Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15
1eap Defense Tactics far Macy AHr,aff Squadron

Zone day new pilot WIS practicing on one
OF the carriers and he CAME in so high he never
even hooked the retardine gear with his plane
So he sailed right across Eae deck and banged
into the barrier, skeleton netting placed there
for that purpose. But he was looking back to
see whether he'd hooked the gear and he didn't
even see the barrier when he hit It, OF course,
he stopped instantly. 1t dazed him a little bic,
but he climbed out in a moment still thinking
he had been stopped in the regular way.
at guess it's all right when you get used to
it, he said. But don't see where you get that
retarding idea
Sometimes the landing plane hooks the
wrong wires in the retarding gear and does a
ground loop-that is, it swings around abruptly.
possibly throwing tire. But that is a minor
accident"
When large numbers of planes leave the
carriers or the battleships there must be careful
check-up OF their locations at frequent intervals
especially as some of them are land planes and
If forced down may be in precarious situations.
"One OF our pilots, named Richards, was
flying an F-3-B, a land plane, when his engine
went dead at 5000 feet" said Lieut. Cotton.
He glided as near a ship as he could, but
couldn't reach it. So as he approached the
water he operated the fotation gear. This con-
sists of two huge bags folded like parachutes in
the side of the plane When released they
gas automatically created from small TASKS.
Well Richards ierked the lever and then
sat back comfortably. But he didn't stay that
way long. Because the flotation gear didn't
work at all, and the next thing he knew
the land plane went right down under him.
He was rescued, but that incident caused q
quick improvement of the gas-bag apparatus.
WCONSIDERING all the flights away from
carriers, and over open sea, there are
remarkably few forced landings and casualties.
had forced landing at sea which ended up
rather humorously. I had seaplane, and
was flying from a ship out at Honolulu during
Summer maneuvers. To carry out my mission
tried to figure my gas closely. When turned
on the reserve tank it failed So I had to
come down. But was soon picked up by
destroyer and given a tow. I was sitting In
the plane when the destroyer got underway
Like most of those ships, it started like 4
plane going off catapult. The towing line
simply broke and there I was not better off
than before while the destroyer dashed on
toward Pearl Harbor
BY that time 1t was dark. was lust
getting ready to stay out there all night when
another Navy ship came along. This time I
told them to be careful about starting too fast
and they lowed me in without any trouble.
Knowing the destroyer would eventually miss
iAe, alu wohuei WIlaC nau happened 10 me-
told the ships radio operator, after we reached
port, to report my safe arrival But there was
mass of radio traffic that night-orders, re-
ports, tacticS-and the air was tanned so that
this busy operator forgot all about it. And
was hardly off the ship when met friend
and went with him to a dance at Honolulu.
AT about o'clock another pilot came IN
When he saw me his eyes buged
Holy smoker he said You're supposed
to be lost'at sea! Why, they've got three de.
stroyers and couple of cruisers out looking
Tor you? And here you are at a party!'"
Not all Of the unusual incidents in naval
flying occur in the feet Some happen at the
naval air station, along the coasts of both the
Atlantic and the Pacific. Usually, even the
most complete crashes Serve to teach some les.
son. so that other pilots can guard against that
particular difficulty.