Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16

National Capital this Spring. Two
active glider organizations now
are at work preparing for pri-
mary training within the next
month or two. Establishment OF
a soaring camp in the mountains
west Of Washington is planned
later If sufficient numbers of stu
dents can be qualified in the pri-
mary flying.
Though some of the most
famous of the early gliding flights
were made in this country, chiefly
by the Wright brothers, gliding as
a sport dropped out of sight for
more than 20 years. It's revival
was due largely to German acti-
witty resulting from the peace
treaty, which forbade the use of
power driven airplaneS in that
country. The Germans developed
gliding and soaring as sport and
science to a point beyond any,
thing dreamed possible in the
early days Of gliding.
Auto Engine Hindered Growth.
Development of the automobile
engine and its application to
early airplaneS proved the OBJ
stacle which discouraged the
growth of gliding in this country
for two decades, in the opinion of
DR.. Wolfgang Klemperer, one of
the worlds greatest authorities
on motorlesS flying. The rapid
success of the motor driven air
plane, he holds, rendered further
gliding experiments apparently
unnecessary and they have been
resumed in earnest only during
the past year or two.
There now are large glider and
soaring schools in this country at
Cape Cod, Mass, in the vicinity
of Detroit, and in California.
Glider clubs have been organized
during the past year in every part
of the country and the coming
Summer is expected to see the
most intense interest in motor
less flying developed in all parts
of the Nation.
The newly organized Washing
ton Glider Club and a glider unit
of the D. G. Air Legion, local fly
ing club, have obtained charters
from the National Glider Associa-
ton during the past few months
Groups at the Bureau Of Stand
ards and in Chevy Chase are
building primary gliderS.
The most vivid picture of the
thrills Of gliding and soaring
which has been brought to the
National Capital so far has been
painted by Lieut.. Ralph S. Barna-
by, the Nays first glider pilot
and the first licensed American
soarer pilot. Lieut.. Barnaby be-
came known to the public through
his recent descent in a glider
from the Navy dirigible Los
Angeles.
The Los Angeles fight, however,
ranks as a tame experience COM
pared with some Of his glider and
soaring flights at Cape Cod last
Summer. His second soaring fight
there probably will stand as one
of the American classics.
Way to Enjoy Flying.
ST am convinced that soaring is
the way to enjoy flying" Lieut..
Barnaby told members of the D.
c. Air Legion this week. 81 have
done much flying in power driven
airplanes, but got more real kick
out Of soaring at Cape Cod than
I ever got out Of power flying"
Lieut.. Barnaby became inter-
ested in gliding as a boy. He
built glider in 1909, when the
Wright brothers were demon
strating their first military air.
plane to the War Department
here. He made number of short
flights, up to 800 feet in length in
this glider.
He then dropped gliding until
last Summer, when he took it up
in earnest at Cape Cod. On his
first day there, he qualified as
glider pilot and worked up to
soaring during his first week at
the school. To qualify as a Soarer
pilot he had to make a flight of
five minutes. flying at all times
higher than his point of take-off.
passing over the take-off point at
least once and landing within $50
feet of the starting point.
He was launched from the top
of Corn Hill, the big sand dune
frem which soarer flying is done
at the Cape Cod glider camp.
Rising into a 25-mile wind, he
few long figure 8's" up and down
over the crest of the dune. He
was notified by those on the dune
that he had completed his re-
quired fight and could come
down.
Not yet" he called down to
them. I'm going to try for 10
minutes"
He continued flying up and
down the dune for another five
minutes and again was asked to
land.
I'm having too much fun" he
called down. wait while" He
continued to circle for another
five minutes in the gathering
dusk. Those below then began to
plead with him to land so they
could get the machine apart and
take it to the camp before dark
so he finally came down TO a good
landing at the take-off point
having qualified as the first
American soaring pilot.
Wind Failed Him There.
'For week after that" he said,
there was no soaring wind. I
began to fear I was not going to
be able to make another flight.
My last day at the camp came
around and reluctantly I packed
up and got ready to leave. Then,
at the last moment, a breeze be-
n ~ 30