New-York tribune., 1918-05-19

Atlantic Monthly" An editorial note
contained the information that this boy
was making his third flight without guild
ance. The letter itself tells all the rest:
january 8, 1918.
Dear Aunt Lot-Where on earth 90
you think l am? To tell you the honest
truth, I'm not on earth at all. | am
5000 feet in the air, All alone The
engine is making such noise that l
can't hear myself think, but it is very
smooth up here at 5000 feet. SO l can
run the bus with my left hand and write
to you with my right. l am beginning
to think that am some aviator now, be-
cause ! can go up and write letters in
the air.
Il 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 in
strument board of this plane, and in it
are six or seven chocolate gumdrops
which I shall eat.
"The fight commander sent me up
here am, with board on one knee to
write on Isn't this a novel letter? l
see another machine over the town do
ing circles. / guess it's Tom We
were told to meet at 1000 feet over the
town and fly around together. Pm at
5,0O0 and Pm going to dive to 1000
and wave at him. Whee! Motor off,
stick forward, and down we go! Cad,
it's bumpy down here at 1000. It's
Tom all right, because l know the num-
Der of his machine He waved-I waved.
/ shall climb.
~ hate this bumpy strata Of air I'm
in now. Smooth again. I'm now at
5000 feet, still climbing. Tom is about
5000 feet, but passing directly under
me. It's colder than all get out up here
now. So I'll have to put on my glove
again and write with my left hand and
drive with my right. This can't be done,
so III stop writing for minute or so.
'I'm now at $500, and have COM
pletely lost sight of the aerodrome. I've
lost sight of Tom also. Engine off, nose
down, spiral, look all over the sky for
Tom. l see him going down. I'll let
him go, because it's too wonderful up
here. I guess Tom has had engine trou-
BILE or run out of petrol He sees me
and is waving with both hands Down
/ 60 after him, over 100 miles an hour.
I'm now at 5000 again. Tom has land
cd in a field about half mile from the
1o+ Of
ming to his machine from some little
farmhouses. No, he hasn't crashed.
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. l 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. l shall
climb to 10000 feet and spiral to the
aerodrome, just for practice. On the
way up there l shall eat the chocolate
gumdrops.
''Ive lost the aerodrome again. Pm
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 sensation
Going only thirty miles an hour, motor
off, and about to sink--sinking, nose
level. Controls have very little effect
at this speed. I'm merely dropping,
nose down, and get up speed-fifty,
seventy, ninety, 110 miles an hour.
Flatten out, ninety, eighty, seventy,
sixty-five, motor on again, and away we
go-7,000 feet now. All chocolate gum
drops eaten.
"Ah-l see the aerodrome again.
Toms machine is just leaving the
ground; it's getting further and furthe.
away from it's shadow Pm all alone in
this aeroplane, with one empty seat in
front / wish you were in it; I'd give
you some wonderful thrills that would
make seventy miles an hour down a
crowded street in an automobile seem
like riding in baby carriage.
DO dare try a loop? / believe no,
not yet anyway. Pm right over the
aerodrome at 5000 feet, so I'll try spin
Whee! Three times wing over wing was
all l did, but what a sensation-drop.
ping all the time. There are three othe,
machines trying to get into the aero
drome, and they are all below me, sc
have right of way. They're in now, sc
down glide-need right hand for land
ing. and SO l must stop.
Now at 1000 feet Bumpy agar
and can't make the aerodrome from
here, SO must fly around it and rr,
again.
Well. I've got to do the rest witt
my right hand. Much love, and how
miss my dear old aunt.
Your loving nephew.