The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-10-30
Naval Aviator Writes Article
On Learning How To Fly

VI 1911 l O114C, q ~ ~ AsACA LIN NSN~'
: Beyond Fish Point lies Guantana-
mo Bay.
Several fighters were already
in the air and I noted one of them
coming around for a three-ball
! approach. I had already gone
over my check-off list properly
thought-so in order to get off
,, well ahead of the landing plane l
hurriedly rechecked the most i'm
portant points: Propeller - for
ward. I pushed the automatic con-
troll knob. It was already forward.
Gas-on main. I put my hand on
the selector valve handle. Okay.
A glance showed plenty of gaso-
line in the main tank and all en-
CINE instruments gave normal
readings. I started to open the
| throttle and as I released my
brakes I noted r. p. m. rising to-
ward 1000 and manifold pres
sure rising toward 33 inches of
mercury.
Then I turned my attention to-
ward the runway as it sped be-
meath me. I eased back on the
stick, but the plane bounced along
still on the ground. I was taking
long run, but it seemed normal
enough in view of the airplane
weight and the fact that what lit
tie wind there was was on the
starboard beams.
With most of the runway gone,
I horsed back on the stick and
clawed my way into the air. l
still wasn't worried. But as the
last bit of runway dropped be-
hind me felt the plane settling.
Something wrong!
One quick glance inside the
cockpit was all I dared to take,
as my left hand instinctively
opened the throttle wider. The
only instrument that impressed it.
self upon me was the manifold
pressure gauge. It showed just 35
inches of mercury. Not enough!
But opening the throttle seemed
to be a loss of power rather than
a gain.
This is going to be close, l
thought. I mursed the plane over
tall tree which rose from Fish
Point squarely in my path. Flick
ing the catch on my landing gear,
I cranked desperately to get the
wheels retracted for water land
ing.
Inside my head, thought tum-
bled headlong over one another.
/ But no logical explanation of my
difficulty came forth. The engine
was still running smoothly, but
! with little evidence of power. l
Knew the propeller was in low
pitch position. Hadn't I just
checked to see that the control
knob was full forward? What
then? Carburetor trouble? If so,
there was nothing I could do
about it. My carburetor was sup
posed to be non-icing and in any
event there was no pre-heat con-
troll in the cockpit.
I staggered over the buildings
and socks of Fish Point and ginger
ly managed a grave yard turn to
/ the right, which did three things
for me. It headed me into the
wind; it headed me between two
destroyers at anchor, instead of
directly toward one of them; it
gave me an unobstructed run up
the bay. With three tons of air
plane still settling and now only
few feet off the water, I de-
cided to hold what I had and
maintain fight as long as pos
sible
Goggles pushed back from eyes,
left hand braced against telescope
sight which object has banged the
head Of many on unWary pilot
I was all set for a water landing
and not particularly worried
about the prospect.
For l knew that Grammar
makes an airplane which goes on
to the water very nicely with its
wheels up. Within the past eight
months I had seen fellow Ensign
E. R. "Slim" Coffman-former
Rose Bowl tackle for Alabama
land an F3F-1 in an estacuary
near Cape Charles, Va. I had read
about Robert A.. Winston who
needs no introduction to Flying
and Popular Aviation readers -
and his landing of an FF-2 in the