The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1920-10-20
REPORTER TELLS
OF TRIP TO CLOUDS
WITH AVIATOR
Pilot Robinson Performs
Variety of Stunts Over
St. JOhnsbury
By Richard ID. Howe

For the first time in my reportorial
career | have been called upon to
write an aviation story-not the tale
of some other ambitious persons
journey through the air but an ac-
count Of my own trip to the clouds
and although at the outset the task
of relating the event seems difficult
| shall endeaVor to convey to the
mind of the gentle reader a faint
conception Of the sensations one
realizes while performing such
stunts as | did 1000 feet above the
dear old solid earth.
Paul Robinson, the congenial
young aviator of Pttsfeld, Mass,
who arrived in st. Johnsbuly last
Saturday and who since that time has
been carrying passengers and enter
tanning the townsfolk with his fancy
air tricks, extended an invitation to
the management of the Caledonian-
Record to send representative to
the Grady field, which is the tenn
porary landing station of the aero
plane, to make an exhibition flight
with him. Being the "outside man"
Oh the paper | was selected to "cover'"
the story and take the air journey
with Mr.. Robinson. 1t isn't often that
it falls my lot to be sent out on so
pleasant an assignment as this one
and you can just bet your boots ]
jumped at the chance to go. | had
never been in a plane before and it
had always been one Of my greatest
desires-at last realized.
| was delegated to make the trip
with the view to writing a column
or so story on the affair but it would
take one of greater literary ability
than mine to do complete justice to
the event. Aviator Robinson execut-
ed his conglomeration of stunts in
such rapid succession and with little
or no warning that | found it next
TO impossible to keep track of every
thing. We had not more than finished
one hairraising trick than the
"birdman' would start another and
II was difficult to take mental note
Of everything tnat transpred. How
ever, | recognized several of the
but there were a few that | was en-
tirely unfamiliar with which were
carefully explained by Mr.. Robin
soR when we reached the ground. |
was informed that he had gone
through practically everything with
the possible exception of the tail
spin, which was not attempted be-
cause of the low altitude.
;trived at the Grady farm about
3.15 o'clock Tueday afternoon ready
to make the flight. After the ma
chine had been well warmed up, |
climbed into the passengers seat in
front OF the pilot, was strapped in by
an assistant and made ready for the
adventure. The machine was in per-
feet working order, having been thor
oughly overhauled by the mechanics
in the forenoon, and she glided from
the earth with ease. Unless one
watched the earth 1T would hardly
be noticeable to the passenger when
he left terra flma. After sailing for
about a half mile in a southerly di-
rection, the machine climbing stead
lily, Aviator Robinson swung the
plane around to the north and start
ed for a tour over the city. There
was a strong north wind against us
which prevented the plane from do
ing much speeding, but in spite of the
stiff wind, we made good time. At
ter circling around the outskirts Of
the village, the plane sailed along
Portland street and over the business
section Just as we were above the
busiest part of the downtown district
Brother Robinson, without warning,
started to loop the loop and followed
it with an Immelman turn, which is
a quick shift. Before | had fully re-
covered from the first two, he COM
menced a light spiral with a vertical
bank This temporarily ended his eX-
hibition of fancy stunts and we
iourneyed around the town for some
distance. As we approached the
landing field, Aviator Robinson, for
the benefit of the crowd, as well as
myself, started in on some further
stunts, beginning with the Falling
leaf, going from left to right, which
resembles a large bird falling to the
ground. He then made a quick stall,
which greatly surprised the specta
tors as they believed there was
trouble with the motor. As a part