Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-01-08
AV|ATORS REMAINED: YESTERDAY, CLOUDS
 PRECLUDE MAPPING
while Spending the Day Here Wers Muesss 0f ROtarianS: Will Leave Today if Fair.


 The four aviators from Guerston Fleld, at Lake Charles, I.a., were uy,. able to leave yesterday morning on &C., count of the drizzling rain, and the heaVy banked clouds. They remained Ill Pine Bluff yesterday where they they were recipients of the hospitality or the Rotary Club, the Elks and oth- CTS. They will probably continue their journey this morning provided the weather is in such condition that they may make a flight without anv undue inconvenience
 The rain wouldn't bother us so much said Lieut.. Fisher. pilot, and commanding officer, "but the clouds are to heavy and are banked so, ou: mapper would be unable to see the ground, and thus defeat our purpose"
 The purpose of the cross country flight is to gather information for the Navigation Branch training sec. tlon, With special reference to air navigation lanes, navigation dead reckoning points, navigable country and landing fields. And to demonstrate to the general public what the air ser- vice is and wha it has done
 The two mac ines. with their three officers and non-commissionea off cer began the trip at Lake Charles, La. coming up through Natchitoches, Min den Fl Dorado, and Warren to Pine Bluff. They will go to Lonoke, and then back to Lake Charles by way of Greenville, Miss, Lake Providence, To ;ch, lT fn Lake Charles. The direct object of the present flight is to plot maps for the use of the post office department in the establishment of the proposed aer ial mail route.
 That the government will soon ea- tablish these routes, is the opinion Of It. Howard, who is doing the map ping. He said that it was his opfn- ion that these routes were going 10 be established though they might be operated at distinct loss to the gov ernment
 It. Howard is an officer of long service, having put twenty years ill the service. He was in the engineer corps before transferring to the Signal Corps. Lt Howard is possibly one of the best sketchers in the army as he sketches the country in detail as the ma achines pass OCT it.
 "We fly at about an average rate of 90 miles an hour" he said, which is sufficiently slow for me to sketch ill every river, lake. road, town, and forest as we go oyer." He explains that his ability to do that is accounted for partly by the fact that being so far above the objects to be sketched, he has greater perspective and IS en- abled to get in features in detail. Lt. Howard has seen service in the line in the Islands, being in an engineer regiment which helped to subdue the -Morcs
 Sights Landing Fifteen Miles Off.
 The landing at 17th and Ohio Mon day evening was accomplished With out mishap, although one of the ma chimes had a close call. It. Fisher, commanding officer o. the party. sighted the landing place, he said when about fifteen miles away from the city
 "I could see the town tucked away on the bank of the river," he said. "and the outstanding features was a bit of green which I determined to. land on. I knew it was either corn field or vacant lot, and as it was getting dark, I determined to land there regardless of what it was. Had it been corn field, l might nave been out of luck," he aoded laughing ly. ,,
 When It. Fisher's machine was dir ectly over the landing place, accord ing to It. Howard who was riding with him, the feed pipe of his motor became broken. thus cutting off his gasoline supply. To circle the town, as is habitually done, could not then be accomplished, and the nervy young officer brought his machine directly down from an altitude of 1500 feet to the landing place, coming down hrst in a tail dive, then nose dive. and banking off in two distinct obliques as he reached earth. It was an eX- cellent feat of piloting according to his brother officer, and due to his skill and nerve, a very disastrous smash was averted.
 It. Howard has been instructlng Tn advanced flying for something over year, having enrolled as a student at the first training camp. and later transferring to the aviation service. The field at which they landed, they said is not at all a difficult one. Aviators from Lonoke refused to lana there, asserting that the place was not large enough.
 Pine Bluff May be Landing Site. It. Howard is in charge of the mapping program of the flight, and his concentrations as to the best route. and the best possible sites will be sent in to the war department. It. Howard was picked for this flight since he is specially qualified for it., and his recommendations will no doubt have great weight with the war department. He stated unoficially yes terday that Pine Bluff would possibly be incorporated in his recommenda- tion for possible sites.
 He remarked that he had been ad- tyu0 rn11foc YNrth