The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-21
By WILLIS THORNTON

By WILLIS THORNTON tNEA Service Stan Correspondent TT WAS Casey" Jones, him | self the granddaddy o1 American flyers, who called Will Rogers "Aviation's Pa tron Saint"
 Certainly it was a strange thing that this cowboy brought up to rope and saddle and the feel of horseflesh be- tween his knees, should have become Americas No. 1 ail passenger and No. 1 air travel booster all in one.
 Aviation generally recognized that, and the fact that Will never lost an opportunity to "plug" air travel in his writings, his stage work, even in his conversation.
 He had an almost pathetic trust in pilots, and Lindbergh was his hero of heroes.
 "You know, I am at heart
 coward. am scared of
 everything, but l just got so
 much trust In these pilots that
 I just crawl up in there like
 . baby crawling up into its
 mothers arms. .. Why, those
 fellows are the most careful
 fin the world. I always fig-
 ure their lives are worth more
 than mine. I've lived mine,
 and had my fling -"
 Will Rogers wrote that seven years ago in 8 magazine article.
 Began in Cockpit Days
 He was no coward at heart. With customary self deprecation he wrote that to reassure others in days when air travel was not so well-organized as 1t Is today. But you can see him climbing into Wiley Posts plane at Point Barrow Hike a baby crawling up into its mothers arms'-that was the kind of faith he had in his fellow Okla homan.
 Rogers was a flying enthusiast long before commercial flying had been shaken down" into the sys- teinatlc affair 1t is today. As long ago as 1920 he went up in a studio plane in California with former army ace. The pilot, c. B. Manly, did some fancy turns and rolls, but reported later that Rogers just looked out over the edge of the cockpit and chewed his gym a little faster. When they came down, Will shifted his gum to the other cheek and remarked dryly:
 "Try anything once. Try some things oftener. When you goin' again?"
 Violated Own Principle
 From that time on, Will was 2 confirmed air passenger. He never tried to learn to fly himself, nor did he acquire any great knowledge of the technical side of aviation.
 His death resulted from violating hiu own principle that he preached over and over--ride the regular commercial airways, but go slow about casual flights where equip- ment and facilities are not all they might be. Bot Wiley Post was his friend, a fellow Oklahoman, one of the worlds great pilots--how could anything go wrong?
 Will Rogers flew not only all the airways of this country, but those of Europe. The Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce estimates that since 1925 he had flown more than 150,000 miles on regularly air lines.
 And he began in the days when casual accommodation in open cockpit mail planes was often the best available, In touring Europe by air, he made ut least one flight in Russia ins a, single-engined ship under bad weather conditions which was highly dangerous. And he knew 1t. He was no coward al heart.
 Spurred Aviation Progress
 The European tour showed him how far Europe was ahead of tho United States in airport develop. ment. He returned and launched q one-man campaign for more ano better airports. It bore fruit.
 Once when he and pilot lover. shot" n town which could not b, recognized, Will offered to buy tho paint for any town that woule mark its name on building roof visible from planes. The response showed him under. but nobod, knows how many lives may hay, been saved by this personal cam palgn of town Identification.
 It was on flight from Mexlct City to Los Angeles in 1927 tha he met Colonel Lindbergh, whom he came to admire above all men and to whom fell the melancholy duty of making arrangements fol the return of his friends bod, from Alaska.
 Never In Bad Mlshap Before
 Win never had q serious accident until the one that killed him. II 1928 he was flying from Los An geles to tho republican convention in Kansas City when a landing wheel gave way at Las Vegas, N M. The ship turned over and lay on its back with bothpilot and pas senger upside down. Will crawlet out scratched his head, and said
 "This serves me right for no' going to the democratic convention instead"
 In recent years when Will's lift was q constant succession of jumps from one city to another, he flew whenever possible. In a way ht became to air passengers what pic. ners' like Lindbergh were to pilots Now the award of the medal of tho American Society of Mechanica Engineers which was to have beer given him through Jimmy Doc. little, secretary, must go to his widow.
 A Bit of Rogers Philosophy
 Aviation had no stauncher de. fender. When Lindbergh nosed his ship over in Mexico City when landing with his fiancee, Ann Nor. row, and then took her up again directly, as is the flyers custom to prevent loss of nerve, there was