The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-17
HARRIS
WRITES FROM MIAMI
Has Made Four Flights Since Arrival
in Florida and Is Pleased with
Training Field.
CURTISS AVIATION SCHOOL,


MIAMI, Fla,
Jan. 10, 1918.
Florida seemed long way off when
I left Brattleboro last Friday morning
but here | am Have always wanted
to see Florida, but have SO little ex-
peeted to do so that the word carried
a far-off dreamland, magic name to me.
From Is degrees below at home to
20 degrees above here is some contrast.
hated to leave the snappy winter, the
ideal skiing and all, but l am certain
ly most enthusiastic about this won
derful southland.
! reported at once at the Curtiss
| Aviation school and have had four
flights in the Curtiss Military Type
! Biplane 1t seemed good to be in the
air again and to fly where it was
warm.
The aviation field is five miles out |
from the city on ground which used /
to be part of the Everglades. | had |
always associated the name Everglades |
with vast imprenetrable forest with
heavy vines hanging from the trees
and water upon the tree trunks. l
thought it was a region inhab by
allgators, parrots and monkeys with
perhaps boa constructor or two thrown
in. Not so, / find the Everglades are
but a great, dry waste land. | sup
pose this used to be under water but
ii has been in part drained by canals.
K large canal goes from here clear out
to Lake 0keechobee. A white rocky
soil is thrown up by the steam shovels
on each side of the canal. They use
, this rotten-rock formation for road
, building and it makes a fine surface.
The Curtiss aerodrOme is situated right
on this canal and the white roads and
: the canal itself shows up very plainly
when up a couple of thousand feet ii
, the air.
! From the air the ground below Offers
q a beautiful sight. 1t looks green and
purple for the most part, with here
and there white sand spots showing
, through. 1t is the white spots we are
are looking for when flying as they
, offer hard and smooth landing places.
The purple places are surfaces covered
r with the soft, dark earth formed by
ages of decaying vegetation.
s The aviation field is the finest
d have ever seen. The field itself offers
fine place from which to take the al,
and on which to land and all around
y are good places on which you can Ian,
~ II hCCtSSdI L HCIt art uO uOuoCS- ldll
roads, telephone poles or anything fol
,a some distance around. Even the soft
dark earth, into which you might sinh
enough on landing to throw you owe
on to your nose, looks a good deal bet
ter to the aviator than the top of
IT 20story building or a nest of high ten
to sion wires.
IT The Curtiss aerodrome is an interest
III ing place. There are two large han
gars, big work shop, an office and
restaurant building
There are about fifteen students her
now and more coming each day. W
have one aeroplane in operation an
another nearly set up and more ma
chimes on the way. There are eleve
lO0-horse power motors in the shop, s
this looks like business. Mechanic
and helpers are arriving daily. l thin
January and February are to be bi
months in aviation.
SO far, have been making banks
- or turns to the left and right, maxim
" figure eights and trying to fly on a
even keel. The banks are made b
means of the ailerons. One is locate
at the back outside part of each to
wing tip. As one goes up, the 9th
goes down. This increases the ang
Of incidence on one side and decreas
it on the other, thus making the IN
chine roll over to one side. We ca
this firm "Aileron and Aileron Ban
ers. - Was told today that l won
soon go on to landings a part
aviation (and a very important par
to which | am looking forward.
l saw a loop loop for the fir
time the other day. A girl came o
to the field for a passenger flight.
structor joe Bennett asked her
! she wished to be given a loop. S
said She didn' I mind. After gain
considerable altitude, Joe nosed do,
49, for more speed, then shot up, was |
80 80. side down, came still more around a
NY was flying level again. Then follow
two loops in succession. / guess t
yves passenger had thrills enough for G
)nth day. ! know il was thrilling to wat
BOYS Today, we spent most of the ii
INDY setting up another machine. 1t '
rust mos. interesting to see the way
motor is set in, the wires adjusted, {
tant Miami is one of the prettiest cit
and nave ever seen Everything abb
,und it is new, clean and neat There
lots OF things to do if one had
time. The finest fishing in the va
is here. l met the best tennis pa
ARD of Florida, R. E. Raeey, who run.
sport shop in the city and he in
oint. duced me to Capt Thomson, who
I, Gently caught the largest fish in
world. 1t attracted attention in
New York papers. 1t was half
between a shark and whale.
White There are splendid stores here. a
the postoflicc and public schools Ey
.tion, body seems to axe great pride in
,e of place. On the side fronting the oc
are located many attractive residel
quip- 80 'pal 'il'en' nouseo, O"' III tue
lt'9ii On the opposite side of the city,
i,iois Miami river runs up into the mainl