Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26

get hold of myself and pull myself
through. 1t has only been since that
flight that I have been able to inquire out
calmly just how near death l was.
think. that kept me from getting into
panic l was able to do the right things
nstinctively. without making mistakes
through excitement. They were near
enough calls, to be sure. out twice before
| was really nearer to death, because on
those two occasions my mind was Keen,
realized fully the danger of my position
and the necessity for instant ACTON; there
was all the chance for fatal panic. and
the awful chances | was taking We're per
fertly claa- TO me.
Eoth of these thrilling moments came
to me while / Was living Tor practice at
my school at l;eaulcl. near Southanlp-
ton England My partner. MacArdie,
and have an ideal lying grounds there
il is seven miles from the railroad sta
ton. with perfectly flat country. smooth
and clear except for one line of telegraph
wires and here and there low tree or d
clump of shrubbery. These impedimellts
are very far apart and do not interfere
in any way with our work
+ -
My closest cali came to me in most
undramatic way. There Were no specta-
tors save only McArdle and our mechan-
les, and l think that Mac was the only
one of them who really saw my danger
and knew that he was near to losing
partner.
/ vas flying low with the Bleriot NJ
with the Anticipated type of wings. l
started to circle the place in wide, easy
curves, without any definite object in
view. l found the machine was banking
well al he turns and became curious to
see just how small loop | could make
with her, 50 l gradually narrowed the
circle in which / was flying.
Closer and closer to the center l came
and the Bleriot did all 1 could have eH-
pected of her. There seemed no limit to
her possibilities; I felt as though l could
turn her OH her beam ends II / wanted TO-
and so, without the slightest thought OF
danger. ] kept drawing closer anu closer
about the center. flying at a great angle
all the time. because the circle mad De
come so small that there was no straight
away flight. 1t was Il case of jam the
rudder over hard and see how close she
would come about.
1t may be well to explain that the
Bleriot banks automatically when going
about a turn-that is, the far side rises
and the near side falls until the machine
is frequently tilted at all angle OF 4,
degrees. This can, of course, be pre-
vented by Wrapping the wings and keep
ing her on more even keel. but to do
this puts SO severe strain OH the planes
that it is extremely dangerous, while, at
the same time, it loses ground by caus-
ing the aeroplane to slip or skid wide OF
the turn on account of the momentum.
*
I think, on this day l speak of, that
/ was turning the machine in her own
length or even shorter. I was paying
not the slightest attention to the angle
at which 1 was flying; all my thoughts
were ON the little circles l was cutting
through the air, when, suddenly l felt
myself Slipping on my seat and 1 real
lied in a flash that my planes We're dan
serously near the perpendicular.
There was no time to think. One in
slant more, and she would have lost her
balance and come crashing down side
ways to the ground 80 feet below.