Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-08-25
AIRPLANE MEET.
CONTINUED from Page 81

boro about 725 that morning, and when
it was over the northern end of the town,
| people noticed that the power was shut
off, indicating that a landing was to be
made on the aviation field.
Upon investigation, the plane was
found to be a Curtiss Oriole and had
| just come from the Curtiss company
G. ii. Hughes, who was driving the ill
fated Oriole last Friday, and he was ac-
companied by his brother. G. f. Hughes,
who also has seen service with the flying
forces in France, having been a captain
in the 25Sth aerial squadron.
The Oriole left Mineola that morning
at $50 and arrived on the aviation field
at 730, the direct, nonstop fight having
been made in one hour and 40 minutes.
The direct distance from NIineola is 1866
miles and the plane, therefore made an
average speed of 99.6 miles an hour.
When interviewed by representative
of The Phoenix shortly after the Oriole
had landed on the field, Pilot Hughes re-
iteratcd his former statement that had it
not been for the high tension wires along
the West River railroad the tragic acct
dent never. would have happened. He
said also that in order for Brattleboro's
field to be first class the hummock in the
center should be removed and the trees
and shrubbery which grow on The north
crn edge of the field should be taken
away, in order that plenty of leeway may
be had by pilot in case anything should
go wrong with a plane.
Pilot Hughes also explained why he
had such difficulty in trying to attain al
titude at the time of last Fridays dis
aster. He stated that he found numer-
Gus cross currents over West river, some
of them being caused by the hot breezes
of the day coming in contact with the
cold water of the river. There was also
a stiff current of air that came down
from the northwest along the course of
West river. On the field, the atmosphere
was practically normal, but above this
strata of air Hughes encountered a cur
rent blowing about 20 miles an hour.
Consequently when the Oriole struck this
upper current the progress of the plane
was retarded in speed by this current
This is why the plane labored so strenu-
ously in trying to get altitude.
There is also large tree midway along
the northern edge of the field, and when
Pilot Hughes saw this tree looming in
front of him through the left wings he
veered his Oriole to the right and on
account of the failure of the plane to
make altitude quickly the right wing
came in contact with the tip of another
tree. causing the plane to veer to the
right angle at an angle of 90 degrees. 1t
was Immediately after this that the plane
struck the wires and went to its doom.
When Pilot Hughes was explaining
the air condition this morning, which eX-
listed over the field at the time of the dis
aster. he pointed to the smoke which was
pouring from the tall chimney of the Re
treat. A breeze which was blowing from
the southwest at the time struck the
heavy. black curls of smoke as they
emerged from the chimney and bore them
down toward the water in the meadows,
leaving a dull, grimy shroud of vapor
directly over the waters. This illus
trates. Pilot Hughes pointed out, just
how currents of air cross each other
forming what are commonly called air
pockets, due to the difference in tempera-
ture of the various strata of air
1t is believed that flying conditions at
the field, particularly at the northern
end, We're not as favorable in the after
noon last Friday as they were in the
morning, due to the growing listlessness
IF the atmosphere and the presence of so
much warm air which caused it to rise
upward. For this reason, it is thought
that the number of passengers going
aboard the planes for flights should have
been cut down, thereby tightening the
load and enabling the planes to rise
easier even though the atmosphere in
spots was dead"
After the inquest, Pilot Hughes and
his brother returned to the field and took
on at 1 p. IN. for the return flight to
MineOla