The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-24
BY RENE SIMON.

How did 1 happen to take it into
my head to fly across Richmond this
afternoon? oh, just happened to.
that's ali You see. my friend Gar Z
ros found the going very good there
this morning, SO L thought I'd try
his airlanes and see if he'd left them
clean swept and neat for me. He
did. He left them so clean swept
that l couldn't find his turning point.
and SO !! groped around and around
vari9us buildings Stu ,ryinE 70 discover
l round out after getting back to
my hotel that had been turning cir
cles over the Hotel Jefferson tower
that l got as far as Main and First
Streets Though l am sure l don't
know even now where they are). and
careering around there. as 1 We're
lost soul looking for haven. Well.
was lost, but / wasn't looking for
haven.
fooled me. Never was SO certain of
ANYTHING In my own, mind as | was
when returne dto the Fair Grounds
that had flown as far as Garros did
this morning. and that l had beaten
his time. Then to discover that
was half a mile or so short of his
too, had trouble in locating-well,
that Is enough to make anybody cross,
I'll try it again before I'm through
Moisant, and the next time III find
Garros's turning point or bust, It's
such fool thing, you know, to go
It. of if h sh shnss sG big na
you say the City Hall tower Is. APP
parently 1t is more difficult to miss
1t than to find 1t. But things looks
bird's-eye and a worm 's-eye view
point.
What bothered me most in my flight?
Was there any wind or was the cold
too much? Yes. there was little
wind, may be eighteen or twenty miles
Of It; may be less may be more.
speed. and then the wind that held
you back while you were going In
one direction helps you the other
way. So the wind plays no part
at all. Still weather or wind, I'd as
lief drive my machine in one as the
other. SO far as racing Is concerned.
or course, flying Is easier. and less
of a strain on both man and machine
when the air is still. or as nearly still
as it ever is. But, do you know there
are never two consecutive seconds
tiong It's like the ocean. the air is
restless, ceaseless in It's motion, and
almost as treacherous If you'll let it
be, ] suppose that my wing warps
H..
say suppose because i do not actual
ly ever know what ! am doing In an
laeroplane
MY acts in an aeroplane are moro
or less Instructive, rather more than
less. guess, and | could not tell any
body what l was doing after i had
done 1t, II somebody was right along-$
side Of ME in the machine and asked
me to keep him constantly informed
of how I was operating the machine
l should be Immensely troubled, be-
cause then I should begin to think
about what was doing. Alone. I
merely operate. That's all that I am
conscious of doing, and I'm hardly
conscious of that
a rest cure | know of. Other than the
steady droning of your motor there
is no sound: your engine browns all
other noises out.
after a while. and then the air and
your surroundings seem to become
quiet Just as any one living along
side Of boiler factory ceases after
Ia while to be conscious of its noise;
You are alone with Your thoughts,
Except when am being shaved ! al
ways have my best Ideas while I'm up
in the air And that's dangerous, too.
a bit, because day-dreaming and acres
planning are. not, in the, present state
of the Observation-Disclosures flying machine.
| good companions. That is, not good
| for the dreamer's health
| is aeroplaning dangerous? Not any
more so than automobile driving was
| in the infancy6of the motor ear. Per-
| haps flying is even less hazardous, be-
cause one does not have I'd look out
for poles and other vehicles and fences
and things like that The air is
great highway, and there's plainly Of
room And then, too, IL. you're high
enough when You should happen 10
make a mistake with Your machine,
| there's always time to catch the aero
plane before Il gets away from you.
| Therell be lust as many people dirty
| ing aeroplanes ten years from now
as thereaare automobile operators now,
only ten years after the real birth Of
the motor car.