The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-07
FLYING king OF.
DELIGHTS, FARGO.
BOY WRITES; HE.
ENJOYS THE LIFE.
Clarence Waldron Gives
Striking Impression of
The Aerial Game
VAST REGIONS
UNDER HIS EYE
From High Point, He Stud
les Places Of Historic
Importance
VAST RE GIONs
UNDER HIS EYE

"And by the way it costs $50 a
minute to keep me in, the air, SO my
education has cost $125.000 so far"
writes Clarence Waldron to his
father, Dean G. e. Waldron of the
Agricultural college. The young man
is at one OF the flying stations in
Virginia and he writes most enthus-
iastic accounts of his experiences.
II have made So fights, been in the
air about 40 hours and flown nearly
1000 miles," he writes. This field
has been established for year. In
that time 100000 miles is a low
estimate Of the amount of travel by
the ships of this field and there has
not been one fatal accident. Fly
ing is the king Of all delights. I've
been under the clouds, through
them, and above them while they
piled their masses everywhere about
the ship, and then I've gone up I'M
til / was as high above the clouds
as they were above the earth.
Clarence Waldron has given a.
splendid account of "life in the air."
or upstairs" as it is known in the
variance Of the aerial crowd. The
Fargo soldier is engaged in observa-
ton work, and he gives most illun-
mating information Of the work and
experiences of such an officer in the
following letter to his parents.
Saturday. Aug. a..
Dear Dad:
81 have made So flights, been in
the air about 40 hours, and flown
nearly 1000 miles. Now do you see
why my letters have seemed a trifle
bald. Flying is the king of all de-
lights, and | can't begin to describe
to you all the wonderful experiences
I've had since I started. First I'll
say a word as to the safety. This
field has been established for a year.
In that time 100000 miles is a low
estimate of the amount of travel by
the ships of this field, and there
hasn't been one fatal accident. The
railroads can't touch it. The acct
dents you read about occur in the
fields where boys are learning to-
fly. They don't do that here. The
pilots are skilled flyers before they
ever take us around. The work
is all Of the cart-horse variety, and
no stunts are allowed. These are
for the fighting flyers only, and we
aren't ever supposed to fight.
Now for the book on aviation, but
you must be patient, for I've been
saving it up. remember when II
was very small, how I used to lie in
the grass on a hot summer after
noon and watch the big white clouds
pile up in the4s sky, wondering all
the timeawhetler byFzsone miracle
would be able to accomplish their
heights. Well. the miracle has hap
pened. I've been under the clouds,
through them, and above them, while
they piled their masses everywhere
about the ship, and then I've gone
49, I II rrIA oh fhASI
clouds as they were above the earth.
esterday was an unusually clear
day, and as I swung at $500 TT. over
TT, Monroe this is what 1 saw. Fort
Monroe, looking like a toy, Phoebus,
Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk,
Suffold, Portsmouth, Hampton Roads
with 100 warships, great and small,
Langley field, Yorktown, where
CORVALLIS had his unhappiness so
long ago. The York and James riv-
ers I followed clear up into Virginia
on my west. To the north Ghesa-
peake bay, to the east Cape Charles
and Cape Henry and clear over them
miles and miles of ocean, and far off
to the south / saw Lake Drummond
shining in the middle of Dismal
Swamp. Now take your map and
you'll have an idea how much did
see.
'T took my first flight about a
month ago, and I'll never forget it.
The sensations at first are overpow-
ering. I thought earth's foundations
were falling, and on a spiral all
could see was a wild flashing-by Of
earth and air and sea. On steep
banks / would turn my head to the
right and see sky, to the left and see
the ground, never realizing that the
ship had changed its position. The
ship never does seem to move, it's
the earth that does it, and they
say that even in the loops you hard
1y realize you've moved. We wound
up our first flight by a $500 IT nose
dive and side slip and realized the
motion then, all right. / have at no
time been afraid. The physical SEN
sations for a day or two are discon-