Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-05-10
TELLS STORY OF
AVIATION TRAINING
V. d. WESTBROOK WRITES IN.
TERESTINGLY OF HIS EXPE.
RIENCES AT WACO.

Another. interesting story of the
experiences of an aviation corps cadet
is told by V. D. Westbrook, who has
been in training at Rich aviation
field, Waco, Texas, in a letter to his
aunt. Mrs. Hicks. The letter, which
is dated Thursday, April 4, also tells
of his recent marriage. Addressed
to his aunt, it says:
ut is too foggy to fly this morn
ing, so I will try to tell you about US.
alice and were married at 2O11
Columbus avenue, Waco, Easter
Sunday, $3.50 p. m. After the cere-
mony we went on long buggy ride
In the country, cite our lnuch mid
lengthening shadows and had to
hustle" to get in camp at 9 p. m.
1t was very warm and it seemed
funny jogging along a lazy Southern
road after riding at 20 miles per
hour one-half to two miles high. We
enjoyed the ride and sunset.
II am nearly through here now
and am now on the cross country and
stunt" list-three cross-country and
two to three hours of stunt flying.
We use the best ships on the field for
cross country and stunts, so there Is
not much chance for accidents now.
$50 far l have been exceptionally
lucky, not broken bolt that could
have prevented, one broken oil-lead
Tuesday. came down just in time
to save the engine.
Monday a week ago I had a little
experience. There was a flaw in the
steel of the crank-shaft just behind
the hub of the propeller, out of
human sight. was about half
mile up and some distance from
camp over wooded section Lear the
Bosquie river. Suddenly heard a
resounding swish! crack! and my
propeller had left me.
! II cut my throttle, then my
switch, and began to spiral toward
river bottom. I picked my field and
made a good landing without a
break, in a plowed field. A farmer
took me to telephone in his Chew
rolet, called the flying Office, reported
my trouble and they sent crew to
dismcntle and take the ship back in
sections. / insisted on a new engine.
las 1t YVES already getting dark,
I stayed all night under the stars
with my ship. The crew brought me
new engine in the morning and while
they were installing it found the
propeller and its hub about half a
mile away on hilltop. At IL O'Clock
Tuesday few the ship back into the
hangers in 10 minutes, made a good
landing and when I drew up to the
dead line" was surprised to find
Lieutenant Dickman and Captain Cof-
fin there to greet me. They compli-
mented me, and Lieutenant Dickman
dictated a special notation for my
record. l had already been given
100 per cent for my landing in a
strange field before l returned the
ship.
Have had many happy experiences
above the clouds. They are always
different. sometimes like a sea, many
times like rolling hills and often
great jagged mountains, with wide
valleys and seemingly bottomless
chasms between. The wide openings
look like vast lakes and to regain
earth spiral down into the heart of
these lakes. The reflection of light
above the clouds makes it so intense
that when coming below again the
earth seems dismally dark. At 5000
feet above them the planes skirting
the hilltops look small like dragon
flies or sea gulls dipping for scraps.
The shadows of a plane on the cloud
make 1t appear surrounded by yor-
geous circular rainbow. caused by the
, reflected libht of the different angles.
II have now had nearly 80 hours
IN the air alone in past two weeks
and as high as four hours and IS
minutes in one day. although we are
now limited to two. am now Just
'biding my time and awaiting my
turn for the rest of the work.
MY commission is already here,
but do not know where I am to be
assigned. l probably will not get
furlough, as ] think the war depart
menf is finally raalizinu Tho ca.io..a