Americus times-recorder., 1919-07-13
BY o. B. keller
Staff Correspondent of the Atlanta
Georgian

Under the 0ludgeonlngS OF j.
Pluvius the head of Souther Field
is floody but unbowed. This bunch
of lads put on the gamest come
back Saturday afternoon l ever ex-
pect to see. With 1000 men women
and children and four acres of
automobiles gathered to witness
the aerial circus, the bottom fell
out of a greasy black cloud at 2
o'clock and for an hour torren-
tial rainstorm roared across the
steel hangers in which the popu-
lace had taken shelter. The show
had just started-in fact, the
grand entry was forced down by
the rainstorm, most annoying
circumstance, especially as | was
in it, rlding pretty in DeHaviland
plane with Lieutenant Vance and
a 450 horsepower motor which
wouldn't do much less than 120
miles an hour.
The band from Fort Benning,
commanded by Lieut.. Chambers,
gave a concert in Hangar 7 and
everybody stood around anu told
everybody else that they never
would pull off the show l tholghr
so, too. We were all wrong. tell
You this is the gamest outfit ] ever
stepped into.
Back at the Stunts.
After an hour of roaring floods
with the field better suited to ca
noe racing than airplaning, the rain
suddenly gave out-and in ten MN
utes the clean air was full of
planes, stunting for the populace
which had reassembled on the
grandstand and on the sp 4cial seats
on top of hangar.
And the circus proceded--as
advertised. 1t was a wonderful cyl
dence of the spirit of the boys and
their commander, Colonel RAIDER,
and to the field itself, which shed
water like a ducks back. 1t also
was triumph for the humble en-
listed men, who toiled like heroes
on the drenche, delicate planes
and had them in shape to go up as
soon as the rain ceased. was pres
ent at little informa, meetiag
held by Colonel RAIDER and some
of his "boys" after the show was
done.
"You boys did great work" ne
told them. "I'm proud of you ev-
cry one. From what / can hear ne
crowd was we'll pleased. You put
on a fine show in spite of the
rain"
| heard even more than that.
Crowd Amazed
The crowd was not only pleased;
it was amzed-amazed at the show,
and amazed that it was possible af-
ter such sousing.
They put on the formation with
i~ills. They put on the trick stuff
by Vance and McMullen. They put
on the looping contest and the
race-six times around the field
by Vance and Wolfe in DeHavi-
lands; which Vance, the flight
commander, won by about 300
yards, the planes for the most of
the flight flying like twins-it
seemed they must be hitched to-
gether.
The Society lady" also flew.
Attired gracefully in what I took to
be frock of indestructible blue
voile, with large picture hat, she
motored or rather Forded the rain
roaked street to the field, stepped
negligently into D. H. plane and
then proceeded to do things which
| do not believe any lady would
do-ar at any rate has done. There
is a strong suspicion that she is no
lady, in fact, but she put on a spec
tacular bit Of flying at the immi-
nent peril of her costume.
Formation Flying
Speaking Of society ladies,
Lieut.. McMullen led the formation
of five planes. asked Lieut..
Vance how they managed the
stunts so absolutely together.
"The leader dips or ICONS twice
and then on the third dip every
body starts the stunt" he said.
was up in one of the planes just
before the formation and saw the
schedule of stunts tackled up on
little bulletin board-so many
loops; then so many rolls; and so
on. The formation was beautiful
ly carried out, being chased at re-
spectful distance, by Licke-Em-Up
Brown, the demon photographer of
The Georgian, who made shot af-
ter shot with a Grayhex.
l got three flights during the
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