Evening star., 1933-08-06
Unique Organization
Continued from Tenth Page

the captain was stunting. but when We had
fallen quite some distance I happened to look
in the direction of the pilot seat and was
amazed to find it vacant. Soon afterward I
saw Capt Young hanging from the cords OF
his parachute
II don't know how did it." Curtice declared,
following the happy termination of his most
exciting experience L tried to remember
everything I had seen or read about gudlng
an airplane, took hold of the stick, worked 1t
as I had seen the pilot do, and was gratifed
to find the plane right side up. looked around
for the biggest place in which to land. Norton
Field was Just below, but was afraid to risk
a landing on what seemed to me SO small
place so 1 steered for Port Columbus
Curtice said he nosed the plane down to the
field In what spectators declared was per-
feet landing but added that he was certain
he could not repeat the stunt again without
some practice. Another mystery-Capt. Young
afterward inspected the safety belt and found
it in perfect condition.
A RTHUR E. CENTER, the eleventh candi-
date initiated into the e. A. Society, had
enough avoirdupois to qualify for the position
Of center on. foot ball team. Despite his 200
pounds and his 24-foot parachute, he landed
very gently without being in the least shaken
up. He was hurled out Of his ship following
some wingovers in which the ship pulled up
into q whip stall ana went OH at Sucn 1OTCe
that either the safety belt had become un-
fastened or not properly clasped.
The E. A. Society ceased to become a stag
affair when little Miss Mildred Kaufman rap
ped timidly at the portals Of the sanctum
SanctOrum for admttance. The young lady
all set to give citizens Of Buffalo, N. Y. the
thrill of lifetime in her attempt to break the
record for consecutive loops She had COM
pleted Sc of them, within 10 Of her former
record. when she suddenly found herself minus
her plane. Due to her small stature and the
fact that the seat of the ship selected for
her exhibition stunt was SO large, it was nee
essary to pile cushions under her to bring her
high enough to reach the controls. When
that was accomplished, she was so high in the
seat that the safety belt could not be fastened.
It was therefore unbuckled from its original
fastenings and attached to two braces in the
cockpit.
On the thirty-seventh loop it appeared that
the plane did not have speed enough to go all
the way around and it hung momentarily on
its back During that short second when
there was pressure on the belt, one Of the
cushions in back Of Miss Kaufman slipped
from its place, and at the same time the belt
started sliding up the bracing. She felt her
self slipping grabbed the control stick with
both hands and tried to pull the ship back
and bring it on around out of the loop. The
tenacity with which she grabbed the rubber
grip glued on top of the control stick caused
~ W SOuuc On IIsllt III ueI uAIlOS. 1Ne ueXC
instant she started sliding out. The belt held
her momentarily around the knees and she
was hanging onto the cowing for dear life
and trying to pull herself back into the cock
pit. Finally, after what seemed centuries, the
nose of the plane dropped, but the momentum
absolutely broke her grip, catapulting her out
of the plane like skyrocket.
Miss Kaufman made three or four frantic
grabs at the ripcord Of her parachute, but
couldn't connect because Of the big, heavy
gloves she wore. Then the gloves departed
hastily for parts unknown and she made sure
Of things by pulling on the ripcord with both
hands. little cut on her chin when she
bumped against the ground was the only out
ward sign of her thrilling adventure.
Sad to 1Elate, the E. A. Society is again a
stag affair, for the fates were unkind to Miss
Kaufman and she was killed recently in an
airplane crash.
Lieut.. Morley F. Slaght was a member of a
formation of planes of the 1st Pursuit Group.
Air Corps making a flight from Selfridge
Field, Mich. to Canada. While making dive,
the plane suddenly lurched to the left and
downward with such violence as to hurl him
from tho cockpit. Amazed at finding himself
in the free air, Lieut.. Slaght fell several hun
dred feet before he suddenly remembered he
had parachute and after several grabs found
and pulled the ripcord He was convinced
the safety belt broke. Tor he was sure 1t was
securely fastened before the take-off.