Putnam patriot., 1921-04-29

 regard to flying from London to Paris by the daily express that travels from Croyden to Bourget in less than three hours every afternoon. One of us had flown during the war, the other had not. It was not the one who had flown who was the most enthusiastic about the trip. In fact, up to the point of departure, he was not quite sure that he was going to fly at all. But the trip, despite the outstanding fact that airplane travel is still the most uncomfortable means of loco motion in the world, is quite the thing to do," If for nothing but the thrill and novelty of the experience which seems to some of us to be the sole earthly reason that anyone should care to undertake it.
 There are now two lines of the air plane expresses running between Paris and London. One of them sub sidized by the English Government, flies daily from Hounslow Field which is possibly two miles or more from Trafalgar Square. The other line, known as Les Grandes Aeriennes, is subsidized by the French Govern ment and flies daily from Croyden Field. over the other side of the Thames and not far from the Crystal Palace, to Bourget, the principal French flying field, about an hour by motor from the Place de POpera in Paris. The fare on both planes is not much more than the railway fare and the time saved is about three hours, since the motor rides to and from the fields consume two hours, the actual flight from two to three hours, and the unavoidable passport and customs declarations taking up the remainder. The results of the trip are three hours gained, ears that are deafened for twenty-four hours by the noise of the plane propellers, and a general sense of having spent too long time in a very cold, very small and very tenn peramental boat.
 We booked our passage for Sat urday and awoke to find what prom ised to be perfect day-clear, sunny and very little wind. Following di- rections we took a cab to hotel in Leicester Square of "Tipperary' fame, where motors were awaiting to take us to the field. Here we were joined by six of the ten passengers for the trip with their varied assortment of luggage and nerves.
 An hour later we were at the field, the center of attention for a large crowd of holiday onlookers waiting to see the flight begin. The contrast between starting off on a railway ex- press and an air express IS rather ap- palling. The noise of the trains, the running of porters, the crowds and the general business of 1t all makes for some feeling of cheerfulness ano exhilaration for the departure. Blu with the air express, it is all very diff ferent. There is just the wide felC with it's wind indicator looking yer. much like a gigantic silk stockint blowing in the breeze, the few deter minedly hilarious passengers and final ly the great enormous plane with it. blue wings and snake like cabin tiltint its nose upward for the start.
 Passports vised and luggage gon' through for stray American cigarettes and one walks across the green to thu ladder leading upward to the cabin Your first impression on entering thu cabin is surprise at its size. It Is no unlike a small Pullman car. At thu front there is bow-shaped space with four comfortable rattan-covereC seats and small glass windows al about, with racks for luggage ant rugs. Then comes the center of thu carriage with the seat for the mechan ician and just above the seat for tn, pilot whose head and shoulders pro ject through the roof into the open i Behind six more comfortable seat: for passengers, and at the rear larg, space for trunks and freight. Or this particular trip ten large trunks and varied assortment of hand lug gage was carried, together with tn, daily airplane mail between Londor and Paris
 We entered the cabin and took plac es assigned to us and arranged oul bags and rugs-rugs are necessary foi the upper regions of the air are by nc means warm as one discovers after the first fifteen minutes up. Then we waited some more and finally came i the pilot, cheerful, noisy, ruddy i faced little Frenehman bubbling over with good spirits and energy. He mounts to his seat and the testing be- gins and as he braces his feet and places his hands on the levers. you brace your nerves and the hullabaloo starts.
 Suddenly the noise ceases, the mails are put aboard from a motor car that races to the side of the plane, last ! farewells are called and handkerchiefs waved, a bit of bracer is taken if you have had the forethought to bring it with you, and all is ready.
 The little pilot jerks at his head piece, the mechanician grasps some mysterious lever at his feet There Is roar as of thousand engines pounding at your elbow. wind from the racing propellers screams by the windows Again the nilot wells the