Evening star., 1928-04-22
6>he BOYS and
GIRLS PAGE
Some Reckless Flying Recalled

did not like it at all. A couple sat as
IL paralyZed while wing tip missed a
smokestack by a foot or so. Fright
ened faces were at the window behind
me and there we're frantic motions that
l should turn back to the field. They
tell me that the lawyer on the ground
nearly tainted with fright as he saw
his meal tickets, his sole livelihood, go
down the line playing leapfrog with
the landscape. When l landed the
plane everybody had enough and l am
afraid that trip did no good in the
cause of aircraft financing.
That same big bus had quite few
adventures. There was one that has
always struck me as the height OF
thoughtlessness. Suppose you were go
ing on an automobils trip, one Of the
things you would not fail to do would
be towel, they didn't do 1t on that
airplane trip.
A couple of pilots aboard and sew
eral mechanics and gang OF news
paper men, and the ship made forced
landing in a Rhode Island strawberry
patch and cracked up bit. 1t
smashed its landing gear. nosed over
and scared the reporters out OF a year
growth. 1t had run out OF gas! When
the outfit took off from Providence
nODOQy II1OuHnl III lOUhAIAS dt LAAS SOA'ANS
to see how much was in them.
That was a pretty good case of being
asleep on the job. but / know OF
still better one. Capt. Earl Smith and
Dintv Moore. both we'll known flyers,
took off together for Omaha. each fly
ing his own ship They sailed along
side by side for while and then Smith
saw Dinty's bus swing of and head
north.
wonder where he's going?" mused
Smith.
Dinty disappeared. and Smith. think
ing he had gone crazy or something
kept on and landed on the aerodrome
at Omaha. A couple Of hours later
Dintv turned up.
What happened to you?" asked
Smith.
why. fell asleep" replied Dinty,
"and when woke up I was the deuce
knows where. miles off the course. I've
been getting back ever since"
It's a queer game. The incredible Is
always happening. /, myself once
nearly broke my neck in a fantastic
process of finding out what time it was.
Lloyd Bertaud was with me on the
iaunt. Many a close call he had be-
fore he took of for his last flight
headed out across the Atlantic in Old
Glory and was lost.
Bcrtaud and / worked late one night
in a hangar out at Mitchell Field.
When We we're through we sat down,
! had smoke and talked while.
| What time Is it?" asked Bertaud,
Il haven't my watch with me-"
| Neither have l." I replied.
| Nobody else was, on the field and We
| couldn't find out what time it was.
The first thing you know two planes
were out on the dark field Flames
| shot out OF exhausts. motors roared and
| propellers whirred. Bertaud and I
| took off. each in his machine We
raced through the night to see which
would first find out the time The
| lights Of Manhattan were ahead. The
Metropolitan Building came in sight
with the big dial of its clock. Two
| planes circled the tower and two avi-
/ ators looked at the time. 1t was, re-
/ member. lao am.
| When VIC returned. the field. of
course. was dark. We had our troubles
! finding ii and then had our troubles In
| landing. II vas a wonder that We
were not both killed. merely as a mat
I ter Of finding that 1t was / 20 am
| fCouyriTht. 1882