The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-09
University Bey.
tbs dF frial
Aelr'opllalle. Trip
Emmett Riordan De.
scribeS Sensations
in Army Flying
Machine


popular idea Of the sensations cxpe-
rienced while flying through the air
has been sent by Emmet F. Riorden.
now a sergeant in the aviation corps
OF the army and former student in
Journalism at the State University.
Riortlen enlisted with six other Mon
tana university students last April.
when he was holding a reportorial job
on the Butte Miner He Is now sta
toned at the Wilbur Wright Aviation
field at Dayton. Ohio, and wrote the
following interesting story last week:
The Great Adventure.
Wilbur Wright Aviation field, DAY.
ton. Ohio. Sept. AT last ! was ready
for the wonderful adventure, my first
flight in an airplanc. Wearing foot
bali helmet and pair OF goggles.
climbed into the front seat OF a Cur.
tiss J.N-4-B and watched the crew
test out the wires and crank the pro.
peiler Then | settled back in the
breeze OF the whirling spruce blade
and prepared to enjoy my ride. And
| did enjoy it. II was pleasure. pure
and simple. devoid Of the creepy sensa-
tions had anticipated. We climbed
10 Il UclknI Oh k,vvV leet III lux
did a few stunts and returned after a
iwenty-minute flight.
Taxing across the level field. our
pilot swung the machine around with
the wind and We We're off. For 40
or 80 yards we sped along the ground
and then almost imperceptibly we be-
gan to climb. Taking the air is a
pleasing sensation exactly as ! had
imagined II would be by picturing a
motor boat ont of water or an attomo
bile off all four wheels. Steadily the
eight push rods Of the cylinders
plugged away. AS | watched them
hammering away and realized that they
represented the only force that was
arriving MS. up, ! started to wonder. but
az continued TO watch them gained
confidence IN them and then ! knew
they would take care OF us.
Roads like Dental Cream.
tvhen we had climbed scvera, hun
dsed feet above the hangers and the
flat field, the lieutenant threw her
over" and we swung into bank. With
the machine tilted at an angle. We
tnrned around On the turns and dur
ing the flight did not feel the slightest
strain ON the strap which bound me In.
In fact did not have to exert the
sliEhtest pressure on my feet to keep
them on the bottom Of the fuselage and
prevent them from touching the foot
piece which operates the rudder. On a
level keel our ship tore along several
hundred feet above the field and !
watched the panorama Of white build
ings. green fields and roads which
looked like dental cream pressed from
a tube Only few weeks earlier
had looked at Washington from the
top of the Washington monument. and
the view was just like that. only lit
tie more so.
Solid Comfort in Air.
but It was not the view that APP
pealed to me the most In looking
down from our 2,000-foot elevation
found nothing had not expected. Bias.
ing my expectations on what had
seen from the top of Mount Wash.
burn, In tho Yellowstone. from tht
Washington monument and the peak.
OF tho Rockies, anticipated what
saw. am not sure but that tine view
from the granite shaft on the banks o
the Potomac Is not so mrch worth
while rs what saw as looked
straight down 1000 feet. II was tn,
the solid comfort of il all that strucl
ire most fo,cialy.
spsAd Not pereeptible..
| didn't know now fast We we've e"
ing. had no way Of telling. Blu
when we landed the officer told m
We had travelled 100 miles an hot.
with the wind and 60 against it. An
there WAS nothing to II. Imagine y,n
auto travelling GO inles ana honr the
remove the Nheels and avoid Iii
bumps and you know now pleasan
airplane riding is. Lift yonr moto
toat out Of the w.t.-r and You kna'
low straight f'yis.:: feels.
or course on The steep turns n
during the stnn'., ycu are inclined
i. member tina. tncta is only air ht
tween you AID ia. field WY dow
tao. The lisa.,..nln: dipped her hos
and gave the machine the swoop ii
patrons at the roller coaster at &C
lumbia gardens know so we'll. fe
the same dropping away felt on II
coaster. And .nrned to the pilot an
laughed and he did 1t several time
great StuII, az TIE IelloWS Suy.
When we started had explicit 81
ders to keep my hands off the col
trolls unless was told otherwise. Al
er We had banked and turned al
diroed for 10 or Ii minutes. the lie,
tenant '.hollered" at me and told n
l might hold on to the wheel and ia
low the movements OF the control. II
machine was dual control. or capah
Of being operated from the wheel al
gear in either seat. He continued
run the plane while held the stee
Ing wheel loosely.
Must Watch Wheei.N
Il had pictured aviators sitting
there without moving the stecri
wheel for minutes. had figured II
without road ruts to throw the m
chine out OF a straight course.
wheel would be held perfectly sim o
Not constantly shifted and turned.
Is the case In an automobile. But Il