New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-07-10
YOUTH

flight without guidance.)
January 8, 1918.
Dear Aunt Lot: @s--' ~
Where on earth do you think I am?
To tell you the honest truth, I'm not on
earth at ALL I am 5,Cco feet il the air!
All alone! The engine is making such
noise that I can't hear myself think,
but it is very smooth up here at 5000 feet,
so I can run the bus with my left hand
and write to you with my right! 1 am
beginning to think am some aviator
now, because I can 60 up and write letters
in the air.
I just received your Page & Shaw's
chocolates to-day. They have followed
me all over England, and finally got here.
There is little box on the instrument
board of this plane, and in it are six or
seven chocolate gumdrops which 1 shall
eat.
The flight commander sent me up and
said, Fly around for an hour; so here
I am, with board on one knee to write
on. Isn't this novel letter? I see an
other machine over the town doing cir
cles. I guess it's Tom -. We were
told to meet at 1000 feet over the town
and fly around together. I'm at 5000,
and I'm going to dive to 1000 and wave
at him. Vince! Motor off, stick for
ward, and down we go! Cad, it's bumpy
down here at 2,000! It's Tom all right,
because I know the number of his ma
chine. He waved Il waved. l shalt
climb.
I l hate this bumpy strata Of air I'm in
now. Smooth again. I'm now at 5000
feet, still climbing. Tom is about
$4,000 feet, but passing directly under me.
I'm now at $500, and have completely
t lost, sight of the aerodrome. I've lost
sight of Tom also. III let him go, be-
cause it's too wonderful up here. guess
Tom has had engine trouble or run out
of petrol. He sees me and is: waving
with both hands. Down I 60 after him,
over 100 miles an hour. I'm now at
5000 again. Tom has landed in field
about half a mile from the aerodrome.
A lot Of people are running to his machine
! from some little farm houses. No, he
hasn't crashed. I can see him getting
out of his machine. Out OF petrol, l
guess. They must have forgotten to
fill his tank up before he went. hope
he has had sense enough to telephone to
the aerodrome for some petrol. He's
now sitting calmly on top Of his bus.
I've been up half an hour. I shall
climb to 10000 feet and spiral to the
areodrome, just for practice: On the
way up there I shall eat the chocolate
gum-drops. e.
I've lost the aerodrome again! I'm
now at 5000 feet, and am getting very
cold, so I'll turn around and glide in.
I'll stall first, just for the sinking sensa-
tion.l Going only 80 miles an hour,
motor off, and about tn sink sink
ing, nose level. Controls have very little
effect at thisaspeed. Inn merely drop
ping, nose down, and get up speed - SO,
70, 80, 100 miles an hour- Flatten out,
80, 80, 20, IS, motor on again, and away
we go.-7,0O0 feet now All chocolate
gun-drops eaten!
AhI-I see the aerodro1ne again. Toms
machine is just leaving the ground; it's
getting further and further away from
it's shadow. I'm all alone IN this aero
plane, with one empty seat in front:
l wish you were in it, I'D give you some
wonderful thrills that would make 20
miles an hour down a. crowded street In
an automobile seem like riding in baby
Garage! ....
Do dare try loop? believe not
not yet anyway. I'm right over the
'drome at 5000 feet, so I'll try spin,
Vince! Three times wing over wing was
all I did, but what a sensation = drop
ping all the time! There are three other
machines trying to get into the aero
drome, and they are all below me, SO have
right of way. They're in now, so down
I glide - need right hand for landing,
and so I must stop.
! Now at 1000 feet. Bumpy again and
can't make the aerodrome from here, so
must fly around it and try again.
Well, I've got do to the rest with my
right hand! Much love, and how I
miss my dear old aunt! 4 .. 81 4
| Your loving nephew. &
~. GOO feet from ground)
IT, .~ JOHNNIE.
P. Sim now on terra firma,, engine
stopped 0my faulty and calmly stranded
! in the middle Of the field, waiting fol
some one to come and swing my pro
j peller again, so ! can taxi" back to the
sheds. Had a great fight II hour and
10 minutes, with a very good landing
except for letting the engine stop. We'll
J. anyway this is some letter. My poor
] hand is cold as ice, but had great time II ~
= JOHNNIE