Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05


pears that there is something which
makes people regard my fight as
more than a stunt, and I am con-
WINGED chat that something is in avia-
ton.
Looks Forward to Return.
! want to say to the great French
people that in going away from
France, just few miles from where
/ first saw France, / will never for
get the way they have treated me,
and / look forward to coming back
And when I come back it will be by
air, and ! shall aim to fly right
over this old city which is biding me
goodby today with such good wishes.
In leaving France l left Eu-
rope, and that leads me to express
my gratitude for the reception given
me in London. If not SO evidently
enthusiastic, am sure it was never.
theless sincere. 1 bear away the men,
Dry of the kindness King George
showed me, and I will not forget his
interest in aviation and his hopes for
its future. You may be sure also
that l recall my first King, Albert of
the Belgians. The democratic way in
which he received me changed all the
ideas had ever had about kings.
One of the most pleasant memories
of my European trip is of Burgomas.
ter Max's words that in bringing the
two continents closer together by air
had brought the hearts of the peo-
pies of the two continents that much
nearer. Anybody would ebe proud of
doing that.
My trip down from Paris this
morning was no cinch. We struck
hail, rain and fog in making the short
jump from Paris to Cherbourg. found
Breguet, No. 10. a good ship and in
going up and down to dodge clouds re-
membered similar efforts with the
Spirit OF st. Louis over the Atlantic
when coming to Europe.
Regrets Boxing Plane.
Now have left France from the
spot where / first saw the country.
My ship is going along, but all
boxed up. And that makes me some.
what sad, for it is no way to t,eat
such good ship. There seems some.
thing humiliating about it. The Spirit
OF st. Louis is ship of the air and
not OF the water. It came by air and
II seems only a square deal that l.
should go back the same way in its
own element.
At one moment I seriously .onsid.
ered trying return fight, but those
VINO nave followed these articles will
understand the numerous reasons
against doing so. There were circun.
stances which overcame NV first IL.
clinations.
And so my ship goes along on the
Memphis. 1t will be confined for .
period which / will try to make the
shortest possible. 1t will come out
or its coffin in Washington, and !
hope to fly with it from Washington
to New York and then to st. Louis.
Sees Flights as Common.
Naturally. on my way back, I shall
be thinking Of crossing the Atlantic
as crossed 1t before, and think of
the days when 1t will be a commona
thing. There can be no question but
that the day will come when com.
mercial flying across the Atlantic will
be an accomplished thing. and Just
as much a part of our lives as cross
ing by liner today.
Now. as I have written, T regard
my ship as the best ship for the flight
under conditions as I made 1t. But
tnat does not mean that it would be
the proper ship for future transat.
lantic aviation.
Over and above all. the future shin
Tor such work will be the hydroayion
and for several reasons.
In the first place. there is the nroh.
lem Of getting off and that is the most
important. Airships which cross the
Atlantic must be heavy on account of
the fuel they must carry. That means
complications in getting off and these
complications are much more serious
on land field than on the wNter.
A land field is limited in area and IL
the ship does not get Off in ouiclr
order one has difficulties of serious
nature.
On the water it is different. There
the neld is unlimited. If one does not
get OH on the first try, there are
limitless opportunities to keen on
trying. That makes a big differences
Furthermore, 1t is easy to see that oc.
casions will arise for coming down ON
transatlantic flights. Mechanical de.
Velopments might make this necessary
and l have always thought that the
most practical system would be to
have hangers fixed at sea where an
airship could come down to avoid had
weather. That means that YOU will
have to have plane which can land on
water.
Hydroplane Thought Next.
Therefore, I believe that the next
pig thing in transatlantic flying will
De the making Of trip in a hydro.
plane. This means, Of course. added
weight to that which / carried. for
landing gear to come down on the sea
Is heavy. That means, Of course, add.
tional carrying capacity and addi.
tional power to what would be needed
for plane carrying gear for coming
down on land.
Ihis constitutes one of the many
problems to be solved before trans
atlantic flying, either for mail orr
for passenger. becomes a current
business.
But all that Is for another day and
other days. AS ! quit Europa I will