Evening star., 1921-05-29
RECORD
| AS R|CKENBACKER
| ENDS LONG FLIGHT
Premier ACE" of US. Lands
Here Safely After Sensa.
tionaI Trip.
BAD STORMS ON LAST LAP
OF THREE-DAY JOURNEY
Aviator Greatly Fatigued. But
Braces Up Enough for Gen.
Pershing's Dinner.

After battling with transforms in
nearly every state in his transconti-
mental air flight. Capt Eddie V. Rick
enbacker. Americas premier ace" Of
the world war. landed at Boiling
Fleld In rainstorm at els o'clock
yesterday afternoon after one of the
most sensational trips ever made in
an airplane in this country. AL
though considerably fatigued by his
flight of nearly three thousand miles,
which he covered in three days. or
approximately thirty-four hours, six
minutes. actual flying time. thereby
establishing new record, he soon
recuperated and was able to attend a
dinner at the Metropolitan Club at
$50 o'clock
The first thing the aviator did on
arriving in the National Capital was
to send telegram to his mother at
Columbus. Ohio. Had 1t not been for
the fact that he was endeavoring to
reach Washington in record breaking
time he would probably have dropped
off at his old home for a few hours.
AS it was. he flew high over Column
bus and continued his journey at full
speed in the direction of Washington.
"Hops on From Redwood.
Capt. Rickenbacker left the aviation
field at Redwood. Cal. Thursday
| morning at s:32 o'clock after having
| been delayed nearly five hours at the
start. AS he hoped off he displayed
his determination to make the trip at
| all hazards and after circling above
the waters on the Pacific coast darted
through a dense fog and made a
gradual ascent 10 several thousand
| feet, in an easterly direction. From
| Redwood he went direct to Salt Lake
| City, Utah. where he arrived the
| same evening at 5:15 o'clock
After a rest of half an hour ne
| again hoped OFF" for North Platte,
1000 miles from his starting point.
| In order to cross the Sierra noun
tains on the western slope it was
necessary for him to fly at a height
of $4,000 feet. which he did without
accident. He left North Platte, Neb.,
at 5:45 o'clock Thursday evening for
Omaha and headed for Cheyenne,
Wyo., where he met with an accident
while attempting to land after dark.
Leaves I'm Mnii Plane.
At 6 o'clock Friday morning he
took off once more. this time in a
mail plane with Omaha as the OBJ
jective. Before leaving the field,
however. he took last look at his
demolished plane, an examination OF
the ground showing that his ship
ran over 500 feet after touching the
ground finally running into a gully
which wrecked his running gear. His
wartime experience on the western
front, where he brought down twenty
nine German machines. taught him
not to give up. and getting into the
cockpit he started for Washington in
good spirits. His flying time for the
trip up to this point was approxi-
mately twelve hours.
After another strenuous trip Rick
enbacker arrived at Omoha Friday
morning at 1853 o'clock in a United
States mail plane. From Omaha the
slept in the cockpit the greater part
OF the trip. He spent Friday night
in the Windy City and arranged with
Cen. William Mitchell of the Air
service, in this city. to have a plane
furnished from the Army field at Nc
Cook Field. Dayton. Ohio.
Lands at Dayton.
With all arrangements completed.
he again took off. this time in an
Army plane. at 6:35 o'clock yester-
day morning. central time. with Day.
ton as his objective. The plane had
been secured from Chanute Field.
Rantoul H.. and was piloted by
young Army officer. On arrival at
McCook field he was given another
De Haviland plane. and he started on
his last leg for Washington. He
landed at Dayton yesterday morning
at 1910 o'clock after an uneventful
flight from Chicago. His flying time
between Chicago and Dayton was
two hours and ten minutes.
Battling with a severe electrical
storm between Dayton and this city.
he was forced down into a field in a
pouring rainstorm. He was unable to
state just where this occurred. He
was soon up again and. with the nose
of his plane once more in an easterly
direction, he continued his flight,
climbing high over the mountains of
PENNSYLVANIA and West Virginia.
With the breaking of the rainstorm
here shortly after o'clock, and be-
ing long overdue at Boiling Field, it
was thought by his friends and Army
men at the field that he had been
forced to land in the midst of the
storm. Fears were entertained for
his safety. but he finally overcame all
difficulties and landed. He took
brief rest and motored to the city
from the field, and. after donning
evening clothes. attended a dinner at
the Metropolitan Club. at which Cen
Pershing was host.
Distributes Circulars.
On the trip from the coast he dis
tributed from the air circulars con-
tanning the Memorial day address OF
Col. F. w. Galbraith. national COM
CONTINUED on Page 4, Column i 4