The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-06

VINO mink IL an assured
means Of transportation at the pres
ent time this article is addressed. For
nyins-and especially long distance
nying-at present is neither partic-
uiarly dangerous nor particularly safe.
This Is the conclusion reached by an
inquirins, ground loving landsman
who recently few, or rather was
flown, from Mineola to ithaca, 200
mile ''hop," and arrived in one piece.
with nerves and body unshattered.
II was with some surprise, 1t must
be confessed. that the observer
descended at his destination without
incident or accident In two hours and
. half in the air. for he had taken
long trips by automobile and knew
how small. unimportant things de-
lay and hinder long trips on the
ground.
Lest the statement that flying is
not particularly safe be misconstrued
II should be explained that the rea-
son for this is not the unreliability OF
the plane or engine. for that, mile for
mile, is probably almost the same as
the automobile. It Is the lack of places
to come down in safety-the lack Of
landing fields-that makes flying less
sure than automobiling. For while an
automobile needs good roads to travel
over. an airplane needs broad, level
fields at intervals to alight upon. The
difference Is that the auto has the
good roads, but the airpla1e must
land blindly on the bumpiest Of
meadows and the rockiest Of pastures
Hence many accidents.
Well, It's scary, Anyway.
"were you frightened" is the first
question which penetrates the buzzing
ears Of an amateur flier when he feels
once more the firm surface of the
beautiful earth under his feet. The
question must be disposed of first be-
fore he can relate his experiences and
speak contemptuously OF automobiles
and express trains. The answer in this
case and In most cases is Yes"
OF course the ordinary air voyager
swears valiantly that he was not, but
air pilots whose courage cannot be
questioned freely admit their scare on
their first trip, and they add that most
Of their passengers also carefully in
spect their safety belts and take a
firm clutch on neutrality-suspicious.
when the earth drops away from under
them. Consequently this particular
landsman, being on the inside in these
matters, frankly answers YES
As a matter Of fact 1t does not seem
reasonable that a man who has spent
all his life held down to earth, by the
clutch of gravity should feel without
a qualm that clutch apparently release
a. he floats off. His body feels the
shock much more than his mind, for
his mind has pictured the thing be-
forehand, while his body, despite all
powers of imagination. gets a new
sensation. The fear is not overwhelm-
ing, IL Is a mere uneasiness Of the
body. The mind. too. harbors a fear
that something or other will break and
spill the aviators and their chariot all
over the scenery a mile or more below,
but this Is unlikely and the mind
knows 1t. The combined feeling re-
sembles an intensification of the emo
tons of a small boy who is enjoying
himself playing hockey, but knows he
doesn't belong where he is.
Two Planes Make the Trip.
Two Thomas Morse airplanes were
the machines which made the fight.
The two ships" were part of the ex-
hibit OF the company at the recent air
show. and were to wing their way to
the flying field of the company at
Ithaca. Two newspaper men were to
be carried to demonstrate the speed
and reliability Of aerial travel. Tech
meal details are wearisome, let II suf-
nee to say that THE SUN mans plane
was thirty-two feet wide and seated
pilot and passenger side by side. II
was driven by an eighty horsepower
10 Rhone rotary motor and could
travel ninety miles an hour. The other
plane was equipped with the same
type OF motor, but was faster by fifteen
miles an hour because passenger and
pilot were seated tandem style and
three feet had been Topped off the wing
spread, making 1t twenty-nine feet
wide.
Both planes We're built for civilian
use. which explained their moderate
horsepower. Another machine built
by the same company, military scout
bfplane, recently made a speed OF
1888 miles an hour in an army test,
but this has a more powerful engine.
Long before the start pilots, ground
Officers and mechanics of Hazelhurst
Field, Mineola, where military men
are so blase they do not tilt their chins
m fraction NJ an inch IN xuatcb a IooD
tail spin or roll, gathered about the
two little planes, and, hearing that a
couple Of tyro newspaper men were
going up, became very solemn and
polite. They inspected the planes with
an air OF mournful interest unequalled
by the most ambitious undertaker's
assistant. they shook their heads over
the easterly gale which was blowing,
and muttered solemnly to themselves.
you can have IT," said Capt. L. e.
Gehris. aerial photographer, meaning
the air in general. IT'S a good deal
too gusty for me. Say. ] wouldn't 60
up to-day for"
At this moment the Captains eyes
lighted on a machine which was stand
ing in the air several thousand feet
up with Its nose poking into the stiff
wind. His voice ceased and his jaw
dropped. so just what the Captain
wouldn't go up for will never be
known. Nothing happened to tho ma
chine above. although 1t was plain to
see that Capt. Gehris expected to see
u come writhing down any moment.
Tho business of flying to Ithaca be-
IA ~ haz ~