Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-06-16
SUNDAY A RED LETTER DAY FOR
GRANTS PASS. WHEN THOU
SANDS WITNESS FLIGHT
NO ACCIDENT MARS EVENT
Due 10 inclcmcnt Weather Planes
Arrive Few Hours. Iate-Pilots
Pleased With Local Field

Sunday was a red-lottcr day In
Grants Pass. The four Curtis BIZ
planes returning from the Portland
rose festival stopped here. and the
three or four thousand people who
had assembled TO witness the event
were disappointed only by the late
arrival OF the machines. This was
due 10 slight engine trouble NJ Cot
tage Grove, where they left in the
forenoon. and by the inclcment
weather after they had reached
Roseburg. When they arrived there.
there was dense fog and some rain.
Tho schedule for the planes as pre-
viously outlined would have brought
tho flying circus here by IL O'Clock.
but not until b;l5 did they make
their appearance. Then the crowd
at the aviation landing field sighted
them and great chorus OF shouts
went up. The planes oame graceful
ly In and made a perfect landing.
one of them doing some stunts"
above tho field before alighting.
Passengers carried were Governor
Ben Olcott and Milton r. Klepper,
president OF the Aero Club OF Ore
gon. both OF whom made short
apecchea at the grounds. he gov
ernor, In describing the trip, stated
that II was the greatest experience OF
his life and that he was greatly
tempted to complete the drip to Ma
ther Field. Cal. He described his
trip in the airplahe, telling OF the
sensations OF feeling their way
through the clouds while crossing
over the highmountains. and said
when they came over the beautiful
Rogue river valley and sighted
Grants Pass II was quite relief
they could finally see a safe place
20 land.
Mr.. Klepper assured the crowd
that Il was the most thrilling exper-
ience he ever went through. He ex-
pen while crossing the uninhabited
mountain section and breathed a
sigh OF relief when the plane finally
landed. He made the trip TO inter-
est people in aeronautics and aerial
transportation. Both he and Cover
nor Olcott stated that this was mere
ly the forerunner of airplane service
and gave u as their opinion that a
regular airplane route would soon
be established through Oregon.
In describing the various landing
places over the state, the speakers
said the one at Cottage Grove was
very poor, the one at Roseburg only
fair, but that Grants Pass offered
one of the best they had visited.
The Curtis biplanes have speed
OF about 80 or 90 miles an hour,
but the big De iHavlland, which went
south Saturday, has a speed OF APP
proNimately 100 miles an hour and
1 sa regular bombing machine like
those used in the war. It's pilot ex-
pected to make the trip from Port
land to Sacramento In six hours, and
did make the trip In six hours and
Is minutes. The De Hayiland was
equipped with 400-horse power
Liberty motor lAll kinds OF wealth
er from Arctic cold to mild spring
temperatures was experienced. In
the vicinity of Quincy "a rain storm
was encountered and 1t was found
necessary to ascend to 10000 feet
In reaching that elevation the plane
became coated with ice and snow
Lieutenant Beck stated that the trim
was the hardest Che ever made.
Owing to THE lateness OF the hour
the four Curtis planes did not stor
here for lunch but went on to Ash
land They rose gracefully from the
field, circled above for a few min
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