was in good working order. Then ne
took up Lieut.. Lahm. and then Lieut.
HUMPHREYS. All of the flights were at
from 100 to $50 feet. and extended from
circles of the field to flight nearly to
Riverdale. three-quarters of mile away.
The initial start was made In the pres
ence of rather small but select crowd.
Col. Jerome H. Joyce and Gen. Riggs
had come over from Baltimore. and A.
Leftwich Sinclair and Geo. Oakley Tot
ten had come out from Washington.
They represented the Baltimore Aero
Club and the Washington Aero Club and
the Washington Chamber Of Commerce.
all of which are anxious to have the
next aviation carnival take place in
Washington. The spectators wanted to
see what Mr.. Wright thought of the
ground after looking down on it.
He stated after the flights were over
that the field. while small at present,
was very good place-a good deal bet
ter than FIT. Myer-as an aviation ground,
but he did not wax enthusiastic. That
does not seem to be feature of the
Wright habit. The visiting committee
ever. and each returned to his home pet
ter satisfied than before with the outlook
for the race meet in 1910.
Falling Weight Used.
All the runs Of the machine were made
from the starting rail, with the aid of
the falling weight. There had been some
talk of trying the start with no weight
at all. but this was not done, and the
weights were increased after the initial
run instead of being reduced.
1t was the first time that Wilbur
Wright had ever used this particular
aeroplane. and except for the flights that
he has just made In New. York. 1t was
the first tine he has been in the air since
his famous flights i'm Europe.
The machine went down the rail at the
rate of about twenty-five feet a second
at the end. and rose gracefully into the
air. as would the big bird to which it has
been so often likened Mr. Wright made
wide circuit of the field and felt out
both the machine and the air currents.
The aeroplane undulated very little, not
nearly SO much as was noticed in the
first flights that 1t made at Fort Myer,
but the instructor was not quite satisfied.
and after being in the air for three ming
utes, he came down close to the derrick.
There was almost no breeze at all. the
thermometer on top OF the shed hardly
moving. and to make sure Of rise with
two passengers aboard he added two
more of the big iron weights. totaling
apout 10 pounds. This time the machine
shot away at the rate of about thirty
feet second and was much more prompt
in answering the thrust of the horizontal
rudder with which the aviator rises.
In Air for Longer Period.
This time he stayeu in the air longer.
making bigger circles and pointing of
TO the south though he might take a
little trip to Washington which he could
easily have done in ten or twelve minutes,
for the aeroplane in the calm air was
making about forty miles an hour. But
that was not what he was there for, and
he wheeled back and alighted again. This
time Lieut.. Lahm expressed a desire to
go up. but Mr.. Wright decided on another
solo spin, just to make sure that every
thing was in order.
1t was. and on the next trip Lieut..
I.ahm was the lucky passenger. 1t was
not his first trip I'm the aeropiane by any
means. and he has become so hardened
to altitude by numerous balloon trips that
he took more liberties with the machine
than had any of the other passengers
that the Wrights have carried. He want.
ed to see the wheels go round, and twist
ed about to watch the action of the rear
rudder. He did not actually ride back
ward but was nearer to 1t than a well
conducted passenger in an aeroplane
usually comes.
On the last trip it was beginning to
be dusk. and Lieut. HUMPHREYS. who Is
the youngest recruit to the aerial squad,
was given his first taste of aeroplaning.
He was in the air about five minutes, and
when he came down he declared that
the experience was pleasant that he
thought he would get an aeroplane him.
self and use 1t for runabout.
Duration Of instruction Period.
The training flights of the future are
likely to be longer. Fifteen or twenty
minutes is the usual time for the in
structor and a pupil to remain in the
air. and eight days. which was the rec
ord made by Lieut.. Calderara in. Italy
vas the shortest time that man has
ever taken before being allowed to make
& flight by himself. In that case. how.
oyer. there was a long stretch of ex-
tseptionally good weather, and the pupil
and his Instructor sometimes made az
many as five or six flights In a day.
Training man to handle the machine
and sitting still beside him and seeing
him make mistakes, Mr.. Wright saws
A man has to make some mistakes, and
there is very small margin Of time
in which to decide whether or not he
needs help. II the help comes too soon
he never learns to help himself. and IL Il
is delayed too long-well, it never has
been delayed too long yet. but if n
were the results would be unplea SAINT,
to put 1t mildly.
The flights at College Park will be con-
tinued till the two pupils are proficient.
but just how long the training will re-.
auire 1t is impossible to say, an the
weather will cut more figure than the