The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-01-23
CHAPTER XVII

! CHAPTER XVIII
Altogether, about 50 lives have
/ been saved by parachutes In Govern
l ment service. In every instance the
jump took place because Of fog,
engine failure while flying over ,un-
/ favorable country. collision OF planes
| or other very definite emergencies.
They say In the service that any
| fIier who jumps to save his life be-
comes a member OF the Caterpillar
Club This Is because the parachute
| is made entirely OF silk and silk
comes from caterpillars. All the 81
members OF this club feel that their
lives have been saved by the silk
worm caterpillar!
There is a saying in the service
about the parachute: II you need
1t and haven't got II. you'll never
need It again. That just about
| sums up its value to aviation.
For two OF the last days we were
on tactical naneuvers with the other
branches. Half OF our number were
assigned to defend the bombers and
observation planes. while the other
| half attacked them. When we met,
| lively combat ensued and the air
every conceivable position, each try
ing TO ret on the tail of an enemy
plane without being first shot down
The Eternal Question
At night in the Nlrracks we would
argue about which side won the war
but whenever one OF US Would uelH-
onstrate tn the enemy that he had
been shot down in battle, another
would interpose the claim that he
had put the attacking ship OUT o.
commission several minutes previous
to the combat.
When graduation day arrived 1S
OF us remained OF the 1O4 cadets
who started the course at Brooks e
wear before. we were presented
with our wings and commissioned
second Neutenants in the Air Service
Reserve Corps That night we gave
4 farewell dinner In San Antonio and
for the last time assembled together.
The next day we departed from
Kelly.
went by rail to st. Louis ana
took an O.X..5 Standard out Tor
transforming trip in Illinois, MIS-
ao,Iri and Iowa, The Postofftce De-
partment had just advertised a num-
i,e,. of contract air mail routes for
bid. one Of which was between st.
Louis and Chicago by way of Spring
field. Ill. / decided to barnstorm
around the country until it was de-
termined which bidder would be as
signed the contract The Robertson
Aircraft Corporation had placed
bid and offered me the position of
chief pilot IL they were successIui
In getting the contract.
After returning from Iowa flew
on several flying circus dates and
made a few short cross-country
flights to nearby cities.
On June second, while testing q
commercial plane built at Lambert
Field. I was forced to make Sec
ond emergency jump. ! had flown
the ship for a few minutes the
previous week and on this occasion
was testing 1t for various maneu-
vers. had completed everything
except tailspins. but when at
tempted a right spin the plane
refused even to start, so after a
second attempt with the same re:
sI,lt gave that up and tried
one 70 the left. The ship tell in
easily and when reversed the
controls after half turn. came
out at once.
I then put 1t into a second left
spin and held the controls In a
spinning position during two com
plete turns. When ! reversed them
they had no apparent effect and
using the engine was Of no assist
ance. After trying for fifteen hun.
A. Ge,.AsN hA uhA ~
of the spin, rolled over the right
side of the cockpit, and. since
had Jumped only about three hun
ground, pulled the rip cord as
soon as the ktabilizer had passed.
The chute opened quickly, but
while It was functioning / had
fallen faster than the spinning ship.
On its next revolution the plane
was headed directly towards the
chute. How close 1t had passed
will never be known, for the risers
leading UP from my harness were
twisted and swung me around as
the ship passed. However. less
than twenty-five feet interviewed be
tween the wing and my paraC'. ate.
watched the plane crash in a
grainfield and turned my attention
to landing. A strong wind was
drifting me towards a row of high
tension poles and it was necessary
to partially collapse the chute in
order to hasten the descent and
land before striking the wires.
I landed rather solidly In a potato
patch and was dragged several
feet and over a road before several
men arrived and collapsed the
chute. In addition to the strong
wind and rough air. collapsing or
Cutting" the chute so close to the
ground had caused very rapid
descent, and my shoulder had been
dislocated in landing.
Instruction Duty
In, July / want on two weeks
active duty at Richards Field, Mis-
souri,, where l instructed on Jen
MES and DH.-4's. In August
flew a Curtiss Oriole to Nevada.
Missouri, to carry passengers dur.
ing the Missouri National Guard
Iencampment. 4