Milford chronicle., 1925-08-07
AN AEROPLANE TRIP
FROM LONDON TO PARIS
Former DelaWarean Writes OF His
Experience In Crossing The Eng
Iish Channel.

1t might be of some interest to
some of your readers to learn about
a ride through the clouds for two
hours. It took place July 18th, al
though it seems like an age since
it transpired. You may remember,
Mr.. Editor, that I mentioned the pos
sibility of the aerOplane trip in my
letter to you last winter; but I ask
ed you not to print it, as l might get
cold feet and not go up. l did, but
it was when we were over 1000 feet
straight up in the air.
We had a nice long trip from the
center of London to the aerodrome
twenty miles away. The road all the
way was lined with hawthorne
hedges, with berries just tingling
red. Yew trees, variegated holly
trees, privet and barberry bushes,
with naples of many colors and
many beautiful elms, all carefully
trimmed, added to the beauty of the
ride. We arrived at Croydon Field
and after showing our passports
properly "phized" we were all pack
ed into the plane. Twelve of us, in
additional to the pilot and mechanic
made up the party. The cabin was
enclosed in glass. After we had been
properly seated the engines started
to tune up. The passengers sat in
firmly fixed arm chairs, having plen-
ty of leg room.
Just here it is about time to say
good bye" but it is too late now.
The folks are all gone and it is no
use to examine yourself. 1t takes
some time to get big machine un-
der way, and after the twin engines
have been started the plane circles
around the field a couple of times,
humping on her wheels some, so as
to come up head on to the wind like
a duck on the marsh. And now she
is off on her 200 mile trip, and we
began to notice the change in the
size of the farms and truck patches
as our plane glides through the air.
In England the average size of a
farm is from to acres, and in
France they are much smaller. One
peculiar thing impressed itself up
on my mind. The horizon appeared
to rise up with us even after we
were 1000 feet in the air and things
seemed to fade from us more than
we leaving them. AS we approached
the English Channel the aerOplane
rapidly climbed higher so that in
case of accident the driver could
plane across the water and make a
safe landing. We were entirely out
Of sight of land. I was looking
sharp for angels, but guess it takes
little girls to see them. The sun was
now shining and we were far above
the clouds. Talk about every cloud |
having a silver lining-it was true
but very elusive. We got none of the |
silver, except in our eyes. Some of
the clouds were golden edged and |
they were blending and changing eV-
cry second. We saw continuously a
glorious, golden, heavenly sunrise;
beautiful enough for heaven itself.
After passing the English Channel
we descended a couple of thousand
feet and began to see the earth
again. What wonderful gardens we
saw in France. The cOlOrings were
beautiful-green, brown, yellow and
other colors laid out in parellelo-
grams, wedges, squares, with no
fences, but the plots pierced with
winding roads, with green hedges
along them. Such a net work of
patches-unlilke the old fashioned bed
quilt. The scene was indescribable.
It must be seen to be appreciated.
Here and there cattle browsing, add
ed beauty to the landscape, and here
and there a horse, pony or sheep put
a touch to the view. And then, as
the trip neared it's end, we were
and all of us will re-
the sensation for years to
come. The plane would seem to drop
down right from under you and
leave you suspended in the air. You
have experienced that feeling when
the elevator has gone quickly from
under you and comes back with a
thud. At the same time the plane
is pointed at an angle of forty-five
and rocking like a small
in big sea. In fact, I
learned afterwards that several were
seasick. I was not. Most of us were
glad to get back to terra firma. Some
If us were unnecessarily proud Of
ourselves. Shoulders and chests bull
yed out and I expect our head swell '
ID, too.
J. N. RHOADS. +