The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-08
Fear
Girl Pilot Fights Off
Historical Passenger,
Saves His Life.

By United Press
NEW YORK, April 8.-Pilot
IN Annette Gipson took boy
friend up for a spin. The plane
was a :wo-seater with controls IN
each cockpit.
They few over New York, en-
joyed the scenery. Miss GipScn
rlosed the plane down for a land
ing. In flash, it went into
skid and earth and sky spun be-
fore her eyes in dizzy whirl.
Curtains" thought Miss Clip
son, exercising hysterical strength
on the frozen stick. 1t gave. She
righted the ship, looked up into the
white face of the man whose lips
twiSched, whose cheeks burned
with small patches of color.
She gesticulated expressively,
meaning: You fool! don't freeze
onto those controls again" The
roar of the propeller precluded
any possibility of talk. She few
in circles on an even keel, trying
to reassure him and steady his
nerves.
A GAIN she came over the air.
N field, nosed the plane down.
The earth came rising rapidly to
meet them. She looked at the pas
senger in the front cockpit. She
saw beads of perspiration on his
neck, saw his shoulders bunch.
She threw all her strength against
her control stick an instant be-
fore he froze to his. The ship
shivered, sideslipped, keeled over
on its tail.
Can ~" Miss Gipson asked
herself. COR is this really cur
tainS?"
For sickeping seconds she jerked
at a stick that seemed embedded
in concrete. She saw the blurred
earth advancing toward her with
the speed of a projectile. Then,
inch by inch, her strength proved
superior to that of the historical
man in the other cockpit. A scant
100 feet from death, she righted
the plane and zoomed upward.
She saw that her passenger was
breathing in gasps, slumped deep
in his seat. He turned around
and tried to tell her in gestures
of his humiliation. He knew it
was suicide, but when he saw the
earth rising to meet him, he lost
control over himself.
MISS GIBSON smiled to reas-
1Vl sure him, gesticulated that
it was nothing. She was too up
set to try landing again and for
20 minutes they few on even keel
IN great easy circles. Dusk was
gathering. Her gasoline gauge
gave her another half hour OF
flying.
WELL" she thought, maybe
this will he curtainS!"
She tapped her passenger on
the shoulder, sigpaled that he
was to look at her, not at the
ground. Gently she tilted her
flippers. She was conscious of
mild sinking sensation which at
any other time she wouldn't have
noticed. An expression Of dismay
fitted across the mans face. She
smiled. It's all right, all right.
Look at mel Don't think about
it!
But even as she tried to express
these reassurances, his eyes rolled,
his noStriis dislended, his mouth
opened, and although she couldn't
hear, she knew he was screaming.
Suddenly a fist shot out, struck
her nose. She felt blood on her
lips and chin. Another hand came
out, seized her NAN, held on with
mad strength.
TINE plane now was out of con-
l. troll, spinning and twisting
leaf like. She jerked back, freed
her head, but left some of her
hair in his hand. Her right hand
reached out, grabbed the first OBJ
ject it touched-a fire extinguiSh-
er. Her aim was sure. It hit
him behind the ear and he fell
back into the cockpit, unconscious.
Grabbing the stick. she righted
the ship and locked down at
Roosevelt Field less than 100 feet
away.
A few seconds later the plane
landed. She revived her pas
senger by slapping his cheeks,
took him in her car 70 the sta
ton, accepting his profuse apol-
ogies.
The next time I fly with you,"
she said, you'll be strapped down
and hand-cuffed."
Miss Gipson's nose was swollen,
but that, she said, could be made
invisible with a little face powder.
cEEH DnACElCI AIN