Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-16
FIRST TRIP IN AIR
SHIP WAS THRILLER
Embryo Wanted All Sensations Pos
siblc on First Time Up, and Got
Them PientlTuily.

uIhc turning OF ElNlllhn lUl' an
aviator has become n highly spe-
clali1ed art, especially at Kelly field
near san Antonio. Texas. Down on
the ground the hard work Is done,
rubbing the rough civilian edges off
and teaching the candidate the ne
c"ssary a j Cs OF aviation. But
when this has been done there re-
mains the great test that Of nerve.
Ot course not all the civilian pri-
Yates are equipped with a cast iron
mentality and the best that Is hoped
for is ability 70 sail through the air
and get back TO earth without pros
tration. mental or physical The In
structor watches only Tor tho effect,
tho pupil has 10 DO all the rest
There Is one pupil at Kelly field
who has just been through the test
and what he went through he tells
in A letter 10 q relative In THIS CIy.
whore he was reporter before he
Joined tho corps
Il have lust had my first aivcr-
ture into the ethereal rgt.9U.' be
writes hut GoH't want 20 grc '.u
the impression that was IN heaven.
My trip was taken wi:h Mua. Jack
w Heard. head Of the fEinr da-
partmcnt here, who ranks sr uui go
none as a dare devil fller T.n m1-
chine he used was cruuutIt god
l.. w, r. with intact. l' power
engines giving 1t 49, speed o. no
miles an hour
Up Five T'huusn Il Feet
81 sat in front, strapped .n rEa..H
Then before / cuull st} Jimmy
Christmas Nc were ~ HuI WUHH'-
lrg hcayenwsrd. Nc climbed stead
ily untl we reached ueIrn. as !
learned sncrVard. OF 5000 feet
Then Major Heard lovclcd M and
sailed along In straight line.
Il had strange mixture uf feel
iugs, although / did not experience
anw os the sea sickness that usually
accompanies first flight. Look
Ing over the sides the country for a
distance Of - miles was spread In
panorama beneath us Rbe large
farms and ranches looked like grass
plots In city yards. The barracks
and tents were only dots and the
quartermastcr's building, 500 feet
long by so feet wide. with it's white
roofs and sides. looked like II block
Of domino sugar.
"By this time I confidently took
my hands from the side bars. where
had been holding on for dear life
ought to have knocked wood right
there, for suddenly it seemed as
though the ship and everything else
In the world had dropped out from
under me and was going headlong
toward the earth at a frightful speed.
l grabbed the sides again. all right.
1t was a nose dive which is re-
gardsd as a real thriller That is
really no name for 1t.
Loopcd the Loop.
Just as had finished reviewing
all my past sins, we looped the loop
three times in succession, turning
completely upside down. 1t Is the
welrdest sensation l have ever known
seeing ~ earth and sky revolving
in opposite directions. After we
had started again on a cross-coun-
try run, lost all sense Of fear and
| wanted more.
well. | got IT, From n height OF
900 feet Major Heard suddenly
shut off the engine and pointed the
machine straight at the earth and
splraled around and around like a
top. My trip ended in a tail spin
a feat which usually ends fatally II
not executed properly.
THE earth. however, came up
gently to meet us, and the first thing
/ knew the voice behind me said
Well, have you got enough?
II happened to know that he had
told Lieutenant Marvin, the adult
ant, that he intended to give me a
big scare, so choked down every
other feeling and said In as blase a
manner as l could put on: oh, 1t
was rather interesting
"t don't know just how he took
It, but he, asked me to go up again
next week, and II there Is anything
UP his sleeve I'm going to get it."