Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-03-28
OFFICER TELLS
SENSATIONS OF
FIRST AIR TRIP

SOUTHER FIELD, March 2S-The
sensations of a novice in the air were
aptly described here by Lieut..
Rema J. Henderson, supply officer.
Someone asked me what were the
sensations of a novice on his first
flight" said Lieut.. Henderson. Il
imagine they all feel different. l did
IL q lot of ways. No one ever told me
they had the same sensations, so III
Just give few details.
q had been in the air service a year
before asking for a fight. Nest OF
that time had been spent at Kelly
Field, Texas, where in company with
other ground men, we watched avia-
sors coating overhead until we &C
CURED sunburn on the roofs of our
mouths. At that time the war was
going fine and flyers were too busy to
be bothered by giving out JOY rides. Ii
one was approached on the subject his
answer was, to paraphrase George
AIDES remark, ''Cripples and keegees
stand back from the ropes"
Time passed on, in its well known
manner, and eventually some of us
arrived at Souther Field. The war
was rapidly changing from current
events to ancient history and pilots
we're not rushed with work so | asked
for and received permission one day
90 go aloft.' All the flyers were
willing to have passenger and each
promised his best efforts to instruct
as for the afternoon.
The one selected rugged me out
with helmet, goggles and leather coat
and strapped me into the seat. The
care he used in fastening my safety
belt and the smile he wore while do
ing so caused me to tell him that I
was not anxious to observe all he
knew in one afternoon, also that my
relatives at home were busy at this
season Of the year and would not
care for my company if l came home
in sections.
He climbed into the front seat, put
on the power, and tie WORKS began to
hum. We skinned over the aying
fiel6. touching as lightly as thistiedown
and getting lighter. TheL we started
up. After ascending for a moment l be-
gan to feel that my connection with
the government was my insurance.
tried to arrange my breathing so il
would not occur too often. 1t was es-
sential that the ship stay up and
didn't want to use up all the air. T
''In what seemed a remarkably briei
time the Instruments registered 4,00(
feet elevation, the pilot registered his
intention of stunning and l registered
hope.
We went through a series of banks
and dips and rises, and came out level
The pilot screamed back at me that We
Rad falling leaf" If | were a lea.
! should try and be a rose leaf sc
when it came time to fall the altitude
would be practically negligible.
Il did not have time to say anything
tor caught the word 'Immelmann' ant
we started again 1t only lasted
fraction of a moment, which was The
chief recommendation of the evolution
AS a discoverer Immelmann left Col
Umbus in the kindergarten class, bu
an bet the first time he made tina
Gurn he came down and asked the by
ISLANDERS what he did. I hope all the
readers of this have seen an Immel
mann turn because I'm not going Il
describe it. | would have to stop ant
draw picture.
Everything seemed to be pleasing
10 the pilot. as he did series o
loops. l didn't see all of them be
cause | was inspecting the inside o