The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-08-02
the propeller blades again.

the starters flag, for he is the traffic cop of the field. He pointed at us with his flag and then jerked 1t across with an imperious gesture and we started. l watched the bench as we ran along the ground for a smile of recognition. This grand experience, to me, is to them a common sight. Faster and faster we ran, and smooth CT and smoother the going.
 It was not possible to detect the exact moment of the takeoff. We were close to the ground while, and then the. splendid feeling of rising, rising! What power! What ma jestic sweep of a hill am climbing Then the sudden realization that l am flying.
 I don't know how to describe the first sensation of flying, because there is nothing in our heavy, ground-sling- ing life on the earth that may com pare 1t with. can think of nothing mere definite by way of expressing that feeling, than that it is like flying on the wings of the wind. Every movement is cushioned with air. I | felt no longer the pressure of the wind. In the air 1t seemed to jump over my head. There was a flash of memory of a certain maiden and of you, my mother in the very midst l of these crowding sensations and 1 teeming emotions
 I look down over the side an in- credible distance and see the little cluster of barracks and upturned i faces in the road, and we are still rising. I grasp the stick lightly and | put my feet on the rudder bar. Wo are well up now. I notice a smooth brown field and at one side two round white balls on the green. They are blooming apple trees. He makes
 motions for me to take hold, but but
 I have hold already. Then he puts
 his hands upon the struts to show
 me that the machine is entirely in my
 charge. I had not expected this, my
 first time up. There was sudden
 tightening of the muscles as a little
 thrill ran through me.
 q have her." I thought, with the
 pardonable pride any man must have
 the first time he realizes his conquest ~of the air. I corrected a tipping
 wing. It strengthened up easily.
 saw a little tuft of woods below, and
 I was delighted to recognize my lit
 tie green cloud of forest, which is
 so familiar, but from different an-
 gle. Then I forgot the ground, all
 except the horizon and tried to keep
 my wings level with that.
 There is a splendid isolation up in the air. The only thing that con- cerned me outside that nacelle-that
 cockleshell of a body to the machine was the horizon. felt lordly dis
 dain of the earth.
 I was watching the wings, the stick
 and his expressive shoulders. I felt
 always that I was climbing; perhaps I was, and perhaps it was due to the
 high front of the machine. Once
 I felt we were drifting sideways and : I tried to turn her into the wind. felt little flash of regret, even 1T
 the midst of my exultation at driving . that on my first flight l could not de r vote myself exclusively to the en. joyment of my wonderful sensation
 I snatched glimpses over the side even when driving and saw a, new
 world, of undreamed loveliness, but inhabited by Liliputians.
 All my life I have been a tramp
 and curving roads have been my pas sion. I have walked all day for a view of the valley road not half SC
 fine as my first view from the air
 The national highway divides the map-like country like a meridian bur !, it is the small byways that are love Hest from the sky. There Is a rare . grace in their sweeping curves. They are a dazzling white in the midst o1 . the green. I begin to see vistas O.
 amending aerial tramps in the future
 because I am an incorrigible wander = CT over the face of this beautiful . green earth.
 q I saw white figures in the fork O the roads. They were watching us
 because I could see their tilted heads V I looked down on the brick red tile |, of village and recognized N b. 9 the unmistakabale church tower. i had stopped there on my walk tn l. day before. Across the way I say . the great city between the two riv e CTS. "We shall soon be there" |, thought My moiteur leaned towart l. me in his seat, his head throwl I back.
 He was shouting something at m Q which, of course, I could not hear 0 and at that time I could not guess e He made petulant movements for thu n stick. l understood that and le k him have it. He looked at my fee A to see that they were off the rudde If bar. Then he made a bold thrus , with the stick. The machine de e scribed a beautiful curve on it's sid Ie and I saw between the wings tn =. ground directly below us. We wer
 falling, falling falling.
 IS I gripped the Sides of my seat, ev n. cry muscle taut. I felt that old pri is nal fear of falling ,acutely concen l. trated in the pit of my stomach. r. is the unaccustomed upward press o ure on the diaphragm, often Calle C, the elevator feeling'' The ma le chine nosed over and came out of tn
 "wing slip" in a graceful swoop and d once more began to breathe. Agai d he dived a hundred or more metre: r. but the feeling was not so strong. A Id my fear was physical instinctive, an re was not shared by my mind. I ha
 perfect confidence in my pilot at a D. times and sheer delight and novelt p, crowded out all thought of danger.
 The dip was as exhilarating as d. dip in a mountain stream. He hand le ed the machine over to me again.
 looked for the home field It is 8 le big as all outdoors and yet coul
 not find if was conDIete1y los