The Washington herald., 1912-09-30
OF MOUSE;
LIKES TO- Fly
Miss Bernetta A. Miller, Only Amer.
ican Aviatrice, Here to
Take Tests.
PLANS TO GIVE EXHIBITIONS
AT COLLEGE PARK FIELD
Declares Monoplane Is Superior to
Biplane, and Will Endeavor
to Prove So.

Appearing very III at ease and discon-
certed by the volley Of questions fired at
her by reporters. Miss Bernetta A. Mil
Ter. Americas only aviatrice with a pi-
lots license. last night at the Willard
blushingly admitted that she was almost
scared to death Of a mouse, and In the
same breath declared she did not feel
the slightest fear when soaring thou
sands of feet In the air above mother
earth in her fraiI Moisant monoplane.
IT am afraid of a mouse because am
woman said Miss Miller. in explain
ing the phenomenon, '.but II ever felt
fear for second In 'Maude'-that Is the
name Of my monoplane-I would give up
flying the minute 1 reached the ground.
Il was attracted to aviation because 1t
Is the greatest sport In the world, and
because II Is a good business. am de-
pendent upon myself to make my living
i love excitement. All other sports are
recreation. but flying is sensation.
Never Thinks of Accident.
when l am in the air 1 don't think
Of thing but flying. / have often tried
to think Of something while in the air
but 1 can't. l never watch the ground
or think of what would happen II l were
to lose control of my machine. In my
myself to think of the sad accidents
that have occurred there in the last two
months. Owing to the tragedy there
yesterday, will not fly until after the
funeral of the two men killed. / think
II would be disrespectful to do so until
they are buried.
Il am not superstitious. i have no
hoodoo, although / never make flight
without a small American flag. which
carried all over Europe with me. I
wanted to take my pilots license test
on Friday. the 18th, but officials Of the
Moisant Aviation School. at Garden City,
Long Island. would not permit me to.
! only obtained my license about two
weeks ago. but have made more than
fifty flights since learning to fly in June.
II do not think II unwomanly to want
to be an aviatrice. On the other hand,
think women will make the better opera
tors. because they are much more care
full than men, and will not take the
risks that men do. / am not flying to
achieve fame as a fancy flier or an ex-
hib;tion fiier. but to show women that
the aeroplane Is practical when asked TO
do only what is physically possible for
it to do. Most certainly aviation is prac-
tical. In five years time aeroplanes will
be as common as electric runabouts are
to-day.
II am not here to do any fancy flying.
but simply to show the officials Of the
War Department that the monoplane is
a better machine than the biplane. The
monoplane is superior to the biplane for
scouting purposes, speed, and endurance.
Although the United States has the hon
or Of having given birth to aviation It
has allowed the other nations Of the
world to pass It simply because it has
accepted the biplane and has never stud
led the possibilities of the monoplane.
There is little money in flying at pres
ent. I think 1t simply outrageous that
our government pays its army aviators
only 81. 100 a year. Why poor little Mex
leo pays its aviators s43 a day and ex-
penses in American money"
Miss Miller probably will begin her
at College Park Thurs
day. She expects to make exhibition
flights at the army aviation field every
day for the next month.
Harold Kantner. a representative of
the Moisant Company, is also in the
city. and will aid Miss Miller in the dem
onstrations at College Park.