Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-08
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

! for the widest avenues, which, If
properly lighted by a bright sun,
may appear as threadlike lines.
A building, even large building,
when seen from a distance of eight
miles, is no very prominent land
mark and when seen from straight
above may even begin to look like
nothing at ALL 1t must seem q
! pretty vague and dreamlike world
so far below, with nothing sub
stantial anywhere except the plane
and the savage cold. And, though
| you may not believe it, a mere lack
of temperature can assume most
real and substantial form when
you are exposed to it for any
length of time. Soucek said he
was not uncomfortable except
that his hands and feet got a little
cold through fur and leather. But
his nose, despite thick lined
leather face mask, looked blue
and his eyes looked tired and
strained.
This month brings to a close
the chapter Lieut.. Soucek has
written in the history of altitude
flying. He is to report on June Is
for duty with a Seagoing fighter
squadron. He will become one of
the 10 pilots composing VF-3B
Squadron, known as the Scream
ing Eagle" Squadron, from it's in
sigma of diving eagle With eyes
ablaze aid beak agape. VF-3B is
one of the squadrons of the U. S.
S. Lexington and now is under the
temporary command of Lieut.. E.
w. Itch, who formerly was sta
toned at the Anacostia station
and who put a finger into the 10
cal airport pie by instruction from
the Secretary of the Navy.
"Soakem" Will Be Missed.
"Soakem" is going to be missed
here. There is no officer in the
Navy Bureau of AeronauticS who
is more respected, admired and
valued as friend. He is quiet,
Soft-Spoken Oklahoman and one
of the "SquareSt shooters" in the
service; the sort you like inStinc-
lively. Not only is he splendid
pilot, but he knows airplaneS and
airplane engines as few pilots ever
know them. He has had wide eX-
perience in the Navy, as a battle
ship officer, combat squadron
pilot, expert in the naval aircraft
factory at Philadelphia and en-
cheering officer in the Navy Bu-
reau of AeronauticS.
He is thoroughgoing and
capable. When trouble was expert
enced with goggles during his first
altitude flights he set to work
with his brother, Lieut.. Zeus
Soucek, then on duty in the Phil
adelphia naval plant, and devised
a pair, electrically heated, which
gave him perfect service on his
last two flights. There were diff
ficultieS with the oxygen appara-
tuS; valves froZe, ice clogged the
lines and the flow could not be
regulated. He worked out lung"
arrangement for the last two at
temptS which is regarded as the
finest type Of altitude breathing
equipment yet developed.
In the past altitude flyers have
worn every ounce of clothing they
could get on their bodies; suit over
suit of wooden underwear, elder
down and leather jackets and fur
lined suits, sometimes electrically
heated. Soucek discarded all this.
Before his flights he strips to the
skin and puts on fur-lined
leather flying suit-nothing more.
His body never has been cold at
the greatest heights, he says.
He supervised the conditioning
of the little WaSp-engined Wright
Apache plane for the final assaults
on the record before his departure
for sea duty, the work including
the most elaborate calculations of
propeller types and pitches, i'm
provement of the supercharging
and oil cooling systems and pro-
vision Of special equipment.