The Washington herald., 1917-09-23
italians MAKE
Flight TO CITY
Aviators Complete Trip
From Newport News in
Hour and Half.

| Washingtonians craning their necks
skyward yesterday were thrilled by
the daring aerial manoeuvers of
three Italian battle airplanes, the first
I of which landed on the polo field of
| Potomac Park on schedule time"
| little under an hour and a half
| consumed in the flight from Newport
| News. Va. All the machines are the
| latest types of scouting and bombing
planes used by the Italins in their
recent offensive, and, operated by
pilots of the Italian air service, made
| the trip from Langley Field, their
| American base near Newport News.
One Of them, the huge Capronl pas
senger carrying car. brought ten
| passengers, and all thrilled the Capital
| with marvellous evolutions of spiral
diving" and falling leaf tricks.
which have never been before seen
In this part of the country.
President Wilson watched the
! aviators from the White House
| grounds, while army officers and
civilians crowded the area about the
| landing space where great white
cross had been marked on the grouno
Us a guide to the Italians, long be-
fore Lieut.. Baldioli in Comolio
plane, accompanied by Lieut. Franklin
X. Lane, jr., son of the Secretary or
the Interior. landed shortly after II
o'clock. Leaving Langley Field next
after the Comolio machine, the Sia
car, driven by Lieut.. Ballerini, ac-
companied oy Lieut.. Abeetti, as an
observer, reached Washington without
| incident, but while descending from
the clouds the gasoline supply failed
nd fnrpa1 ~ alfphf ot 70
end Of the Highway Bridge. on the
Virginia side of the Potomac.
Lieut.. Ressnati had as guests on
the flight in his big Caproni machine
DR.. William F. Durand, chairman of
the national aeronautics advisory COM
mittee; DR.. s. w. Straton. of the
Standards Bureau; w. B. Stout. of
the international aircraft board; S. J.
Kubel. of the Geological Survey, and
Capt Tappi, of the Italian army, be-
sides four mechanics.
Officials Greet Ayiators.
Secretary Lane had expected 10
| make the trip. but at a suggestion
that it was IAN unnecessary risk"
coming from President Wilson.
gave up his place in the machine.
He was present with other govern
ment officials, members Of Con-
gress. United States army and navy
officers and officers of the allied
nations. stationed in Washington,
when the flyers alighted. Cheers
arose from the crowd about the
field for the feats OF "looping-the-
loop" performed by Capt. Emilio
Resnati. in his bombing machine,
fitted with 525-horsepower motors.
Most sensational were the stunts"
of Lieut.. Baldioli. at a height of
1000 feet. He gracefully spun
around with the nose of his car
pointed earthwards. at a dizzyinG
speed which held the spectators
aEape. His machine was powered
with 200-horsepower motors. while
the Caproni is so large that 1t can
carry three tons OF explosives.
Upon the finish of the trip. only
officers of the Signal Corps and n
few OF the Italian officers stationed
here, were admitted through the
ring of United states artillerymen
stationed about the field
At about o'clock in the after
noon the planes again took flight
for the Virginia city. so as to ar
rive there early enough for a day
light landing" Another flight to
New York City is planned at an
early date.