The Washington times., 1928-01-26
BY CHARLES A. LINDBERGH
Chapter XXI


to make any final arrangements
necessary. x,.
On April is, at $50 a. m, TOOK
off from the Air Mail Field at May
wood on the first southbound Tight
and that afternoon we sent two ships
north with the inauguration mai!
from st, Louis, Springfield and
Peoria.
During the summer months most
If our route was covered during day
light, but as winter approached the
hours of night flying increased until
darkness set in few minutes after
we left the field at st. Louis.
With night flying and bad weather
orr troubles began. Our route was
not lighted at first and the interme'
date airports were small and often
in poor condition.
Our weather reports were unre'
liable and we developed the poilcy
of taking off with the mail When'
ever local weather conditions per-
mitted. We went as far as we could
and IL the visibility became too oao
we landed and entrained the mail.
One of the worst conditions we
met with was flying from dayllgnt
into darkness. 1t was not difficult
to fly along with 10O-foot ceiling
in the daytime, but to do so at nlght
was an entirely different matter, an0
after the night set in, If the weather
became worse, it was not possible TO
turn around and return to daylight
On Time
With all of our difficulties, how
ever. the mail went through with
surprising regularity. During the
first five months of operation we
made connections on over 20 per
cent of our trips.
There are only two conditions
which delay the air mail-tog ana
sleet. If the fog is light or local.
and the slcet not too heavy Inc
nlanes continue even then. But
when the ground becomes Invisible
and the fog covers the terminal
fields. or when sIeet freezes thlckly
or, wings and wires, the planes can
not continue. In such cases the
fnail ia entrained and usually reaches
its destination at least as soon as 1t
would have if sent by train In the
first place.
Almost every day, in some section
of the United States, mail pilots are
flyine over fog and through storms
ard rain to bring their ships through
On schedule time. The mail plane
is seldom delayed and then only by
impossible weather conditions.
In the future these delays will
become fewer as radio navigation
and instruments for blind flying
improve, until it will be possible
for the pilots to keep to their
schedules under the worst conol'
tons and in comparative safety.
Another hazard, during certain
times of year. is the formation OF
ice. This will gather on all parts
of the plane. but mainly on the
wires, propeller and entering edge
of the wings. II it forms slowly
from a fog or light rain. a plane
may be able to continue on its
course for some time. but II a
heavy -leet storm is encountered
the ice may form so rapidly that
a ship cannot stay in the air over
five minutes before it is so loaded
down that the pilot will be unable
to keep from losing altitude even
with his motor wide open.
The actual weight of ice Is not
as important as the loss In effl'
cheney OF the wing. due to the
changed airfoil caused by ice gath
ering ON the entering edge.
Danger of Ice
still more loss is caused from
the ice forming on the propeller
itself. The blades take on thick
coating, which continues to. IN
crease in depth until the ice from
one of the blades is thrown off by
centrifugal force. When this hap
mems an excessive vibration sets
in and continues until the oppo-
site blade has thrown off its coat
One of the dangers which mail
n,Iot faces in flying at night
through bad weather ana low Vlsi'
bilitv is in suddenly losing track
of the ground due to fog oank
lower than the rest. II he mas
hoen living very close to the
ground it is not advisable to go
lower and often the only alterna-
tive il to climb up through the
fog and attempt to find hole
somewhere to spiral down through.
Being caught in fog at night
was the cause of two of my forced
iuups. the official reports OF winch
A0" " took off from Lambert.st.
Louis Field at 4:25 p. M, Septefnner
1S 1926. and. after an dneventIu !
trim. arrived in Springfield, Ill, AZ
$40 q. M, and Peoria, ILL.,, at ODD
II left the Peoria Field at s;1o
n. m, There was a. light grouno
haze, but the sky was practlcally
clear with but scattered cunlulus
clouds. Darkness was encountered
about 25 miles northeast or PEORIA
and I took up a. compass course
checking on the lights of the towns
below until a low fog rolled In un,
der me O. few miles northeast OF
Marseilles and the Illinois River.
"The fog extended from the
ground up to 800 feet, and, as J
was unable to fly under 1t, !
turned back and attempted to drop
a flare and land. The flare olo
not function and again headed
for haywood (Chicago's air mall
port. hoping to find a break In
the fog over the field.
DENOMINATION disclosed that the
cause of the flare failure was the
short length of the release lever
and that the flare might still be
used by pulling out the release
cable.
~ continued on a compass course
Of so degrees until 7I5 p. m,
when saw a dull glow on top
Of the fog. indicating a town be-
low. There were several Of these
light patches on the fog, visible
only when looking away from the
moon, and knew them to be