The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-05
BY LOWELL NUSSBAUM,
Times Aviation Editor

A FTER having taken my solo
4 "A flight Sunday at HooSier air.
port, going up without my instruc-
tor, I would be willing to wager
Lindbergh received no bigger thrill
when he landed at lie Bourget field,
Paris. after his memorable trans
Atlantic flight, than did after my
first solo flight.
It was not exactly the sort of
thrill I had anticipated. The SEN
sation of danger and excitement
was absent. Rather, the thrill lay
in the glow of satisfaction 1 ex-
perienced, satisfaction over having
passed test satisfactorily.
AS I arrived at Hoosier airport,
ready to take off about 8:45 Sun
day morning, and saw good-Sized
crowd of early-risers, a few of them
there perhaps in the hopes of some
excitement, such as me breaking my
neck, L became a little nervous,
My instructor, Bob Shank, told
me he would go around with me a
time or two.
A S 7 climbed into the planes
N cockpit and the motor was
started, my sensation of nervousness
After I had TAXED the plane to
a corner of the field, ready to take
off into the wind, Shank gave me
the signal to start.
I opened the motor, pushed the
stick forward to raise the tail off
the ground, and we were of. felt
perfectly calm by this time. l even
had forgotten the presence of spec
tators, who might laugh if made
a particularly bad landing.
Landing, Shank tod me to taxi
the plane toward the hangar. In a
he babe me stop and he
climbed out and walked away, after
wishing me good luck.
Don't climb too fast, for with
out my weight the plane will be
lighter and will climb faster" was
his parting warning.
Il Il
TAXIING back to the starting
4 point, I was acutely conscious of
his absence. I missed his presence
in the front cockpit and his cheer
ing voice floating back through the
speaking tube.
Then the business of taking off
drove all other thoughts from my
mind. Almost before I knew it the
plane was around the usual circle
and I discovered it was time to
cut the motor.
At first my glide was too steep.
Then, as I sought to correct that, I
found I had the nose too high and
I wasn't gliding fast enough. Get
ting into the proper glide, and
watching over the side of the plane
to be sure would clear the tops OF
some trees over which I had to pass,
I saw the ground slipping up toward
me.
For a f1eeting moment I thought
of Shank, who I was certain was
watching me closely. Then I forgot
everything but the plane and landed
practically without bouncing.
Happy over my success / returned
to the end of the field and made
three more landings before quitting
I had intended making only three,
but the third one was not as good as
the first and second. AS luck would
have it, the fourth was the poorest
of all, but not bad.
r.
THAT ended the biggest moment
u of my student pilot training.
When stop to think back over the
fight, realize that it wasn't much
different from the flights had been
at Hoosier airport, with
Shank along as instructor, except
that Shank was not present to help
me with his advice.
Ever since the first few lessons, I
had been doing practically all the
flying, Shank merely telling me
what to do.
Now that I have flown solo, I am
eager to fly as often as possible, to
get in the ten hours solo required
for a private license. Then will
be able to carry passengers, but not
for hire. I imagine there will be
no small thrill in taking up my first