Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-11
LANDING PLACES AND
HIGH TEST GASOLINE
Two Things Required to Put
Vermont on Aerial Map, De-
clares Captain H. e. Stickney,
Late of American Air, Forces
in France

Landing places and high test gasoline
are the two greatest needs to put Yer
mont on the aerial map for the coming
season. according to Capt. II. T.. Stick
ney of Ludlow, a nephew of ex-Gov
w. W. Sticlney, and late of the Lafayette
Escadrillc and the American air forces
in France. with four German planes OFF,
I cially credited to him. Captain Stickney
came to Burlington Tuesday to be pres
ent at the annual meeting of the Aero
Club of Vermont. which was held in
this city yesterday.
! In an interview with a Free Press re-
porter Tuesday, Captain Suckney out
| lined his plans for opening up Vermont
| to the aerial world. In company with
S. E. Osgood Captain Stickney has taken
the agency for Vermont and New Hamp-
shire for the Curtiss airplane. with sew
| eral of these planes. which will be de-
! livered about May !. together with
| large amount of up-to-date equipment.
Messre. Stickney and Osgood will open
| a school to teach aviation. Tho location
of this school will be at the Hartness
| landing field in Springfield. the only up
to-date landing field in Vermont at the
| present time. This field was fitted up
| for this purpose last fall. when hang
ars. a tank for high test gasoline and
telephone service were placed on the
| field.
| At THE school. the theory of aviation
and actual flying will be taught, combn-
| Ing the three months course given by the
government during the war in the ground
! schools Of aviation and on the flying
fields. The Curtiss dual-control planes
will be used exclusively in the school,
| and Captain Stckney will do most of the
instruction. taking the pupils in classes
of ten, this being the maximum num-
Der that can be accommodated under
one instructor.
Captain stickney is very we'll fitted by
his long experience in aviation and by his
enviable war record. to take up this
work, which is pioneer work in Vermont.
He started flying in this country in 1916
and went to France and entered the
| Lafayette Escadrille several months be-
fore the United States came into the war.
| When America finally came in. Mr.. Stick
ney left the French army and accepted
a lieutenancy in the American overseas
air service. With that branch of the serv-
Ice. he served until the end of the war.
being promoted to the rank OF captain
shortly before the close of the contest.
He was not attached to any particular
unit but was with a group of planes
which was shifted from place to place
to take part in the big offensive. whether
made by the American. the British or
the French In this way, he took part
in many Of the major engagements.
In connection with his aviation school.
Captain Stickney plans to keep Vermont
on the aerial map of the country by maxi
ing personal tours of the State during
the coming summer. stopping for few
days or n week in the larger towns.
where he will do exhibition flying and
take up parties, thus stmula ting interest
in aviation. He also expects to do OK
hibition flying at the fairs.
Mr.. Osgood who is to be associated
with Captain Stickney in the school at
Springfield. was in the automob bust
ness before the war. During the war, he
was employed in testing out Liberty
motors. He is an expert mechanic and his
experience in this line will be invaluable.
When asked what was necessary TO
make Vermont an aviation State, Captain
Stickney answered, without hesitation.
high test gas and landing places" We
must have landing places in the State
before aviators from other States will
consider coming in here. declared Mr..
Stckney. Flying is too hazardous for a
has no definite places to land especially
when other States are furnishing such
places Captain Stickney was connected
for some time with an aviation field in
Albany. n. Y. and he states that he had
difficulties In getting the aviators from
, that field to come over into Vermont be-
| cause they said there We're no facilities
for landing here. At one time when q
flight was being made into Vermont. and
the logical course would have been &c
have come across by way Of Bennington
and up on the Vermont side, the trt
, was made up the New York side to Glens
, Falls and then across. because there is
, II good landing field a; Giens Falls
and the pilots wanted to be within reach
OF this field.
High test gasoline has come to b,
necessary AZ any landing station. SAID
Captain S.ickncy. because it has come
TO be realized that this high grade gas IL
the only gas which should he used in air.
planes While the ordinary gasoline viii
make The engine 80, 1t does not furnish
the proper power required for flying Ar
| insurance agent who deals in airplane in.
surance. said Captain Stickney, recently
told him that nearly all of the recent
accidents to a!rplanes were in planes
which were being driven with ordinary
gas, which was not powerful enough to
sustain the motor. Some avaiation insur.
ance companies, 1t is said, are contemplate
ing writing clause into their policies
mat high test gas must he used
Captain Stickney declared that dyinp
in and about the Green Mountains IL as
! safe as anywhere in the country, and that
1t will, undoubtedly. come to be common
IN the nesr future. He said that mail
route between Boston and Montreal
would include Vermont. providing that
there were enough landing. fields in the
state so that the pilots could afford 10
travel over this section. 1t would be the
shortest and most feasible route.
Landing fields should have about a
quarter OF mile of clearing for a ma
chine to land and take off, said the
captain In some cases, where the country
roundabout was clear Of trees the actual
ianding Held might be smaller than this
but ordinarily this amount Of space should
be allowed.
ODD ITEMS FROM EVERYWHERE