Evening star., 1943-03-21
Peggy Wilmer in War Work
But Still Loves to Fly
Honseocife and Mother Recalls
Career as Chute Jumper,
By Gretchen Smith.

When pretty Peggy Wilmer, par
acute champion, aviatrlX, housewife
and mother, made her first Jump
from plane flying over Long Is
lands Roosevelt Field several years
ago she didn't feel the slightest
nervousness, fear or misgiving, she
says, but with each jump that fol-
lowed, she admits the feat became
more difficult.
The first step was easy" she re-
called. but / guess it was a case
Of fools rushing in where angels
fear to tread I just stepped out
of the plane and f1oated off into
sir-it was great fun. Everything
was fine the first three of four
times, but then l caught my arm
one day and tore it badly as I left
the plane. 1t takes great presence
of mind to be chute jumper, and
after that first accident, I wouldn't
let myself think. ! realized the
many things that could happen I
had few minor accidents and
then one day when I crawled onto
the wing Of plane preparing to
jump in an exhibition. I couldn't
move. l told the men in the plane
to push me off, but they refused
and made me come back into the
plane. That was my last jump"
Came Close to Death.
Although Mrs. Wilmer suffered
only minor accidents during the
period she was a parachute jumper.
she told how she came very close
to death.
We were having a demonstration
on Long Island she said, and I
was about to go up in the plane
when I thought I'd better check my
Chute to see if it had been properly
packed Then l discovered it had
been packed upside down and. of
course, would not have opened when
jumped"
Every chute jumper should know
how to pack his own parachute, the
speaker declared. Improperly pack
ed 'chutes have probably been re-
sponsible for numerous accidents,
she believes.
II got my rigger's license before
] jumped" she commented.
After retiring from parachute
jumping, in which she won many
contests, at one time tying with
the worlds champion in a contest
at Binghamton, N. Y, Mrs. Wilmer
took up flying. She had become
interested in both jumping and fly
ing while studying nursing at the
Long Island College Hospital, not
far from Roosevelt Field. where
she graduated shortly before her
marriage to Albert Wilmer, a young
businessman of New York.
Flying seemed easy after chute
jumping" she said Il soloed after
two and a half hours instruction
and have been flying ever since"
Participated in Air Meets.
The attractive aviatrix told of her
participation in numerous air meets
both on Long Island and after COM
ing to Washington with her hus-
band in 1895 to make her home.
Il have flown from practically
all the airfields near Washington,
she said, land have taken part in a
great many air meets both on Long
Island and Florida During the
years have flown I have never even
had a dead motor" she added.
A few years ago Mrs Wilmer said
she became interested in gliders,
joining local glider club in 1899.
Nothing ever came from that"
She smiled. 1--WE bought a glider
which one day disappeared from
the field where we kept it. Two
young men who were members of
the club disappeared about the
same time. We later found the
glider in q barn somewhere in Mary
land where the boys had left it.
No storage had been paid and we
owed a large bill We auctioned
off the glider and got enough to
pay what we owed but none of us