Weekly journal-miner., 1922-08-23
FLYER LANDS HERE SUNDAY


 
 Aviator R. V. Thomas, from Kan sas, the man who actually lighted" in the Grand Canyon of Arizona (not California; and again "relighted" in the great gorge of the Fox Film Motion Picture company, flew over the Mile High city of Arizona yes terday afternoon, failed to sight the "T" and flags at the Target Range, which had been put in place by Messrs. Robinson, Cornell and Jett of the chamber of commerce com mitte, and just for the fun of the thing lighted" in Lonesome valley following the outline of the Jerome Prescott highway. Towering above the city, Aviator Thomas dropped bomb to let the natives know that he had arrived and then started evident I1y for the direction of the Target Range, where officials had gone to greet him.
 Not finding him, they sent a special car to the range, piloted by Charley Weidler, but again no prog ress was reported In the meanwhile all was serene on the horizon and Thomas was brought to town by a courteous motorist, whose name he did not learn.
 Thomas left Williams about 10 o'clock Sunday morning and, ac- cording to his own story 'in crossing the highest mountain 1 caught sight Of the railroad and followed it on down Is miles, I should judge, and then took off in the direction of the Black canyon country I landed on the mesa above Bumblebee and took on gas, later coming to Prescott"
 Thomas expressed surprise that so much interest was taken by a cham Der of commerce in having a Tive" aviation committee. But that is the interest which will ultimately de- velop field close to the city and will put Prescott on the aerial map of the country, which recognition IS not far distant
 Prior to the war, MT. Thomas studied aviation at Harvard, where he was doing postgraduate work; later serving with the colors, and then trying to get down to earth by law, But had the bug and couldn't get away from it, smilingly added the flier when interviewed by a representative of the Journal-Miner yesterday.
 Thomas is flying Lincoln Stand ard plane, although most of the ma chine is equipped with his own ideas. The machine is particularly equipped , tor high-altitude flying. It has great reserve power, is one of the original French handmade motors, being an -Suiza 1S0 horsepower.
 Since the war, Thomas has been loing commercial flying, taking up regularly for three years, \ md doing exhibition flying through put the central states. I Negotiations were completed yes II erday by the aviator to use the field Il n Miller Valley. This is the same :, ie1d which was used by Rex Smith II bout a year ago. e Among prominent passengers who h lave viewed the world from the Ii raft piloted by Thomas are the s president of the Mexican republic. f. Thomas holds the Rocky mountain a hampionship silver cup awarded at Denver last summer, for accuracy in anding. The test was a 25-foot cir N le and Thomas in landing, hit in the enter. With 15 aviators competing, ' he next closest in this competition U ,as an aviator from Cheyenne, who anne within 36 feet of the circle. , Thomas recently has been doing V xhibition flying at county and state d' airs in the central west. Further u lurcls have been won by Thomas in " recent flight from Aramillo, Texas, tc 3 Lincoln, Neb., covering the 7OO- d, lile distance in five hours and 10 di linutes. u
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