Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-13
LINDBERGH ALARMS AIRMEN
BY TAKE-OFF IN ARMY PLANE
CONTINUED from First Page.)

observation planes from Boiling Field
had taken the air and were cruising
about the field, waiting to pick up the
Spirit Of st. Louis. Col. Lindbergt
began to get restless, bearing in mine
his "heavy date" with New York City
When 1t appeared that valve was
TANNED and that several hours OIL
labor would have to be expended to
right this defect, Mr.. Dawson Offered
Col. Lindbergh the plane. The airmar
made his decision in second, climbed
out of his plane, boarded the White
House automobile and sped around tc
the Army side of the field, followed BY
a long string of automobiles.
Already a large crowd had gathered
at the Army side to see the take
off, and they were a happy lot to see
the airman at close quarters. Capt
C. F. Wheeler. operations officer o.
the field, knew nothing about the
switch in planes until Col. Lindbergf
Curtis pursuit ships, with engine cold
and resting in a hangar. was pounced
upon by a crew of mechanics, rushed
out to the line and started. Hardly
had Col. Lindbergh been able to reach
it than the powerful 425-horsepowel
engine was running at almost full
throttle.
"Flying Gear" Borrowed.
Everything was in readiness to take
off when Maj. r. L. Walsh, Army All
Corps and White House aide, assigned
to assist Col. Lindbergh, discovered
there was no Flying gear" A rush
was made to the f1ying-clothes locker
Of the operations office and the out
fit of Lieut.. Bob e. Rowland, adjutant
Of the post, and almost as tall as Col
Lindbergh, was confiscatcd, much tc
Lieut.. Nowland's delight. together
with a parachute.
The flying gear" consisted of a blue
and gold knit stocking cap, helmet eff
feet, fitting close to the head and over
the ears of Col. Lindbergh; a pair Of
the latest type aviation goggles, g
dark-brown leather "wind-breaker'
and the chute.
They fitted the airman to perfec
ton. The mechanic jumped out o.
one side of the Curtiss P-1-A pursui
plane and Col. Lindbergh climbed II
the other. He adjusted himself, once
more appeared contented, threw oper
the throttle and, satisfied with the roal
Of the engine and the instruments re
cording it's every throb, was wheeled
about and TAXED down the field.
The group had been in the air al
most an hour. They had been cruis
ing about and their powerful engine!
ate up nearly 20 gallons apiece Of thu
precious fuel. Some OF the plane.
were not as heavily fueled as the 9th
Al To- - l..
group travels and operates as ont
plane, all ships came in for a landing
For awhile it appeared that Col
Lindbergh would not be able to get
into the air until the entire group haC
been refueled. A gasoline truck
rushed out and poured the fuel into
one or two of the planes and then
everything was ready.
Suddenly ROars Down Field.
Col. Lindbergh, in his trim, powerful
yet highly sensitive fighter, had been
waiting down at the south end of the
field, next to the plane Of Maj. Thomas
G. Lanphier, commander of the group
His engine was idling all the while
and spectators kept their eyes trained
on it. Suddenly and without a signal
from any one, he threw open the
throttle and roared down the field
Scarcely had the wheels left the
ground when he pulled up into a
zoom that startled the large crowd OF
airmen present.
With bated breath they watched
him, hoping he would "cut the zoom'
any moment. But, as some airmer
afterward said, "Lindy knew what he
was doing" and lie kept the stick
pulled back against his body while
the propeller pulled the heavy weight
up to two hundred, three hundred anG
finally four hundred feet before Col
Lindbergh flattened out.
sigh Of relief went up from the
crowd when he got on even keel
mans ability to fly any type of plane
osneciallv the difficult pursuit craft
as he was graduated from a years in
| tensive training at Kelly Field, Texas
&c nursuit pilot. His flying speed
was on the ragged edge of a stall. as i
were and he would not have had suffi
Gent momentum to flatten out OIL
turn.
before. but it is not being done il
ro,,tine fashion, Col. Lindbergh hat
seen the plane a few minutes yester
dav hut at that time he did not know
he would use it. This morning h,
had sat in it about 10 minutes, will
idling engine, waiting for the pursui
group to get ready, and in that tim'
he had learned to place explicit con
fidence in it's engine and performance
ability. Hence his daring take-off.
"Stunts" Little.
up in the air about 700 or 1000 fee
the pilot cruised bit and suddenl!
! he fiopped over into a right-hand bar
rel roll. In making this maneuye