The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-08-08

sitting alone ia the cockpit 3
night, SO the stories the boys
pretty fresh IN one i mind.
Bertaud's Close Call
Back in the winter of 1925,
Lloyd Bertaud, who win command
"Old Glory" On its flight to Rome
and return, was flying eastbound
from Cleveland in i night that
was filled with binding fog and
heavy sIeet. He had been flying
for more than 100 miles through
this atmospheric marsh when he
was threatened to be brought
down ct almost every mile with q
load Of ice. Through the chang
ing blanket of fog and snow,
Bert gazed below and saw the
faint glimnaer Of 4 light.
Safety Seemed Near
It was the little town Of Belle.
fonte, in Pennsylvania. Down there,
Bert knew. il he could fly low
enough to make the keeper Of the
emergency field hear the roar of
his plane, he could make safe
landing with the aid Of flood lights.
He throttled his motor down ana
pointed the nose of the ship to.
ward the earth. He passed through
layer upon layer Of fog and then
emerged into the inky night, 4
few hundred feet above the field.
The lights of the field shot On.
Bert prepared to land. He glanced
at the gas gauge. Not much left.
Just in time to land. Then, Just az
he would have skinned the ground
with his plane, the lights went off.
He gave his ship. the gun" and
started up again. He would be
certain to crack UP IL he tried to
land without being able TO see the
field at all.
Wanted Him to Keep Going
Unable to understand why the
lights were switched off. Bert
swoomed above the sield for several
minutes and the lights went on
and then went out again. This
happened several times.
With his gas gone and Ice form.
ing on his wings, Bert slid to
earth in his plane and made
blind and safe landing. ~
What did you turn the lights
off for?" Bert stormed, as he met
the keeper OF the field.
II didn't think it would be safe
for YOU to land here on such a
tad night, the man explained. II
wanted you to keep on going say,
on over to New York"
a tolerant smile came over Bert'a
Wind-whipped face.
Wasn't His Choice
Say. do YOU think / would have
Ia nded here IL could have como
sTlywllere else in the world?t
During the winter of the follow.
ing year Bert was again flying
East from Cleveland with the night
mail. 1t was q night i'm which no
living thing should have flown,
particularly man. There was fog
and lain and heavy Ice.
Somewhere over the Allegheny
Mountains two planes passed within
stone throw OF each other. In
one was Bert. riding East to New
York. and the other carried Harry
Chandler. speeding West to Cleye.
and. Because of the terrible roar
OF the motors. neither man could
hear nor see the plane Of the
other. A midair collision was
avsrted by the merest chance.
Within three minutes OF each
other each man was forced down
with . tnaI - g.. g. T..
wings. Chandler landed on the
emergency field OF Wesley, Pa
the field was pitch dark and his
safe and blind landing is a com.
mentary on his flying skill.
Set Barn Attire
In an effort to pick some kind
Of . decent landing place near Mer.
Ger. few miles distant, Bert drop
ped parachute flare. AS his plane
began flying to earth under the
force of the load OF ice, the flare
fell on the top Of . barn. BY the
light OF the barn, which imInedi-
ateiy burst into flames. Bert made
q beautiful landing In corn patch.
As his plane TAXED through the
corn field at terrific rate Of
speed before coming to a halt, the
wings of the ship served as q
scythe and moved down several
hundred yards Of the half grown
corn.
Bert jumped out Of his plane and
saw the barn in flames. He ran
to the farmers house, to meet the
irate landowner rushing out bare.
footed and attired In q LONG night
shirt. With the farmer at his
heels, threatening and gesticulating
wildly, Bert rushed into the barn
to be thoroughly knocked down by
q stanpeding horse. After several
other horses had used Bert as d
hurdle. the flier and the farmer
went into the pig pen inside the
barn.
Riding along through the night
with the mail. have smiled many
times as the mental picture arose
before me of Bert and the raving
farmer trying to push the stubborn
pigs out Of the burning barn.
Romance Short Lived
There are some establishments
In this air business, too. Now
that the war is over and Bert il
happily married, hope may be
forgiven for telling this tale out Of
school.
Back in 1918, when Bert was
dashfng lieutenant in the air serv.
Ice, stationed at Taylor field, Mont.
goMery, Ala, the other fiers III
the camp used to wonder why he
flew so much between montgomery
and Birmingham. And then one