Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1919-08-07
SERGT. WOODWARD
LANDS PLANE HERE
Gives Editor Trip Through Ar
to Hotchkiss
School

Sergt. John p. Woodward of Des
Moines, Iowa, flying from Mineola.
L. l., to Lakeville on recruiting duty
landed his machine at the Hitchcock
farm late Saturday afternoon. Sergt
Woodward had some difficulty locat-
ing Hotchkiss school, where he WEI
to take a recruit, and was forced Ia
land three times before locating the
field.
Serg. Woodward is connected WITH
the 680th Aero Squadron at Mitchell
Field, just outside of Mineola, and
was flying a new DeHaviland plane
with Liberty motor. The Liberty
motor is known to almost everyone,
having been built through the com
bined efforts of Americas best engi-
neers after war was declared on Ger
many. This motor is of 100 horse
power and that it has seemingly un-
limited strength was attested by tina
manner in which the machine took
to the air as compared with the older
Curtiss machine which Lieut.. Greer
landed here some weeks ago.
Sergt. Woodward is a young man
of gentle manners and steady, clear
blue eyes which at once won him
many friends from the vast throng.
who gathered to see the machine. He
served with the overseas forces Fl
months in the LIST Aero Squadron and
saw IL months active service at TIM
front.
After landing at the Hitchcock
farm for information the editor
asked to be permitted to direct him
to the field, and much to the surprise
and delight of We scribe, the aviator
readily complied with this request
jumped into the rear seat at once
for fear the Sergeant would change
his mind and then as he started hE
motor, attempted to strap myself IN.
but not finding the right combinatiou
deposited the belt at the bottom OF
the car, deciding to take a chance az
falling out.
Yes, was a little nervous and
excited before taking to the air, bun
this soon left when Serg, Woodward
reminded me that ] was to take Nh
responsibility in case of crasA.
while j. III. Roraback, walking over
TO my seat with trouble in his eva.
wanted to know who was going to get
the paper out next week.
The motor began to roar as tine
aviator gave it more gas, while the
propeller created the stiffest breeu
i have yet experienced. Suddenly
we started bounding along ,ths
ground, but only for a very Short
distance when the huge machine
took to the air as graceful as a hawk,
and we were climbing steadily to-
wards the clouds. The higher WE
climbed the more piercing was the
shrek of the wind in the wires and
the more deafening became the .rozr
of the motor.
The noise was FORGIVEN IN my
surprise at the beauty of the coun-
try which could be seen for milex
around and / sat entraneed as VIC
passed over the lakes and hills at an
altitude of about 5000 feet. The
large fields looked like garden
patches and the highways like a
snake squirming through the grass,
In a field close by, several horses
frightened by the machine scurried
from one corner of the field to an
other, much the sans a. flock OF
chickens when a hawk p~s& IVA ap-
pearancs.
My fancies were s~ddsnly inter
rupted by the Sergeant asking which
way to go. AS pointed out the
field, the machine changed its course
climbing higher until we were nearly
over the landing place, wkea the avi-
ator shut off the gas and the machine
rapidly fell, nose first, towards the
ground. Swimming above the ground
about 20 feet thinking we were To
land, the motor began to roar again
and the machine shot skyward, pass
ing over the mountain and circling
back, when again the gas was shut
off and the machine shot to earth
with the wind whistling like demons
the wires.
This time we landed and my first
trip in the air was ended. 1t was Il
great experience with even greater
than expected and haG
all the joys of auto riding minus It's
dangers, dust and bumpy roads, bur
with the addition of greater scenic
beauty than can be seen in any other
way, at the speed of 100 miles an
hour.