Evening star., 1937-07-11
Capital Resident Recalls Days
Spent on Plane IN Mid-OceUn
Leo Willinger and His
Companions Floated in
Ocean Orer y Hours,

Leo Willinger, former Army flyer,
knows just how it feels to be ma
rooned in mid-ocean-llke Amelia Ear
hart and her navigator, Frederick
Noonan.
Years ago, after he left the service,
Willinger and two companions-Pat
Donohue. a mechanic, and Charles
Woods, who went along for the ride
new an old-fashioned seaplane out
over the Atlantic, got lost and floated
around for three days and nights.
Boy, was that an experienced"
Willinger remarked yesterday as he re-
called what was then known as the
story Of Three Men in Flying Boat"
"One million dollars, cash in hand.
wouldn't make me 60 through that
ordeal again-and l love money"
Willinger confessed
1t was back in 1925-September.
Lone Bottle Of Water.
Without food and with only one
bottle of water Willinger and his COM
panions took off from Montauk Point,
Long Island, and intended to fly down
the coast. 1t was a test flight. They
wanted to see how we'll the old boat
would stand up.
The gas line sprang a leak" Will
niger said. I'VE hit the water and the
plane began to sink
In half-hour shifts we worked at
bailing out that water and, believe me,
brother, We developed muscles like
Greek Wrestlers. While one of us
bailed the water. one man steered and
the other tried to sleep. The man at
the steering wheel headed the plane
INTO the waves to avoid smashing the
wings-but the wings went. too
All the time We we're drifting-out
to sea, toward Europe After the frst
"a hours we saw the Leviathan 60 by,
but nobody on the Leviathan saw us.
Next day we saw the Mauretania. We
Just waved and waved, until our arms
ached. In between waves-not the
oceans, but ours-We bailed water. We
were growing weaker by the minute
and didn't know it.
Limited Drinks of Water.
That lone bottle OF water became
bone of contention. 1t was all that
stood between us and death. So we
limited ourselves to Swig apiece every
six hours.
Then we began to hate each other.
Pat Donohue, a two-fisted Irish
man, got the idea in his head he
wanted to jump overheard and swim
for shore. He got tired of bailing
water. So did Woods and I. We
were shipping water all the time. The
wings cracked up. The wind blew the
cloth to pieces. Struts cracked like
kindling.
There was some waste-and at
night we lit this. to make flares, but
nobody paid us any mind
Ships that pass In the night. We
saw them all pass.
Third Night Passed.
When the third night went by and
no one came to our rescue we thought
it was all over Hunger had US in
its grip. We thought of all those
good meals we once had-the fried
chicken, and how We left some on our
plates. Boy, if we had had a chicken
then we'd have eaten bones and all.
When Pat Donohue wanted to
jump overheard We got jittery. Had
to gang up on him to keep him in the
boat.
Even though it was warm weather
the nights got cold-and even a drop
OF sea water struck your face felt like
a stab from an icicle.
Frantic, we yelled and hollered and
waved-until our arms wore out.
Waved and bailed.
On the last night we had the
great thrill of seeing light house
disappear-and then we were cer-
tain the end had come All our past
lives came up to vision. There we
were, young and healthy, but on the
way out. And is that a sensation?
When dawn broke, the sea qulls