Evening star., 1924-09-04
WHO'S WHO
With the World Flyers
NO. 1.--LIEUT. LOWELL III. SMITH.

commander of the round-the-
world flight which is now
IL drawing to a successful con-
clusion, was born at Santa
Barbara, Calf, on October s, 1892.
In 1912 he was graduated from San
Fernando College. California, after
which he was for a time superintendent
of the Betty ONeal Mines at Battle
a-unt New.
When the United States entered the
World War in 1917, Lieut.. Smith en-
listed a private in the Aviation Sec
. ton of the Signal Corps. During the
Summer of 1917 he graduated with a
very good record from the Military
School of Aeronautics at the Univer-
sty Of California, after which he was
given flying instruction until October,
when he was qualified as a pilot. In
December of the same year he re-
ceived his commission as a first
lieutenant, at which time he was
undergoing course in the Aerial Gun
merry School at Rockwell Field. When
this was completed he was ordered to
England, where he was receiving in
tensive training in Handley Page
planes, preparatory to undertaking
heavy bombardment over the lines
when the Armistice was signed.
Forged to Front.
Upon his return to the States Lieut..
Smith forged swiftly to the front
rank of the Air Service pilots. In 1919
he took part in the Transcontintental
Reliability and Endurance Contest
from New York to San Francisco, and
was ahead of all the contestants until
he reached Chicago. where an unavoid-
able delay forced him into second place
In 1920 and 1921 he particularly
distinguished himself in carrying out
the work of airplane forest fire pa
troll throughout California, Wash
ington and Oregon during a time
when unusually fierce fires menaced
the timber lands of all three States.
lie was practically in charge Of the
patrol. which under his efficient di-
rection resulted in the saving of
millions of dollars of government
timber as we'll as very valuable pri-
Nate holdings.
1t was during this period of fire
fighting that an incident occurred
which indicates the character of the
man who is now leading the world
flight to victory.
Took Long Chance.
Lieut. Smith was flying, in COM
pany with another ship" over
dense section of the Oregon forests,
observing the fires below, of which
there were a great many. AS soon
as a fire was discovered it was the
ptrol headquarters, so that a fight
ing squad could be sent out. Lieut..
Smiths record for radio communi
cation had been perfect up to that
time. a fact of which he was justly
proud. This particular flight had not
been started long when the pilot of
the second plant was startled to see
Lieut.. smiths ship" performing a
series of erratic maneuvers. He flew
down closer and was amazed to OBJ
serve Smith climbing out of his
cockpit onto the wing OF his plane,
leaving the heavy De Haviland in
the hands of his passenger, for
ester, who had never before held the
stick" of a plane. While the other
pilot held his breath. watching the
plane slow to perilously near the
stalling point Lieut.. Smith climbed
FAR out onto the wing, kicked the
guard from the radio generator pro-
peller, which had been secured by
some mistake, and jumped back into
his cockpit just in time to keep the
plane from going into a tailspin in
the hands of the terrified forester.
Had to keep up communication"
was Smiths calm explanation at the
end of the flight.
Made Nonstop Flight.
In 1928 Smith flew one of the Army
III Tie
Race at st. Louis. He also gained
considerable fame when he and Lieut..
Jlichter succeeded after three at
tempts in carrying out a nonstop re-
fueling flight of over SO hours. Soon
after this he made a record nonstop
flight from the Canadian to the Mexi-
ran border, his plane being twice re-
fueled from another ship" during the
Hight by means of a hose connection
from the plane above.
Lieut.. Smith has a total flying time
pf about LOO hours. of which 1000
hours have been made in cross-coun-
try work. He has flown approxi-
mately 900 miles, most of which
has been under far frfom ordinary
conditions. His wide ross-country
experience was one of the deciding
factors in his being chosen for the
world flight, along with his excep-
tional ability to find any location for
which he sets out. He seems to
possess an almost uncanny instinct
for picking out his destination,
whether he has flown over the ter
rain before or not. An illustration of
this is seen in the description of the
flight which Smith led from Rockwell
Field in 1922, when a wide search
was being made for Col. Marshall and
Lieut.. Webber. who had disappeared
en- route to Huachuca, Ariz.
1t was desired to find the hut of an
old Indian guide who lived some
where about 110 miles southwest of
Nogales." With no more information
than this. except for a meager de-