The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-12-01
CHAPTER III

prehistoric crates of the past, this
fact had nothing to do with wheth-
er or not l would get through the
course. On the side against me
was the fact that during my un-
supervised flying had doubtless de-
veloped many faults that were not
for the Army pilot to be- proud OF.
In a case like mine, some pilots
think they know it all; therefore
there is nothing to learn. Others
make such an effort to please their
Instructors that this very eagerness
works against them as their own
worst enemy-the result OF tense
ness.
My case was more Of this last
order. I knew / could fly the ship
but tried to carry out my instruc-
tors orders even before he gave
them. / listened almost spellbound
through our oral communications
system in that primary trainer-that
speaking-tube which we called
"gosport" and which at best was
hard to understand over the rattle
of that Wright Whirlwind engine.
I used to try to read his mind, exc
cute his every little whim. / even
tried to outguess Lieutenant Lam
don and have the stick and rudder
moving in the right direction be-
fore he could get the orders out OF
his mouth.
Now thereby hangs a tale. / was
not only trying to look in his rear
view mirror and actually read his
lips when I couldn't hear through
the gosport, but was diligently look
ing about the sky for other hare
Drained student pilots. He must have
realized my eagerness, for he gave
me every break-and for the many
boners I pulled I needed lots OF
breaks.
One day, at a bare four-hundred
feet altitude, I thought I heard the
instructor say, "Okay, Scott, put it
in a dive" I peered around first and
then at the nearby ground, for it
looked very low to be going into a
dive. Then like flash thought I
understood: Why, he's trying to see
if I'm ground-shy-I'n show him I'm
not.
With my teeth clenched and prob
ably with my eyes closed, pushed
that PTS into a vertical dive at
point-blank altitude. Just as the
cotton fields down below seemed
about to come right into my lap I
felt Ted Landon grab the controls
and saw him hastily point to his
head with the sign that he was "tak-
ing over" We came out just over
the mesquite trees, and he roughly
slipped the ship into a bumpy land
ing in a cotton field. Then, while
I was trying to add things up and
realizing already that l had tied it
up again, I saw Ted very methodi-
cally raise his goggles and with
great deliberation climb out Of the
front cockpit. He glared at me but
said sweetly enough:
"Scott, what in the g. d. he'll
are you trying to do-what was that
maneuver? I said glide-G-L-I-D-E.
Don't you at least know what a
normal glide is in all this time?
Weakly said, ''Sir, thought you
said a dive" l could see Ted fight
for control; then he told ME the
next time I had him at an altitude
SO low, not to attempt to think but
just try to keep the ship straight
and level.
On another day, after about two
weeks Of instruction, we had been
making only take-offs and landings,
and I knew the time was approach
ing when ! would solo. AS usual,
that realization made me more and
more tense as the end of the period
neared. On the take-offs I'd tense
up and forget all about holding the
nose straight, and on the landings
I'd jerk back on the stick instead of
Easing it slowly back into the ap-
proach to landing stall. All could
do was day-dream about: Here we
are, Scott, just about to take over
and prove to the world that we can
do all Of this by ourselves.
Around the field in traffic couldn't
hold the correct altitude, and my in
structor was cussing a blue streak.
He'd yell about my having gradual
ed from West Point and say that he
knew was supposed TO have some
brains but he hadn't been able to
find them. After each bunpy land
ing he'd look around at me and hold
his nose-that was symbolic enough
for me. / finally bounced into an
other landing that nearly Jared his
teeth out. Then, as usual, he
showed what a prince Of a fellow he
was, and showed me that an instruc-
tor had to become accustomed to
students making mistakes-knowl-
edge which stood me in good stead
years later when ! became an in
structor.
Lieutenant Landon got out Of the
front seat, taking his parachute with
him. and ] knew the moment Of mo-