Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-17


pressure is released. Thus the button
on the stick is used while doing aero
paticS when the engine cannot pe
shut off momentarily and as quickly
restarted. But the button on the side
or the airplane either snaps on OF
off and stays there until it is snapped
back again. Thus we were advised to
snap the button on the side so that
in case our thumb slipped off the
button on the top of the stick, there
would be no danger of the engine
starting. And that was just what L
did not do-"conpece" (shut Off on
the side, with the result that when
1 drew the stick back toward my
stomach to get the tail down and
thus have the tail and wheels hit at
the same time, my thumb slipped Off
the button and zowie!! went the en-
gine full speed ahead and l was all
set for beautiful landing too.
The next thing knew l was hang
ing by the safety belt looking down
at the ground as the engine dug into
the ground and the tail rose in the
air. It's been quite awhile since a
bellyband proved useful to me, and
one would think that. l had out
grown it, but found it very useful
when my winged steed reared up and
plunged itself into the ground and
me in disgrace. Oh, no, 1 was not
hurt, and this seemed to be the
climax to an all around day of bad
luck.sI assure you, however amusing
this smash looks now, it had no
amusing side then. 1 feared 1 would
be put on a J-Cat and not allowed
any more Nieuport training.
Out of Breath
Since I soon ran out of breath
calling myself names for my forget
fulness, and the strap was beginning
to make itself felt, snapped it open
and let my dangling legs rest on the
top wing and from there hop to the
ground and take account of damage.
Was surprised to find that only
wheel and propeller were broken.
Just the same it got me in Dutch,
and left me fuming on the ground
while the moniteur got ready to take
me up in a double command Ism
Nieuport 1t took him only two days
to get ready and after two rides In
which he did most of the flying, we
cam down and landed and he asked
the usual question, 'Pourgnoe." / had
done thus and so.
Tries Again
Finally, however, L got a machine
me, when l came down to land, l
had not forgotten to "cut the mo-
tor" on both side and stick. So much
for the smash.
Made three landings all right and
then something went wrong with the
motor, for as l was getting Off" she
spitted, exploded and gave numerous
other signs of not wishing to work.
Sometimes she would stop altogether
and then the whole plane would sink
10 or 20 feet, going along again when
the motor revived. After the motor
had tainted several times this way,
it got sort of monotonous and realiz-
ing that l was driving a fast and
tricky toy I came down half mile
away and landed. After waiting an
hour for a mechanic to come and
crank the engine so 1 could taxi"
(run along ground), back to the
starting point, / got off again. 1t just
goes to show how matter fact
these mechanics take the dangers of
this game, when / say that my en-
gine was pronounced all right. En-
gine behaved the same as previously
and when I had gone a mile, 1 knew
there was something radically wrong
with that motor, so down we came
again.
Something Wrong
l kept the engine running though
and having landed safely, went
bumpy-bump along the ground back.
Believe me ] made some holler that
time, even if it was in English, and
positively refused to fly until the
trouble in that motor was discovered.
Seeing how much in earnest was the
mechanic soon discovered that the
motor had something broken. l don't
l. bt1f
pronounced it unfit for flying. No
more flying that day.
only had had four rides in Ism
Nieuport, but the next day | was
given a different motored plane and
told to go up for altitude-go up
above 1900 metres (11,000 feet)
and stay there 10 minutes. That lis
tened real good, and being given one
of those furlined overall suits, l was
soon bundled up, looking more like
a stuffed Teddy Bear than an aspir-
ing aviator. When l finally got my
engine tuned up and TAXED" my ma
chine to the starting point, there
were no bara graphs. (These instru-
ments record the altitude with ink
and paper). So they sent me up
without 1T, which probably was a
good thing, because a written record
of that flight would surely have its
ups and downs, as my motor was
running rotten from the start. 1t was
the same type of motor 1 had used
on my altitude test in a Candron,
only this time I had not forgotten
where the big lever went. The trouble
was with the mechanic, who had not
told me right. AS long as the engine
would pull me I was not going to
come down. So started juggling the
engine controls while 1 climbed. To
make matters worse my revolution
indicator (tochoute) was not work.
ing, so the only way / could tell
whether my engine was going was by
the sound Git sings a regular song
when it's going right and my "air
feel" both of which are poorly de-
veloped, indeed. But since I was fly
ing around the school all the time 1
saw no reason why l could not get
down safely even if the engine did
die.
When I got to 1900 metres I was
among the clouds and began having
an interesting time lodging them
because 1 wished to keep the school
in view to prevent getting lost.
Up 5000 Metres
BY the time / had reached $500
metres there were no more holes dis
cernible then the clouds. The clouds
had closed in below me like smoke
over Pittsburgh, but I still continued
climbing as my altimeter dial reg
istered up to 5000 metres and was
going to chase the hand clear around
the dial If it took an ear. 1t nearly
did too, because / could hardly hear
the engine with the left one. Height
affects hearing that way and one
must swallow to get the hearing
back again. AS I said, the clouds had