Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-26

binding him. but in the old days We had
no such protection, and fve-minute
flight was enough to give our faces a
solid coating of mingled water from the
flying cylinders and dashed back upon
us by the rush of the wind.
I flew with the first Gnome engine ever
put upon the market. 1t was short
time after 1 had taken my initial lessons
from Grahame- White and when l was in
the school run by Bleriot himself at Pau
| was anxious to try the new type of
engine, which. in it's preliminary trials
had made such a tremendous stir In the
world of aviation, and I was fortunate in
being able to purchase a machine with
the first commercial Gnome engine in
stalled upon it.
1t was a vastly different matter to
start flight with this new power plant.
Instead of having an easy run along the
ground and lifting at speed OF about
thirty miles an hour, as I had done with
Grahame-White's Anzani, I now. found
myself rushing along at nearly fifty miles
an hour almost as soon as the mechanics
let go of the machine. Here my poor
eyes got a flashing which / shall never
forget, and which daily nearly blinded
me until L became accustomed to flying
at this tremendous speed; but my ex-
perience has firmly convinced me of one
thing, and that Is that the novice who
learns to fly Bleriot should begin with
the Anzani motor and not attempt to use
the powerful Gnome until he has pretty
thoroughly mastered the control of his
machine. Then he is able to cope with
the greater difficulties of the high-power-
ed revolving motor and he can take his
place in the ranks of expert aviators.
From the very first the one phase Of
aviation that held a really powerful fas-
cnation for me was altitude climbing.
All novices at the schools not only at Pau
but elsewhere in Europe. had been con-
tent to fly for months at a height not
exceeding fifty or seventy-five feet from
the ground. This never seemed to me to
be really flying. / regarded it only as
little more exciting than riding in an
automobile. No sooner had / tried my
f1edging wings than I looked longingly
into the upper air and wanted to climb
as far as my engine would carry me.
Il
On the third day of my practice at the
Bleriot school with the Gnome motor l
decided to take affairs into my own
hands and, disregarding all the advice
that had been given me, 1 headed the
machine upward and climbed close to
the other, three of my cylinders went
bad and l was forced to coast down to
the ground again. 1t was the result of
some minor defect in the new engine and
when ii was repaired [ took my equip
ment with me to my place at Beaulieu
in England, there TO practice bit and
then try for my certificate, or aviator $
license.
l became proficient in a remarkably
short time. When l felt that l could
pass inspection / had the officials of the
English Aero Club appoint a day when
l should try for my certificate, but
was determined that / would not gain
the coveted paper by any mere exhibit
ton of plain flying short distance
above the ground. 1 wanted to go up
up-up-and nothing but high flight
would suit me.
I spoke to one Of the officials about it.
but he shook his head obviously.
You are only a. novice he said. You
had better do just enough today to get
your certificate and let your altitude
work go until you are more proficient.
1 would not be satisfied with this, how
ever, and so 1 sent for a navy officer
who was an expert in the use of d sex
tant and when all was ready I mounted
my machine. An official came up to
wish me good luck and just before my
mechanics started the propeller / asked
What is the English height record?''
"Paulhan has it," he replied. 1T is
977 feet