Evening star., 1933-12-27
PILOT MAKES NEW
PLANS AFTER HOP
WedeII Braves Heavy Fog
to Take III Child to
Baltimore.
Continued From First Page)


charts and all available information
about the course and points en- route
when he leaves tDr his home in Pat
terson. La, later in the week.
Disturbed by the crowd which had
gathered at Logan Field. Baltimore.
| where he finished his trip, Wedell
climbed back into his plane and flew to
Washington for the remainder of The
night.
He landed the fast red-cabin mono
plane on the snow and ice covered rum
ways of Washington Airport at 3 o'clock
this morning, after an uneventful hop
from Baltimore with Washington friends
Turning the plane over to field at
tendents, Wedell told them he would
telephone instructions later as to when
it should be made ready for his return
flight to Texas.
Chilled by Exposure.
The 12O-pound speed flyer. holder of
the world land plane speed record, was
badly chilled by his exposure to the
| coldest weather of the Winter after his
flight from the warm southern climate
Friends prescribed long, undisturbed
rest to ward off possibility of sick
leSS dIlu iIuIIleO IluI1 ITOIu the airport
to spend the night in the seclusion of
private home.
Wedell's decision to come to Wash
ington after the long flight was made
as suddenly as was his decision to make
the humanitarian trip to Baltimore AS
his little passenger was carried into a
waiting ambulance at Logan Field, a
crowd Of Well-wiShers surrounded the
plane. Photographers flashlights began
to go off Cameramen began to grind
out film and reporters crowded around
Wedell.
The little pilot stepped back ner-
VOuSly. His hand brushed through his
touseled hair. which was hanging over
had on an overcoat which he had bor-
rowed at Greensboro, N. G.
What about the trip?" he asked
In response to repeated questions.
Everything was fine It's cold up in
this country, isn't is?"
Repeated questions, however, brought
out the information that the fine
trip" had been made through dense
fog and in the teeth of head winds,
which slowed up the plane considerably
along portions of its route. Cold wealth
er settled in while the plane was cross
ing Virginia.
Everything was OK. when we took
off at Houston" he said. I'VE bumped
into fog in a little while and I few
low for some time. About 400 feet at
times. We finally got into New Or
leans and took on some gasoline.
Between New Orleans and Atlanta,
we ran into heavy fog" he continued.
I'VE were bucking a head wind and
not making the time'I wanted to. I
oil m
was perfectly clear and got a tail wind
which for about $50 miles enabled us
to make good time.
Winds Biggest Trouble.
"The biggest trouble the rest of the
way came from the headwinds and
crosswinds, which made flying a bit
bad. Then it got cold"
He was asked how long it took to
make the hop from Washington.
Ten minutes" he answered. Then
he laughed.
Maybe you'd better make that IS.
I want to be on the right side.
Wedell said none Of the six passen-
gers had been sick on the long ride
across Texas Louisiana, Alabama,
Georgia. North and South Carolina,
Virginia and Maryland.
Asked whether he had had any sleep
before being summoned for the cross
country hop, Wedell said he had been
visiting relatives at West Columbia,
Tex
1T was Christmas time. you know,
and there wasn't much time for sleep.
1 got this call and dint even have
time to dress properly"
Friends whn hod rOpoo oyor froy,,
Washington by railroad. then invited
the flyer to come over to Washington as
soon as he got some sleep. Wedell
glanced at the plane, which was being
wheeled into hangar. He looked
aloft at a silver moon riding low over
the harbor.
Whats the matter with right now?"
he asked. do you have any objection
to flying over? It's swell night for
a hop"
Turning to the field attendant,
Wedell said, Let's wheel her out
Leaves for Washington.
The plane came back out of the
hangar. The starter ground and the
motor turned over as smoothly as
clock. Wedell and his Washington
friends climbed in and took off with
blue flames splitting from the exhausts.
Wedell was in Washington 10 days
ago to assist in paying tribute to Or
vile Wright at the thirtieth anniver-
sary celebration of the first airplane
flight and to receive the Thompson
Trophy plaque for his victory last July
in the Thompson landplane speed
classic at Los Angeles
In receiving the plaque, Wedell said
he hoped to build a still faster plane
to win the classic in 1884.
Last September at Chicago Wedell
established new world landplane speed
record of 305.33 miles per hour, making
316.55 miles per hour on the fastest of
four laps of the official 3-kilometer
course.
He broke the record from New York
to Miami last month. flying the distance
in hours 80 minutes. The previous
record was hours 10 minutes. In 1881
Wedell made trip from Ottawa, Can
ada, to Mexico City in an elapsed time
of IL hours and 81 minutes. his average
speed being approximately $50 miles per
hour.
Bad weather prevented him making a
speed flight from Washington to New
Orleans on December II as his con-
tribution to the celebration Of the
thirtieth anniversary OF flight.
SUFFERS DANGEROUS MALADY.
Rahv Tramn1pIps Conditi0n Ren0rtpd