Evening star., 1947-09-19
- CHASING the ounSet 4.
Routine Flight to Chicago Becomes New Adventure
for Those Who Think of What Thev See
By George Kennedy

The 2-hour- and minute nonstop fight to
Chicago was due to leave at pm. daylight
time. But airline nonchalance about starting
time applies even to extra-fare planes. The
big DC-6 was not buttoned up until $40 and
the tower did not signal 1t to take off until
$40.
1t would have been just another flight had
it not been for the man on my right. I learned
he was Alexis Mckinney, managing editor of
the Denver Post and man Of great enthusi-
m-especially aviation enthusiasm.
II came East on one Of these planes" he
said. Its perfectly wonderful ride. They
fF at $4,000 feet-above the cloud level. You
know that there are not so many air travellers
comparatively speaking-who have made these
flights The pilots are still discovering new
things. The cloud effects are startling. You'll
see formations like the Hiroshima mushroom
again and again."
Unlike the commercial traveller, who opens
magazine and falls asleep, Mr.. McKinneys
face was glued to the window from the take
Off.
Look at her climb" he said. At Harpers
Ferry he spotted slightly ahead and 5000
feet below, the shining silver wings Of the
DC-4 that had taken of few minutes
ahead OF U.s. Watch us pass her." he said,
land we're still climbing
BY the time we passed Cumberland the
DC-4 had lost its shine and was far in the
ruck DO you realize" said Mr.. Mckinney,
that this ship is larger in every dimension
and heavier than the ship Columbus sailed on?"
I hadn't. Mr.. McKinneys enthusiasm got
all around him interested. They were watch
ing out their windows or going to the Lounge"
in the tail where one could look out both sides.
Heading Into the Setting Sun.
We were in the sunset shortly after leaving
Washington. The clouds right below our wing
tip had color. We remained in 1t the entire
flight. We were speeding right into the sun,
trying to keep it from going down. This far
north of the Equator you have to 60 about
300 miles an hour to keep up with the sun.
Despite a head wind we were making 800
mp.h. To paraphrase Andrew Marvell-though
we had not made our sun stand still, we had
slowed it down.
1t was a day the weatherman would de-
scribe as partly cloudy" The cumulus stratum
below gave us glimpses Of the coils Of the
Potomac, the rapids Of the Monongahela and
the shore Of Lake Erie, which soon showed up
on our right.
The fluffy tufts Of the tops Of the clouds
were pure white In the sunlight, or shell pink
AS If bit OF strawberry Juice had been
dripped ON . stif1y beaten white meringue.
For o time we were chasing the sunset in
. vast corridor Of clouds with white floor
below us and a tan ceiling Of cirrus 10000
feet above. All along our horizons were forma-
tions Of the towering cumulus, great puffs
ascending 1000 feet and more above the floor
These had all the colors Of the sunset and
q greater variety Of form than The Stars
Thomas r. Henry found among the icebergs
of the Antarctic.
Here was a great straw stack of vapor ap-
parently thatched to shed the rain and cut
away at the sides. There are those who say
such mountains as are painted by that senti-
mental romantic, Maxf1eld Parrish, do not
exist. saw one. There it was, gilded by the
setting sun. It even had the spiral road, as
cending in Saturn-like rings to the perfect
pinnacle.
Now We See the Hiroshima Mushrooms.
Far ahead on the left lay the Sandusky
River The angle of incidence and the angle
Of reflection are the same, as we learn in the