The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-06
BY Morris De Haven Tracy
United Press StGn Correspondent
Copyright. 1927. by the United Pressl
CHADTEP VT

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CHAPTER VI
When Charles A. Lindbergh ar
rived at the Aircraft Company's Of
fees in Lincoln, Neb., late in 1921,
and enrolled as an aviation student,
they thought so little of his chances
of ever becoming anything much in
the way Of an aviator that no record
was kept of the date Of his arrival.
Apparently the immediate impress
sion was of a sort of a Merton of
the Movies" person who had dream
ed flying and finally came with
enough money to pay for some in
struction, but who never would do
much more.
Ray Page, company president, de-
sc1ibed him as typically country
lad, green, gawky, tall, gangling and
bashful.
"He blushed when he came to us
in a way that would have done
credit to any high school girl" said
Page.
He was turned over to some in
structor and no one knows just who
it was, to be taught a bit about air.
planes.
He was given the ground training
which consisted of a study of air
plane construction and explanation
Of the theory and mechanics of fly
ing.
He was not laxative, was very
quiet and unassuming, but when he
got into the pilots nest what a diff
ference there was" said Page, tell
ing Of this training period.
Began to Notice
"As soon as he was permitted to
take a plane aloft, everyone began
to notice him. He was a changed
man when he got his hands on the
controls. He wasn't bashful or
blushing any more, and he didn't
appear gawky. He made airplanes
behave like no beginner ever did be-
fore.
"He was never reckless; that boy,
but daringly courageous.
pretty soon everyone around the
field was talking about the kid being
one of the few men born naturally
adapted to flying. 1t took his flight
to Paris to convince the world that
here was a remarkable flier but we
knew it long before he finished his
course at the flying school here"
Lindbergh left the flying school
not when he had finished the COM
plete course but when he felt that
he had learned all there was to be
learned there, just as he left college
when he felt he wasn't making any
progress. Up to the time he left
the flying school he had not been
permitted to fly alone.
Immediately Lindbergh looked
around for an airplane of his own.
He picked up one at an army sale
an elderly biplane-and took it to
Lincoln, where he fixed it up and
began running an air-taxi service.
He charged the farmers and visitors
to Lincoln so much per minute of
flying.
Few Acquaintance
He made few acquaintance, and
those who did know him in those
days recall him chiefly for two
things, his quiet, reticent DISPOSE
ton and his interest in aviation.
He shared a room at the Harry
E. Peckham home in Lincoln with
another embryo aviator named Ball.
When he flew to Paris Lincoln peo-
pie searched so deeply for Lind
bergh lore" that they finally I'M
earthed the place in the Sanitarium
garage where Lindbergh had space
for his motorcycle, and it has be-
come a sort Of shrine.
Harry Ellis, Lincoln, also inter-
ested in flying, was one of his clos
est friends there, and it was through
Ellis that Lindbergh came to mix
parachute jumping with his study of
flying.
at had done some balloon work
myself and had made parachute
drops" Ellis said. He was making
great progress in flying and wanted
to drop.
II thought he had plenty of nerve
although he didn't make any boasts.
He would get me talking about para
chute jumping and would question
me on every little point. He was