The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1945-11-08
I'm converted!


Airlines on the new air service be-
tween Baltimore, Hagerstown and
Cumberland last Thursday, had
remained the most stubbornly anti
air minded citizen of these United
States.
My only previous venture into the
blue had been with that fine flyer,
Kit Carson, in Piper Cub. On that
trip, fooled sedately over Hagers-
town at modest speed and altitude,
my Mortified eyes kept returning
from the distant earth to the fragile
wings and delicate struts of the
little plane, all a-quiver in the
breeze - Home, l kept thinking,
was never like this. And when, with
buckling knees, l finally climbed out
on the good earth, was pretty firm
ly convinced that aircraft would
never replace the horse.
However things are different,
now.
When the stable Boeing, twin
motored C-247, settled down on the
far end of the runway and came
taxing in on Thursday morning, I
would have given very great deal
to have been in some nice safe place,
preferably at my desk in the office
of the Globe-Independent
My confidence was bolstered a bit
when l met our hostess, attractive,
blonde Miss Margaret Bichy,
Goucher graduate, of Baltimore, who
is making all trips daily in the in
terests of possible improvements in
comfort and service.
The pilot and co-pilot, as clean cut
a pair of young men as you'd care
to see, added to a growing sense of
ease. The skipper, Capt. Doyle F.
Reynolds, is a veteran of so mis-
sions overseas with the celebrated
98th Bombardment Group and had
1900 flying hours on his log. Stewart
LeGassick, co-pilot, has had 1000
hours in the air as a pilot with the
Chinese National Aviation Corpora
ton, flying between Calcutta, India
and all parts of China, and with
Maritime Central Always of
Canada. To coin phrase, all this
Shows in their work"
The plane seats ten passengers on
either side of center aisle. There
is one window per seat; package
hammocks above the seats; fresh
air vent; nice, clean little lavatory,
and air sickness cups for those need
ing them. didn't - but they looked
adequate. The cushioned seats are
most comfortable
After the first five minutes in the
air l found that my steady contem-
plation of the long and reassuringly
wide Wlng-Span on our side had re-
suited in species of calm, so left
my original spot - well up toward
the cockpit - and went to the last
seat, where the view wasn't hamp-
cred by the wing. CHATS when l
discovered that walking in a plane
is far less hazardous than on train
or bus).
From then on the trip was sheer
magic to one too long earthbound.
Between Hagerstown and Cumber-
land peerless Western Maryland was
spread like lovely tapestry woven
IN the soft russets, yellows and
greens of perfect Indian summer
day. There was Clear Spring,
browsing in the autumn sun and be-
yond, the big S-bend of the Poto-
mac, that I had never seen before,
looking like a length of silver ribbon,
carelessly dropped Hancock beside
the Potomac, looks far bigger from
the air than it does from the ground
and the mountains, which seem so
impressive when you're driving over
them Town Hill, Polish Mt,
Green Ridge and Siding Hill - are
no more than ridges in the pattern
from $500 feet.
Cumberland airport, really in West
Virginia, turned out to be the top
of a mountain, neatly sliced off to
meet the needs of the Air Age =
and is considered one of the best
landing strips in Maryland. There
we were joined for the trip to
Baltimore by Mr.. F. Harry Rock
well of that city, formerly of Cum
berland, whose interest in the de-
velopment of aviation in hitherto in
accessible Western Maryland, had
brought him = broken leg and all
- to make the first trip up the day
before.
1t was great fun having him along.
Born and reared in Western Mary
land, he knew the terrain like the
palm of his hand and pointed out
many things that I might have
missed. For instance: I didn't know