The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-06-11
NEA Serrice Writer

WASHINGTON, June s10-The
attachment of the airmail pilot for
his plane and his mail passes all un-
derstanding.
1t is a feeling like the one that
made Pilot Lindbergh speak of "us''
whenever he talked of his lone
fight across the Atlantic. US
my plane and THAT is the way
the airmail pilot always feels.
In the nine years since the air.
mail was established pilots have
quit their planes by parachute
jumps only four times. At all costs.
the airmail fliers fight to the END
to save their planes and their mail
pouches. Pilots Art Smith and
Jack Milatzo died with their planes
when they could have jumped to
safety.
Lindbergh Jumped Twice
Two of the parachute jumps on
record are Lindbergh's. Pilots j.
S. Hill and Charles E. Widmer are
the others.
Pilot Paul P. Scott exemplifles
the mail pilots attachment to his
plane. The official Postoff1ce De-
partment report of one of his ex-
periences reads:
pilot Scott was flying from Reno
to Salt Lake City. While flying
over ground fog the radiator of the
ship exploded and the motor caught
fire. Pilot used pressure fire ex-
tinguisher in the air.
Upon landing he climbed OH the
lower left wing with the hand ex-
tinguisher and fought the fire while
removing the mail from the pit.
pilot was exhausted and while
resting before attempting to remove
the mail further the gasoline tank
exploded, throwing gas and fire in
! all directions. Heat, smoke and fire
were so intense that he could not
approach the mail bags"
A Heroic Flight
The traditions of the airmall do
not, however require that a pilot
I go down with his ship" So the
pilots do not condemn one of their
number who does use his parachute
Pilot Widmer, for example, was
completely exonerated by official in
vestigators after his plane crashed
and killed Donald Rossiter, pas
senger, near Los Angeles in NoverS-
Der, 1926.
after leaving the field" Wild
mer's report reads, I'VE assembled to
$500 feet and entered the storm
clouds intended to climb through
Suddenly became conscious OF
a draft on my left cheek, which OF
course meant that I was slipping
or skidding to the left. Looking at
the bank and turn indicator, my
instrument told me that my right
wing was down and the ship was
making right turn.
MY compass holding a true
course showed me that this could
not be, as did the draft on my left
cheek. -.
Il cut out my motor and tried to
bring the ship to normal glide
and failing even in this I immedi-
ately called out to Rossiter to bal
out He knew that meant jump
if he heard it. The ship was travel
ing at terrific speed and the noise
of the wind was very loud.
II was alarmed lest we strike the
Hollywood hills, which are 100 to
1900 feet high. I motioned to Ros-
sitter with my head that I was 60
ing over.
HE evidently understood, fer he
turned around to the front of the
ship and leaned toward the door
at which point I went out. When
the parachute opened I could hear
the noise of the ship as it descended
and then as it crashed. In about
fifteen or twenty seconds I was on
the ground"
Died I'm Crash
Rossiter had crashed to death. His
body was found a short distance
from the plane. The rip cord of his
parachute had not been pulled.
Copyright, 1927, NEA Service, Inc.l