The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-23
N{A{AIR PATHS6
 @S @STfGLORY 6l
BY DEXTER FEED NEA Service Writer


 Flyers around German airports see him now frequently. He comes roa.ing over in a big plane, out of the night. through the storm or from clear skies. But he always arrives They can depend on him. He's u dependable man, 6 solid man, with his blocky body, his round Teutonlc face, and his twlnkling eyes. Almost always there's d humorous smile playing around his mouth.
 Once Captain Herman Kochl flew t. fame over the Atlantic. Now he flys the mall. Hucncfcld Is Gone out from Berlin Is a grave. In it rests Baron Gunther von Huene- field, who had been a jolly com panion of Captain Herman and Col James Fitzmaurice on that Att lantic flight. Unlike many avia- tors, he died of natural causes in bed. lie is a dead hero and Capt Koehl cherishes his memory. Some- times he goes out to his grave.
 For Koehl there is nobody to take tho baron's place. That mon- ocled eye of his and somewhat boyish grin are not to be forgot ten. They were cheering help that April 12, 1928, when the big plane Bremen" took off for Amer ica.
 That was q contrasting trio in that plane: von Huenfeld, an arr istocrat; Fltzmaurice, an Irish sol dicr; koehl, a. middle class Ger man. They were attempting some- thing that had never bene accom- plisher before an east-west crossing.
 Just Made It
 There was bad weather with storms and wind. They fought along, cheered by the baron's wit, titzmaurIce's enthusiasm and Koehls reliability. The Junkers' motor operated perfectly and America awaited them. But when a day and half had passed and nothing had been seon of the | plane, many thought three more | lives were lost.
 1t was not 50. The Bremen" batled against head winds for more than day and came down, with gasoline nearly gone, on lone ly Grecnelcy Island, off Labrador. It was somewhat of a crackup but the three were safe and they had crossed from east to west.
 When the world heard about | them, three dayD after the start, 1 cheers were unrestralned. The celebration that followed in New York was shadowed with tragedy when gallant Floyd Bonnet. who had flown to their relief, died oi pneumonIa contracted on the flight.
 Back in Germany, they were the greatest heroes since the war Koehl was acclaimed, with the others, but he was gradually for. gotten by the public, and now---he flies the mall for living.
 The baron kept his interest ir avlation and when he died the whole German nation grieved They liked. yes loved, the baron.
 Tho destiny of Fitzmaurice hat kept him in tho United states most of the time. He was an ofii. ciai of an nlrplane company here He was a director of flying field named for him at Massanequn Park, T.. l., and in 1880 he planned 6 transatlantic flight to demon. strate availability of the plane as q mall carrier. The HiBnt Wasn made.
 Last winter, stil in New York, he predicted that the time will come when planes will fly to Eur ope and back in 24 hours. And so. too, he has been back to Ireland to dabble in politics, with that Irish vIgor of his.
 Contact with many countries and cities has made well-groomed FItzmaurlce q cosmopolite; q suave man. since tho days he flew the At lantic.
 Way "Down Under" q pleas-
 antly rugged man hops on tO London or Cape Town with
 equal nOnchalnncc. Hc made
 ono of the greatest flights, but
 do you recall his name? See
 tOmOrr0w's Democrat for "Air Il Paths of Glory"