Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

ana suggested IIldC Al CUI1t11luSC
on up the beach to where thu
dunes curved back, presenting q
more direct face to the wind
might be able to get up.
Il turned and flew on up thu
face of the dunes about three
quarters of a mile, but they got
lower and lower and I realized
was not high enough to turn back
Just ahead there was a railroad
embankment about a half mile
long and perhaps IS feet high.
II knew that If I could reach
the track there would be enough
UP current caused by the vino
blowing up the embankment to
keep me up and possibly to enable
me to turn. Reaching the track
I few along it but could not get
up higher than about half the
height of the telegraph poles on
the opposite side Of the embank-
ment.
Finds Another Row of Dunes.
ST continued on and picked up
another row of low dunes at the
end of the embankment but still
could not get enough height to
turn. The dune was broken by
a bayberry canadle factory, but
| there was enough up current
against the wall of the building to
carry me past and I continued up
another row of dunes toward
North Truro and Provincetown.
"a little beyond the factory was
a row of low cottages on top OF
the bank, which gradually became
higher. The cottages increased
the height of the up currents and
began to rise little. AS I neared
the last cottage I realized that ]
would have to attempt turn.
was then more than four miles
from the starting point.
81 flew right up over the caves
of the last cottage, got all the ur
current available, and then made
a sharp ripper turn right around
the cottage. I lost too much alti-
tude, however, and had to land
The flight had taken seven min
utes.
1T sat there a half hour and
then party came from the glider
camp. Though the wind direc-
ton was less favorable going back
than it had been coming up, it
was decided that should attempt
to fly back at least to the nearest
road, where the glider could be
taken apart and carried back by
automobile.
with Is men on the shock cord
and eight holding the tail, the
glider was given a good start.
was so feet high when I passed
over the heads of the men on the
ends Of the cord. I flew back
along the front yards of the
cottages, right over the edge of
the bank, where the up currents
were strongest. was so low that
the tip of the wing was only two
or three feet above the front
yards. If there had been fences
could not have gotten by.
Rocks Over Chimney.
Reaching the factory again !
flew with the wing Just barely
over the edge of the roof, so low
that had to rock the glider to
lift the wing tip over a chimney.
I found myself pulling up on the
control stick and on the edge of
the cowling, trying to lift the
glider up by physical strength.
Down along the edge of the
low dunes again the wing tip on
top Of the bank was so low it
struck scrub brushes several times,
but kept on going. I reached the
roadway where the glider was to
be loaded aboard automobiles, but
thought might get good deal
more distance and so kept going
THE wind over the railroad
embankment was none too good
and the ship was settling down
when a long freight train came
along. I realized that the train
would add at least another IL
feet to the height Of the wind
obstruction presented by the en-
bankment and would help me Just
that much. I flew over the train
with one wing over the cars, Sc
low that a brakeman on top OF
the train had to lie fiat on the
roof to permit the wing to pass
over him. I was able to talk to
the train crew as swept along.
Leaving the railroad bank,
started back down the final line
OF dunes, settling gradually until
I was below the crest and SKIM
ming along the side of the hill
The sun was low and cast the
shadow of the glider on the bank
I tried to keep the tip of the
shadow and the wing tip of the
soarer six feet apart.
There was just enough wind to
keep me going until there came
a break in the dune, where a lit
tie valley cut through. Here I lost
all the up current and finally
came down for a landing on the
beach, just at the foot of the dune
from which I had started.
Fights for Each Puff.
when I climbed out of the ship
I was exhausted, dripping per-
Spiratlon, from the strain OF
fighting for every puff of breeze
gauging every fold and bump on
the ground, struggling for every
inch. The fight back took IL
minutes"
Gliding, Lieut.. Barnaby is con-
WINGED, is the safest form of fly
ing. At Cape Cod he witnessed
several hundred flights, many OF
which ended in bad landings, but
without injury to a single student
or serious damage to any Of the
ships.