The Washington times., 1911-08-30
TRIP IN B|PLANE
PLEASES JOHNSON,
WILL BUY MACHINE
Kentucky Representative
Enjoys Flight at Col
lege Park.

BravinE a twenty y-five-mile-an-hour
wind, a drizzling rain, ard treachercus
air currents, Representative Ben john
son of Kentucky, chairman of the
House District Committee, went up for
a ten-minute flight in the Wright bi-
Hane at College Park last evening.
kteut. H. H Arnold was .he aviator.
The fact that a flight was dangerous
owing to the extremely strong wind
blowing and treacherous air currents,
did not worry the Kentuckian one bit.
~ Just figured that If Lieutenant Ar
mold could take a chance could"
At 6:57 o'clock Representative john
Son crawled into the "Old Warhorse''
Wright, and in a second was followed
by Lieutenant. Arnold. The wind was
whistling a merry tune over the tops
4 OF the hangers, and 'Old Glory" flut-
tering on the stan pole at the orderly
tent added to the music" Heading the
machine straight into the wind, which
was blowing from the north, Lieutenant
Arnold carried his passenger up to an
altitude of about $50 feet.
Enjoys the Sights.
At first Representative Johnson
clutched the stancion, and rammed his
feet tightly against the foot rest, but
after getting up a hundred feet he took
things a little bit easier. and proceeded
to make the most of his trip by looking
around through the clouds and rubber
necking" back at the earth where a
crowd of friends and army officers were
watching him
The air craft was tossed about con-
siderably, but Lieutenant Arnold was
equal to the emergency, and by warp
ing the wings of the machine, made II
fly splendidly against the odds OF
gale and bad up and down currents.
When about COO feet in the air, Lieu
tenant Arnold proceeded to give Rep
resentative Johnson a touch of high
life" fitting the machine nose down.
ward, and making a glide of $50 feet.
Mr.. Johnson frightened his hold on one
CT the stanchions, and took deep sigh
similar to the kind a person takes when
experiencing a thrilling ride on a scenic
railway.
In making a landing in the field the
machine stuck in the mud, but 1t was
soon towed out toward the hangar. Rep
resentaive Johnson crawled out, and
was questioned by his friends about
his trip. Before answering any ques-
t!ons he turned and took a good look
then with big smile on his face, said
1T was great"
Will Buy a Flyer.
i never lett the ledSl Dll uneasy
while up there, because 1 had the ut
most confidence III Lieutenant Arnold s
ability to handle that machine. 1t was
awfully cold, though, and my feet feel
like they are frozen. 1t is certainly
exhilarating, and some of these days l
am going to buy me one just like 1t.
Aviation IS one Of my hobbies. Two
years ago l tried to get the Wright
brothers to take me up when they were
at Fort Myer. but they wouldn't.
did not rest easy until l secured per-
mission TO take ride. My trip to-
day has increased my enthusiasm on
aviation, and before l leave for OLA
Kentucky l am coming out here again
for another trip
Representative Johnson won two dis
tinctiUns yesterday. One was that he
was the first outsider, and the first
Congressman to De taken up in Gov
ernment machine, and was the first
passenger nervy enough to go up in q
machine against a twenty-five-mile
wind.
w. A Foster, of the Beverly apart
ments, 1863 Irving street was the host
Of the party, and brought with him In
his big automobile, besides Mr.. John
son, Cape James F. Oyster. J. Louis
Willige, A. BrylawslIi, and Mrs. Foster
Capt. Paul W. Beck made a special
flight in his Curtiss bipIane for them.
He was up five minutes.