Evening star., 1948-01-18

upset stomach: sort of keeps it in
place by force. A helpful neighbor
advised lots of warm clothes for
night flying, though they always
wrap you up in blankets, too. A
transatlantic air traveller warned
me not to be startled If I noticed
flames stream from the motors. She
explained that exhaust gases be-
come visible in the dark, and the
phenomenon rarely means that an
engine Is on fire.
tried to keep my mind fixed on
the pictures and text of the folders
published by the airplane company
learned that Churchill, Roosevelt
and Marshall had flown in the very
same model In which I was to take
my first flight. The implication was
that I would be pretty silly to have
any qualms about flying when such
important people thought nothing
Of it. My youngest daughter, cold
and unconcerned about risking both
parents on one plane, recalled that
the foremost Hollywood stars often
travel by air.
Wives Had Better Wake Up.
IF they think it's all right for
Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Eeck
to fly, I guess you Cont ~ecd to
worry" she said, in the inimitable
way in which teen-agers minimize
the Importance of parents.
She called our, attention to the
pictured group of calm. contented
passengers in flight. They were
chatting, reading, playing cards, ad-
nliring clouds, or receiving food from
the beautiful airplane hostess. Not
one of them had a pillow pressed to
his stomach. My daughter observed
accurately that all the lady pas
sengers looked quite young, while the
gentlemen were all middle-aged or
more. ...-,
"I guess the ladies are the mems
secretaries she said thoughtfully.
This remark persuaded me that more
middle-aged wives like myself
should become minded.
It's a good idea for f1rst-flighters
to take a plane leaving at night, so
YOU can't see how far 1t Is to the
ground. It was all right once we
were up, though there had been a
tense moment just before the door
closed, when I decided not to go on
the trip after all.
"I think I'll 60 back home, I just
remembered I left something on the
stove" I said family to my husband
He clucked indulgently, showed me
into a seat and strapped me down
with what he called safety belt.
"But won't get violent" I NUT
tered.
Prefers Her Own Bed.
When the passengers were all
tied down securely the airplane
hostess passed chewing gum around.
Gum often loosens my gold inlays,
so I put my stick away to add to
nv collection and watched every
body else chomping away as the
plane tore along the runway and
took off into the night. I pressed
a pillow to my stomach to relieve
a sinking sensation caused by the
realization that I was In a plane,
the plane was in the air and 1t was
long way to the first stop. Fol-
lowing a well-known law of psychol-
ogy, I concentrated on something
beside my own emotions and found
1t was diverting to analyze the vary
ing force, tempo and rhythm with
which other passengers chewed their
gum.
You are supposed to sleep In a
chair which reclines at about the
same angle as dentists. I am
addicted to sleeping in horizontal
position and in a quiet suburban
home I could not be expected to
sleep at an angle of IS degrees, with
four airplane motors going right
outside the window. I hoped they
would keep right on going. Flying
through the stars over the Carib-
bean was exciting, though I couldn't
see either the stars or the Caribbean.
In a few moments the hostess
brought me a cup of coffee. Air
plane hostesses are always passing
either chewing gum or coffee.
You've certainly been sound
asleep" said my husband.
That's what YOU think" I
snapped. II was simply too scared
to move"
I was beginning to relax a bit,
and feeling like q seasoned, or half
seasoned, plane passenger, when
something went wrong with the en-
gines as we approached Balboa The
noise suddenly faded, as three OF the
four motors died in quick succession.
There was almost no noise at all.
MY husband was saying something,
but his voice was 50 wispy I couldn't
hear a word. Passengers were fas-
tening safety belts, and the hostess,
trying to prevent panic, was pass
ing out chewing gum. reached for
my husbands hand In an appropri-
ate gesture and gulped. All four
engines came on with q roar.
Two Engines Not Enough.
Nov can you hear me?" he asked.
Coming down gets you in the ears.
Better swallow or yawn or chew
gum; keeps 'em open."
had nasty shock at Balboa,
when ! found we were changing to
. two-motored plane. Two motors,