The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-06-22
Girl Filler Can Loop the Loop,
But She's Afraid of Snakes
Katherine SnSon Daring Apiatrx at Nineteen, Admits
She's Frightened When She Starts Straight Up.

the engine stops on this upward
flight the machine is liable to fall
down, and then It is good night And
the engine stopped on me. But
was waiting for this, and the ver.'
moment it stopped, while the ms-
chine was apparently motionless for
the fractional part OF a second, !
threw its nose downward and the
engine started again.
1T took my breath away. I was
frightened, and worse than ever be-
fore or since" And 1 seemed to hear
a chuckle OF glee from the CHASTITY
figure that appeared to hover back
Of her in the shadows and which
must have been near her in the clouds
that day.
But / mounted higher then-It
was about 5000 feet-and this time
the engine didn't stop and / made
the loop successfully. 1 was SO hap
/ py over having accomplished 1t that
lost my way, and flew about for
| quite a while before got my bear
tngs. 1 discovered l was about eight
miles from the field, but 1 got safe
ly back.
81 don't know how many times I've
done 1t since then 1 haven't kept
count But, / confess, 1 am fright
ened every time i start straight up
ward
THE first flight I made in New
York, at Sheepshead Bay, a number
Of photographers were there to get
my picture. I don't wear any regu-
lation garb. l think, had on this
same dress and hat"-a dainty little
tan silk frock, with patches OF heavy
green and red embroidery and little
punches Of colored ribbons. and a big
black happer hat-"and they evident
ly didn't know that was what 1 in
tended making the .-4ght in. Finally,
hoped into the machine, and when
they saw / was ready to fly they
yelled for me to wait a minute, they
wanted to get my picture. I can't
wait, / cried back. Nait until I
come down. anu as I started one of
them yelled after me, But you might
not come down." -..,
Miss Stinson was an aviation fan
before she ever saw a flying machine.
I could run a car and 1 knew every
tnIng about engines an motors. and
used to read everything in the
papers and magazines about ayiators
and aviation. / was something like
the man away out o. the ranch who
never gets to see a real baseball
game, and yet he reads every line in
the papers about baseball and base
ball players, and Is just as much OF a
fan as the man who goes to a game
every day. i was just like him.
Then I went to Chicago and took my
first lessons In aviation, and on the
aviation field there I saw my first
aeroplanes. Then I was at the field
in st. Louis for awhile. Then my
brother, Eddie, and my sister, Mar
Jorie, and myself opened q school in
San Antonio"
tended the school will tell you that
she was the head OF the firm of Stin-
son, Stinson & Stinson, and that she
looked after the business part Of the
bLLiness as well as the instruction
part. For she "a a business woman.
''1f It frightens you to make the
loop, why do you do it,"
Business" was the brief response.
"Of course, it's q dangerous business.
I know and realize that, but it's my
business. or course, IL wouldn't do
for q nervous person to undertake
looping the loop, because such a one
might lose his or her head JUST when
they shouldn't As far as that goes,
no nervous person is going to be an
aviator"
Then she spoke of soma of her
pupils.
1--WE had a lot of Canadian boys
down at the school last winter and |
spring. and all OF them except two |
are at the front now. POo- fellowsi |
I hear from them now ami then"
And she sighed.
Predicts Many Developments.
Miss Stinson predicted that in a few
years there would be further develop |
ments in aviation.
Just think" she said. "A dozen years |
ago we were thrilled by the daredevil /
bicycle rider at the street fair who loop
ed the loop on a track. Then came the
circus. which showed US the woman
strapped in a car which looped the loon.
Then came the aeroplanes and the short
flights And now we have the loop the
loop in the air. When 1 first read Of
Pegeuod looping the loop l thought he
must be crazy. Then when Beachy took
It up 1 knew there's no telling what
wen be doing in the air. When one
thinks Of the development in aeronau-
tics in the past ten years. the coming
Ten years offer unlimited field for the
ma gination."
She discussed different aviators and
he manner in which some OF them died,
all as II these fatal accidents had no
personal interest to her. and yet nearly
very day she Is in as much and more
hanger than those who have been hurled
tut OF the clouds thousands OF feet to
he earth below.
And as the pretty kid with the wild
lose complexion and the black curIs
.alked and laughed. the grim, dark
Ihape seemed grimmer and darker and
he skeleton hand seemed ever to be
eaching out to seize her.-Roydan Hoyle,
n St Louis Globe-DemocraE 4