New Britain herald., 1927-06-06
L|NDbERGH BEGAN
AVIATION IN 1921.
Enrolled as Student at Lincoln
Aircraft Company
by NORRIS DE HAVEN TRACY
United Fress Staff Correspondent
Copyright, 1927 by the United
Press)
CHAPTER SIX

When Charles A. Lindbergh ar
rived at the Lincoln Aircraft COM
pany's Offices In Lincoln. Nebraska,
late in 1921, and enrolled as an
aviation student, they thought 80 lit
tie 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 sort of a Merton of
the Movies" person who had dream
ed Of flying and finally came with
enough money to pay for some in
struction. but who never would do
much more.
Ray Page. president Of the COM
pany described him as typically a
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 bit about air.
planes.
He was given the ground train
ing. which consisted OF . study Of
airplane construction and explana-
ton of the theory and mechanics of
flying.
Was Very Quiet
HE was not laxative. was very
quiet and unassuming, but when he
got into the pilots nest, what diff
ference there was" said Page tell
ing OF this training period.
LAS soon as he was permitted to
take a plane aloft. everyone began
to notice him. He was 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
before.
He was never reckless, that boy,
but daringly courageous.
Pretty soon everyone around the
field was talking about the kid be-
ing one Of the few men born natur-
ally adapted to flying. 1t took his
flight to Paris to convince the world
that here was a remarkable filler 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. lip 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 1t to
Lincoln where he fixed 1t up and
began running an air-taxi service.
He charged the farmers and visitors
to Lincoln so much per minute Of
flying.
He made few acquaintances. 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 un-
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 Of Lincoln, also inter-
ested in flying, was one Of his closest
friends there, and 1t was through
Ellis that Lindbergh came to mix
jumping with his study Of