South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-01
LOCAL DENTIST
CONGRATULATES
DARING AVIATOR
We're Warm Friends When
Maj. Schroeder Started
His Flying Career.

MAJ. +. ". schroeder. test pilot at
dcCoOk aviation field, Dayton, Ohio.
who broke into national prominence
friday by narrowly escaping death
when his airplane fell five miles
through the air after breaking all
altitude records. Saturday received
81 telegTame cOngratulating him on
his hazardous feat from DR.. George
~. Bland. a South Bend dentist.
DR.. Bland and the intrepid avia-
tor were warm friends at Chanute
field, Rantoul, Ill. in the late sum
mer Of 1917. when Or. Bland, then
a captain In the dental corps OF the
army. assigned TO the northern avi-
alton district and Schroeder were
both stationed at the Illinois field.
The South Bend dentist, later the
only dental corps officer in the army
to qualify as a flyer took his first
ride IN a ship with Schroeder as the
pilot A. that time he had just re-
ceived a commission as second lieu
tenant
StartIes World.
DIT. Bland told q News-Times rep
resentative a number OF incidents in
the early flying career Of the man
who was later TO startle the world
with the record breaking flight,
reaching a highth OF $1,000 feet.
Schroeder was known at Chanute
field as careful flyer and vas not
known 10 be given 10 recklessness
except in one instance when he sig
nalized his departure for the Hous-
ton. Tex. field by executing a feat
that has never been duplicated.
Hugging close TO the flag pole near
the field headquarters he circled the
pole about twenty times with the
ends OF the plane wings no further
than six feet from the pole. During
his training period and after he re-
ceived his commission, Schroeder
showed a disposition to favor altitude
flying and concentrated his efforts
in this line OF flying.
Special Ship.
The ship. inwhich he made the
record breaking flight Friday was
specially constructed for altitude
flying. according to DR.. Bland. who
has ridden as a passenger n the
plane with Schroeder several times.
A peculiarly placed oxygen tank and
a newly designed radiator built over
the engine allows the pilot to reach
far greater attitudes than can be
reached with the ordinary plane. DR..
Bland stated that he had often heard
Schroeder say that he (Schroder)
would yet attain a heighth of 10000
feet and that ne would make every
effort to break the record
Schroeder reached $4,000 feet in
a flight made in 1917 willis at Cha
mute field but this record was
broken shortly after by O. fellow
aviator and the record stood until
friday when the major made his
death defying flight.
Thrilling Ride.
The story Of the flight as told by
newspaper men in Dayton by the
army officer himself is a narrative
tilled with thrills and stirring Incl
dents. Instinct in pulling at the
stick" the control lever of the
machine when SchrOedr found him
self falling through space, probably
saved his life as the machine right
ed itself after hurtling through the
air for nearly five miles
Schroeder suffered blindness when
ne removed his goggles while at a
heighth OF $1,000 feet, the sudden
rush OF air and atmospherical pres
sure affecting the optic nerves. Later
az the hospital it was fuOnd that his
eyeballs were frozen. He declared
nis intention of again making a try
Tor the 10000 feet heighth at the
first opportunity.