Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-30

r EARNING to fly is luck plus. Also,
born fiers, some achieve flying. and some have
- flying thrust upon them. Possibly the last part
of this second bromdiom may stretch of the
imagination. "How,' you will ask, "can man have
flying thrust upon him.?
Down the level reaches of the lowland of M1neoa,
Long Island where most of the amateur birmen first
stretch out their pin feathered wings, each goes
through his preliminary course OF grass cutting
Now, graSs cutting expression that IS applied to
the early efforts of man to control his machine he
spends days driving the ground without getting
into the air at ALL and he spends days or weeks more
lifting only few feet and coming down again. This is
3grass cutting it is not flying, and he does not want
to fly He must first become accustomed to the feel OF
the machine and acquire the instinct for control Be
fore he has these down to certainty any attempt to do
real flying would be dangerous and toolhardy.
TT was late one afternoon last summer when group
of us were about ready to quit for the day when
first saw hying actually thrust upon The wind
had died down to nothing and by one the machines
had been taken out smashed, and taken in again.
Everybody seemed to have had enough, when CurtsS
bplane wheeled out from the big shed of the Aero
nautical Society and young man mounted the seat.
He was the newest of the grass cutters. He had COM
peted his machine only few days before and had made
one or two the field to try out his engine.
He was the greenest of all the green and he had
intention of taking his aeropane off the ground for
another two weeks more. Now he was merely test
ing his engine again.
His mechanic threw the propeller and as began
whirling and roaring at twelve hundred revolutions
minute we took hold of the machine until he should
give the signal to let 60 Soon he off. Down the
field he went rolling over the grass at good speed;
but as he neared the far end he did not shut off his
motor as we expected him to do.
"Cood Lord7 groaned his mechanic. "The fool is
going up
Family against the gathering dusk of the eastern sky
we made out the silhouette of the aeropane it
slowly from the ground. Smaller and smaller it grew,
then turned crossed level with the horizon, turned
again toward us, and with the dronng of the engine
growing louder and the silhouette looming larger and
clearer it was soon heads had turned again,
and was making off down the field its second trip
before we had recovered from astonishment
"Come down, you fool!' some one yelled, though we
knew the young aviator could hear nothing but the
roaring of the cylinders.
Again the silhouette flew the far horizon, this
time higher than before and with majestic sweep that
held entraled though waited breathessy for the
smash that we felt inevitable with inexperienced
a But no smash came. Instead, the big shadow
rounded toward the far and started once
on its sweep back over our heads.
This time could more clearly. We gazed up
almost in at the daring young birdman, wondering
the superb control he seemed to have yet puzzled
that he wildly gestculatng at with one hand
as he passed above
For the third time he made the circuit of the field
and again he waved to us; but concluded that he
merely sending signals of triumph. Ten times
that 1edglng made the circuit of the twoand-ahalf
mile course, each time gesticulating with his right
he sailed heads. Suddenly his mechanic
started on across the field
"Hurry" he shouted. "He's been trying to make us
understand that he wants to down, and he wants
there to stop him."
The eleventh circuit had been finished and the twelfth
begun when the shadow suddenly descended and gded
to the ground.
"Shut off your engine you idiot" yelled
but the of the exploding cylinders continued and
the aeopane came bounding over the grass straight to