New-York tribune., 1919-10-19
Aviator Arrives at Start
ing Point of Flight in
10 Days, 4 Hrs. and 25
Minis. After Departure
Describes Thrills
OF Record Trip
Lieut.. ]. B. Richter, Who
Started East Same Day,
Arrives 2 Hours Later


flying parson," landed at Roosevelt
Field, Long Island, at 1:50:05 p. m.
yesterday.
In a remarkable exhibition OF pilot
in. he side-slipped his famous De
Haviland4 down to the landing field
exactly ten days four hours and TWEEN
| ty-five minutes from the moment no
left the same spot on a flight to San
Francisco and back
Overcoming all obstacles and handi-
caps, the "sky pilot" defeated a field
of sixty-three contestants, and was the
first to compleete the greatest aerial
undertaking of history
At the conclusion Of the gruelling
o,4OO-mile fight he appeared as fresh
as he did ten days before, when ne
kissed his wife goodby at the moment
Of starting.
Two hours after Maynard had com
pieted the double flight across the
continent, Lieutenant J. b. Richter.
also flying a DH4, landed at MineoIa.
He left San Francisco the same dav
Maynard left Mineola, and was Just
completing the first 2,7O0 miles of the
race.
Officials Of the American Flying
Club contest committee last night an
nounced that as far as cold be com
puted at present Maynard's flying time
across the continent was as follows:
Westward, 25 hours 90 minutes and
26 seconds. Eastward, "a hours, A.
minutes and seconds. To the latter
must be added Is hours-the time he
controls, with engine trouble
At 1:45 p. m. 2 600 pc sons assembled
on the field disccrned a speck above
the western horizon The speck grew
until the number '31" WAS visible upon
its side. Djsdairing all snow, May
nard brought his plane straight to
the field. and when above the hangers
threw 1t over into steep bank.
slipped several feet, Strengthened out
and landed quicker than it takes to
tell
Thunderous Cheer for Fsier
A thunderous cheer arose as the
wheels of the machine touched the
ground, and moment later, as if by
arrangement, the vast crowd opened
| up, and from the centre there walked
small, )e-faced, blue-eyed woman,
with two small children tuggIng at her
skirts.
"I just knew he'd do it," she ex-
claimed happily in the rich drawing
accent Of the South.
1t was the pilot parsons wife.
She ran to the machine. the crowd
making way for her But fast as she
went, she was beaten in the race Of
congratulations TO Major Maurice Con-
nelly, who was the first to grasp the
flying preachers hand.
Slowly, and as S with difficulty.
pit OF his machine Ranged about him
was a battery Of cameras movie
and still"
Embraces Wife and Children
Undaunteo and unahashed, he grasped
the little woman who had been pray
ing for his success into his arms. and
kissed her. Next he embraced each
of his children with equal feeling.
Then glanciNg around happily he got
the first impression of the greeting
that had been staged TO commemorate
his victorious achievement.
He was greeted by the imperious
demands of the photographerss to,
Kiss her again. .parson!" Hold It'll"
they demanded, and he complied.
In the meantime William K. Kline,
the mechanic who has shared the pilot
preacher's triumph. climbed stifly out
Of the rear cockpit. In his arms he
held Trixie, Maynard's police dog, that
made the dol Die flight across the coun-
try with him.
Some one in the crowd called out:
"How did Trixie enjoy the flight.
parson?"
Trixie answered, Bow wow
AS soon as the camera men had COM
pleted their tasks Lieutenant Maynard
was escorted TO a special tent by
| Colonel Archie Miller, commando OF
the Long Island flying fields. There a
few privileged persons We're permitted
to enter with paper mcn 80 hear
Maynard tell the stors of his flight.
Proud Moment for Wife
He was seated in the centre OF a
circle, with Kline on one side and his
wife and children on the other. Il
was proud moment for Mrs. Maynard
and her eyes clearly expressed the
happiness and pride she felt
At the outset he went over he de.
tails of the new transcontinental flight
that has been arranged for him by
the United Ssates Air Service in q
/ specially constructed machine.
When will this fight commence 7"
he was asked.
u can't say yet. he replied, that
depends" He glanced at his wife,
there was slight shake of her head.
Then Maynard changed the subject
This is the fight across the conti-
nent that is to be made with only one
atop: 1t will be from Nineola to Dali
~ On the return he will 1y from tho lat