The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-10-05


lown. and few moments thereafter !
landed as lightly as bird. feeling
hat my first flight had indeed been
triumph unmarried in any way and
entirely disproving the discouraging
things l had heard about the dim
.ulties Of learning to fly.
landed with the wind and going af
a speed well UP between fifty and SIX
ty miles an hour. and not twenty teet
from where tOue he'd the ground was
q high fence. Into this crashed at
full speed I felt sudden jar and
heard the loud noises "f splintering
wood all about me so loud indeed
that felt that the heavens We're tum
bling about my ears. lhrn felt an
other jar as | fell to the earth. and
when had recovered my senses sur
ficiently to examine the wreck ! found
that there was not much left except
the seat and me For the seat ! had
no very high regard. but was mighty
glad and grateful IL find that was
able to get UP and walk about with
only a score or so of sore spots dis-
| tributed over my body.
l must have been an awful sight to
behold. From the very beginning OF
my fight. unaccustOmed as ! was to
I hurtling at such Il rate through tha
air. the wind had lashed my eyes ss
though with whiwordS. and ms eye
balls had become sore and inflamed.
The oil from the engine had been
dashed back Oh to my face. and there
1t had mingled in grimy brotherhood
with the water that streamed from
my eyes under the lashing of the
wind.
1t took me q long while to get used
to this pain caused in the eyes by the
rushing air. and during the next few
weeks when | began flying with the
Gnome engine l got Il double dose OF
lubricating oil in my hair. all over my
face and down my neck.
| few with the first Gnome engine
ever put upon the market. 1t was
short time after | had taken my inl.
tial lessons from Grahame- White aud
when / was in the school run by Bile
riot himself ut Pau.
1t was a vastly different matter to
start a fight with this new motor
Instead of having an easy run along
the ground and lifting at a sleed o1
about thirty miles an hour. as haC
done with Grahame- Whites Anzani.
now found myself rushing along a
nearly fifty miles an hour almost ~
soon as the mechanics let 60 Of TIN
machine. Here my poor eyes got
lasliiilg which shali never forget ais
which daily nearly blinded me until
became accustomed to flying at thi
tremendous speed.
Go In For High Flying.
From the very first the one phase o
aviation that held ii really powerfu
fascination for me was altitude clint
ing. No sooner had | tried my fledEt
ling wings than | looked !OnEingl
into the upper air and wanted to elm
as far Nv my engine would carry me-.
On the third day Of my pr;lcthe I;
the Rleriot school with the Gnome 'n'
tor | decided to take affairs into III
own hands. and. disregarding all til
advice that had been given me. he;''
ed the machine upward aud climbt
close to thousand feet. when SUI
denly, one after the other. three OF N
cylinders went bad. and | was force
to coast down to the ground again.
was the result Of some minor defect
the new engine. and when it was E
paired took my equipment with U
to my place at Beaulie,l. in Engia'i
there to practice a bit and then Z
for my certificate. or aviator's liens
l became proficient In remarkab
ne short time. When I felt that cou
ns pass inspection had the officials
IN the English Aero club appoint d
when | should try for my certitica
Al official came up to wish me 60
~ luck Just before my mechanics start
he the propeller: and | asked:
N. What is the English height record
NJ "Paulhan has it, he replied. 1t
ch 071 feet"
ps "Well.'' l said as turned away.
m am going to try to beat that"
lie. started of In wide circles. and
he first two times l passed over the be'
of the. officials saw one OF them W;
as red Gag. the signal for naval
|, Ger with a sextant to take my hets
ION Higher and higher ! went. but
Ing surprised not to see the Gag wave af
ght that, and came to earth again.
b. .How much did I do?" asked
to navy officer
ma "Ten hundred and forty feet" be
nk- piled. "You have broken the Engl
my altitude record. and believe you "
'es. twice as high as that. but unfol
get nately the man who was to signal
red with the flag got mixed up someh
hy. and | only took your height ON >
did first and second circles"
for This love Of altitude work has b
ied nv constant passion ever since. Mel
into to get into an aeroplane and hy
silly longer has any fascination for
rat want to climb ! want TO
hed going up until ! am sure that
higher than any maG- has ever i
ton before in heavier than air maci
l'so and. though not long ago almost
and tor,n,nad ,o rive nm aerlplane wnr
men now feel the desire growing str"l
10 upon me. and it would not surprise
me II l tried for another record soon
nan Eternal practice and unfailing
thence are necessary whei the ave
to man takes to flying. Day after da
De must go out grass cutting. as
anu say at Mineola when the novices
rous along the ground or take only 8
fnnf | ..4. <Ao oiv rrhie 4,