The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-06
0VINGT0N, FIRST TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL
FLIGHT in CONNECTICUT, HAS NAr a'V
ESCAPE AS PLANE DROPS INTO AIR HOLE

looked as though was going to crash
right into them with terrific force.
I took that course on purpose. in or
der to get sufficient speed. Then I
lowered the tail hard, and the mono
plane lifted up nicely and just clear
ed the flag pole Of the ball room.
over every building of that kind,
there Is heavy stream of air when
there is a wind blowing. AS soon as
1 had cleared the ball room, my wings
struck this stream of air and I went
directly up then at sharp angle.
But L owe my life and the safety of
my machine to the splendid way in
which my engine worked in lifting me
over that building. If 1t had failed,
there would have been great wreck.
"Once in the air, my machine assert
ed its right 40 be what it is-the fast
est climb bling machine in the world. I
went up an angle of near 80 degrees.
There isn't another machine in Amer
lea that can do it.
When / was making my second
turn over the Sound. at a height of
about 1000 feet, L experienced what
consider to be the narrowest shave
of my career as an aviator.
without warning my right wing
dropped into an air pocket, or calm
space. and Immediately sank down,
fitting the machine at a sharp angle.
There is only one way to save your
self in a case like. that. 1 lowered
the machine quickly. and the down.
ward plunge gave me a sharp acceler-
ation At the same instant 1 damned
over as hard as 1 could and the ma
chine just righted itself.
Its all right to make the machine
forward and downward dips and
glides, but when you see an aeroplane
turning sideways, you can put it down
as immediate danger. An aviator at
tempts to keep his ma chine always
little too much tilt sideways, and over
he goes.
81 made two volplane dips or glides
yesterday afternoon. In making this
glide. I shut off the motor and slid
downward at sharp angle. Then
at the end of the downward rush, 1
speed up the motor and shot right up
again. One of the glides yesterday
i commenced at height of about L.
$50 feet, and came down pretty close
to the buildings, then shooting well up
into the air again. With the momen-
tum I attained on the downward dip
and the speed added by my engine, /
was hitting gaitFof 90 miles an hour
Nsiiesi started TO clirnEr Up on 1ay
biggest volplane yesterday.
When / volplane I simply shut off
the ignition. The rush of air against
the propeller keeps the engine turning
over, and everything is ready for
start when I turn on the ignition
again. 500
Bridgeport is beautiful sight from
up IN the air. 1t is very pretty
city, and the Sound looks beautiful
from UP above. This was my first
trip over the water
From the height 1 was at. tile
track at Steeplechase looked about the
size of a half dollar, and 1 wondered
how L was ever going to get down
onto it. However, L managed to hit
the eastern end of the field Just about
right.
II purposely came down hard, to
absorb as much Of my momentum as
possible. 1t might have looked to
the spectators that I hit the ground
pretty hard, but 7 did this on purpose
to check myself as much as possible.
As it was it looked as though was
going to plough into the fence and
had almost made up my mind for it.
when my trailers on the tail began
to dig into the ground and stopped the
machine, just in time.
Il have been up in heavier winds
than yesterdays. but 1 have never
flown in trickier wind 1t was
first gutsy and treacerous and kept me
guessing all the time. And it was
y
motor which got me off the field II
the first place.
While large crowds watched Owing
ton yesterday afternoon from Seaside
Park and from the roofs of Bridge
port buildings, the only really good
view of the aviator's daring feats was
that enjoyed by the spectators on the
island. The most thrilling parts of
his performances are out of sight OF
all but the spectators in the immed-
late vicinity of the race track at the
island, where the flights start and
finish.
The crowds at the island were kept
and tomorrow by squad of police
men. Yesterday Capt. John H Re
gan handled a squad of 20 officers,
and they kept the field absolutely
clear for the aviator. This is vitality
necessary. 1t would be so under any
circumstances and is particularly so
upon such restricted field as at
Steeplechase.
Mayor E. It. Buckingham, who was
one of the most delighted and enthu-
siastic spectators yesterday, was the
official tinekeeper. 1t was at Abs
O'Clock that the propeller of Owing
toms machine turned over for the
start, and it was just II minutes later
when his machine alighted and came
to halt 1t was II minutes of a
it is safe to say that this spectacle
is the most wonderful that has ever
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