The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-27
YOUNG PILOT Is
NOT LIKELY TO
FORGET DEBUT
Amateur Finds Unforgettable
His First Flight Thrill as
Pupil

Pupil
Editors Note: This is the
fifth Of I series of articles in
which Captain Maleolm J. Blu.
chanan. writer for The Tribune
and NEA Service, explains the
use of the airplane and how to
operate it. Buchanan was . pi.
lot with the u. s. army air corps
on the western front during the
World war. and Is now on the
editorial staff of the Fl. Worth
(Tex.) Press.
By CAPT. MALCOLM BUCHANAN
The plane is on the runway ready
for the take-off. The student flyer
sits in the rear cockpit.
His instruments and controls are
exact duplicates of those in the in
structor's cockpit. Any movement
of . control in one cockpit moves the
corresponding control in the other.
The plane gains speed and the stu
dent feels the tail lift off the ground.
Then the plane moves ever faster be-
cause the drag Of the tail skid has
been eliminated.
Leaving the Ground
The embryo pilots hand rests
lightly on the stick and he feels it
being pulled backward slowly. The
instructor is getting ready to take
off. The student sees the planes
nose lift in front of him and, glanc-
inp over the side, finds that the
plane is several feet off the ground
and still climbing.
He looks down again and finds
that the ground has fallen away a
hundred feet. Now the plane tits
I little to the left and the student
leans to the right, noticing as he
does 50 that the movable wing sur
faces in the wing tips are set at an
angle. These tips Tor ailerons) are
brought into play by the pilot push
ing the stick from side to side.
The plane leans bit more and at
the same time the rudder bar forces
The students right foot back, the left
going forward. The instructor is at
work. Then, slowly, the ship. turns
to the left until the controls are
brought back to neutral, putting the
craft on an even course again.
After three or four easy turns the
instructor decides to give the stu
dent 4 rapid turn. He banks the
ship steeply, gives it more rudder.
AL this time the pupil has his hands
on the control stick and his feet on
the rubber bar. He notices that
every time the stick is moved to the
right the plane leans to the right.
The rudder bar and side movement
Of the stick work in conjunction uuon
the ailerons, the motion Of the stick
preventing q skid.
Ready for q Landing
When the instructor sees that his
pupil is beginning to feel at home
he cuts the motor down to idling
speed, putting the ship into normal
gliding angle earthward. Al! the
student hears is the singing Of the
wind in the wires and struts. HI
knows that the forward speed a
such times could not be surpassed
even if the motor was on. The al
tineter drops from 1000 to 1000 fee
and then the instructor signals 1
landing and asks his pupil to follow
him through with the controls.
This procedure Of following
through is gradual until the day ar
rives when the instructor may safel.
turn over the machine to the pupil
The practice is kept up until tn
pilot is certain that the student cal
consistently make good take-offs an
landings.
The Solo Flight
There is q big thrill coming TO
the aspiring flyer when he is told TO
the first time that the ship is his I
fly; when he is told to "take 'er off
alone.
The student has been shown a
that the plane will do, both unde
ordinary and unusual circumstance:
and in learning this he has followe
the instructor at the duplicate cor
trolls. The instructor already has as
snred himself that his pupil is CON
petent to get himself out Of any dit
ficulty which he might find himsel
in; he knows, too, that the beginne
has been making good take-offs an
landings for several days.
AS the instructor steps out of til
ship and says "Take 'erf off" tt
student finds q queer little feelin
Of doubt and uncertainty skiddin
up and down his spinal column, b,
his apprehension begins to fade I
he pushes the throttle forward ar
the ship begins to move.
He pulls back the joystick and Il
plaue's nose rises. Still nothing Vi
toward occurs. The pilot makes
turn-a bank. Still nothing alarm
ing comes to pass.
The Stick Responds
He pushes the stick to one sid
then the other. He waggles it 70
ward and back. The response to Il
movements gives him something
. thrill and he has q longing to Il
: few stunts. Then-on the 9th
hAnd-maybe he had better nc
There might yet be something TIL
he did, not know.
The time comes when he mu
start earthward-for his first Ian
ing. First he notes the wind gaui
on the top Of the hangers, and
tells him that the wind has n
changed. The pilot swings his era
% permit landing against the win
The throttle il pulled back, the z
gine slows up, and the ship nos
over into . natural glide to cart
The pilot feels the controls to d
termine whether he is glidin;, I
flat. II the controls feel flabby Il
flying speed is too slow and the pill
must nose the plane down Z lit
more to get into sleeper glide. tn
gaining more speed. The grou
comes closes and he noses up slight
70 kill some Of the forward spe<
Then the ship begins to settle, q
- II does the stick is pulled b.
more, the nose going higher. ]
nhlly, q the flying speed Is lost Z
nose Of the plane Is well above t
horizon and the tail is on . lev
With tho wheels. At this jmctu
~ weight Of the craft has bscoz
6noater than the weight Of the Z
- - 2 \