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Page 28 text:
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Solo Flight Which Proves To Be a Test of Courage By GERTRUDE GEYER, '32 ICK CRAIG, on his way to the flying field in New Haven, glanced at the sky. There was not a storm cloud in sight. The weather was perfect. The biplane speeding south looked re- markably like the ship that Bob Monroe flew. Yes, Dick remembered now, Bob had been talking for days about the cross-country flight that Cap- tain Hammond had promised him. The purpose of the flight was to teach Bob how to fly over un- familiar country by means of his map and instru- ments, and how to land on and take off from strange fields. Bob was the oldest student flier at Hammond Flying Field. Before long some of the other students would be hopping off like that, Dick thought. Dick's face clouded and he swal- lowed hard. He tried to imagine himself alone in the air. His footsteps began to drag, and finally, with head hanging, he presented himself before Captain Hammond, who was waiting beside his pet monoplane. Dick straightened himself with a jerk and looked straight into the instructor's eyes. Captain Hammondfs face shone with pleasure and excitement. 'fCraig,H said the captain, Hhow about a solo flight this morning ?f' The moment which Dick had been hoping for and dreading since the first hour of flying instruc- tion had come. He opened and shut his mouth, but no words came. Captain Hammond looked puzzled as Dick hesitated. Most students were eager for permission to take their solo flight. They usually wanted to go before they were ready, and he had to hold them back. He could not understand this boy. Dick's face was reddened and his hands were clenched tightly at his sides as he tried to answer. I-I'm not sure that I can- You havenit enough confidence in your ability, Craig ? Captain Hammond helped him. I think that you are ready for solo flying, but there's plenty of time. VVe'll try some more landings this morning. Dick climbed into the cockpit with a feeling of shame. Of course the captain had seen through his hesitation and was probably despising him for a coward. As soon as his hands grasped the con- trol stick and his feet found the rudder bar, Dick's eontldence returned. Captain Hammond tactfully avoided any further mention of a solo flight. ln- Seventeen stead, he drilled his pupil in landings until Dick managed to make five perfect three-pointers, wheels and tail skid gliding gently to the ground almost simultaneously. Dick's courage rose. At the end of the lesson, he said good-by to Captain Hammond with a smil- ing face. Next time there would be no hesita- tion. He would go up and show them whether or not Dick Craig was a coward. Two more les- sons went by with no mention of a solo flight by the instructor. Other students who had taken no more lessons than had Dick and who could not handle the stick as well as he could went up alone, came down safely, and couldn't stop talk- ing about it. The next time he'd do it, Dick as- sured himself. The next time came and the old feeling of panic returned. Dick's mouth became dry and his knees began to wobble. That day the captain sent the plane into a spin and taught Dick how to bring it out again. They returned to the ground in a safe and perfect landing. Next Monday, if the weather holds good, we're going cross-countryf' the instructor an- nounced after they had left the plane. He pulled a map out of his pocket and handed it to Dick. 'Tve marked our destination. I want you to take this map home, to plot our course, and to be ready to navigate by instrumentsf' On Saturday it rained and the sky was lower- ing on Sunday morning. Anxiously Dick Watched the barometer, but Monday dawned bright and clear. He hurried to the flying field. Captain Hammond looked over the course he had plotted, made a few changes in it, explaining his reasons for doing so, and then announced that he was ready to start. Dick climbed into his usual place, with the captain behind him in the rear cockpit, and started the engine. The plane taxied across the field and rose into the air with Dick's hand cool and steady on the stick. Oh, it was easy enough, he thought bitterly to himself, with the captain at hand ready to help him should he need help. Dick began to climb, higher and higher, until, at seven thou- sand feet, he leveled off and flew straight ahead, watching his bearings carefully. His worries were forgotten in the pure joy of clean, easy flying. The miles slipped by and soon they were above a
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Page 29 text:
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THE EASTERN ECHO prairie, without a house or a village in sight. There was nothing except a sun-parched sea of grass. Suddenly Captain Hammond spoke. See that level space between those two ridges over to the right? It's a perfect spot for a land- ing. I.et's see how you manage your landing on a strange field. Dick nodded his comprehension. He looked the Held over carefully, circling lower that he might distinguish any small depressions which might be in it. Throttling down his engine, he sent the plane downward in a long glide. VVheels and tail skid touched the earth, and with a barely notice- able shock the plane settled on the field. Splendid! the captain cried, clapping Dick on the back. Couldn't have done so well my- self. Dick's face flushed with pleasure. Captain Hammond. he knew, was not given to praise, and when it came from him, it was sincere. Dick reached for the throttle to start again, but the captain laid a hand on his arm. Hold on. Craig: I think I see a prairie dog village over there. That's something I've wanted to see ever since I was a kid. I'm going to stretch my legs a bit by walking over there, he said and swung himself to the ground. Prairie dog villages with their yapping inhabi- tants did not interest Dick, who, unlike the cap- tain. had been born in the NVest. He remained in the cockpit. idly awaiting the captain's return. The wind. which had grown stronger, was shift- ing. The plane. as it stopped after landing, did not head straight into the wind, and now it was still farther off. Dick decided to turn the plane, so that they might take off without delay when the captain returned. He began to warm up the engine. The propeller began to spin and Cap- tain Hammond, hearing the roar, looked back, startled. Not knowing what idea Dick might have taken into his head. he broke into a run toward the quivering plane, reckless of his footing. Dick saw him racing toward him and instantly re- gretted his hasty actions. He shut off the engine just as the captain staggered, threw up his hands, and fell forward on his face. Dick scrambled out of the plane, ran to the fallen Figure, and lifted it from the ground. My hip V, Captain Hammond gasped. 'AI caught my leg in a prairie dog hole. It's broken, I'm afraidf' His face went white and he fell back limply. Dick stood still, uncertain what to do. and bit- terly regretting his rash action in starting the engine. Here he was, far from a doctor, with not even a ranch house within miles. Hopelessly he looked across the endless stretches of the monotonous prairie. He could not expect help from there, but he must act quickly. At any rate, the captain must now be brought back to con- sciousness. As gently as he could, he half carried, half dragged his helpless companion to the plane. The plane! Dick stopped short. Wfhy hadn't he thought of it at once? There was only one thing for him to do-he must fly for aid. He must take his solo flight now. There must be no hesitation, no fear. The water from the can- teen revived Captain Hammond for a few mom- ents, and then he slipped back into unconscious- ness. Placing the man in the rear cockpit, in as comfortable a position as was possible, he fastened the safety belt about his body so that he would not be hurt by the motion of the plane. Study- ing the map, Dick found that the nearest town was thirty-seven miles away. His young face was set and grim as he took his place in the front cock- pit and buckled on his own safety belt. Before he started the engine, he looked up at the sky. The wind was stronger. A band of clouds had gathered and was slowly spreading, denoting a sudden shower or worse. The plane taxied over the field, headed into the wind and took off. Dick's hands on the controls grew firmer as the plane roared ahead. He felt a new confidence in himself. It's only thirty-seven milesf' he thought to himself. If I can't make thirty-seven miles be- fore the storm meets me, I'd better stick to the ground, that's all. But Dick had not counted on the rapidity with which a storm can form and break on the open prairie. Before he had fiown fifteen minutes, the clouds were above him and were sinking lower to earth. HThere's not enough ceiling to fly beneath them, he reflected. remembering the captain's often-repeated instructions, Unot enough gliding room. I must get on top. He pulled back on the control stick slowly and carefully, and the plane obediently nosed its way upward. Dick's confidence increased as he felt the obedient power of the plane. Now they were in the clouds, and a rolling mass of gray fog enveloped the plane, shutting out earth and sky. Even the wings were hidden in it. He was fly- ing blind now, with only the instrument board to guide him and keep him on an even keel so that he might not find himself flying in a steep bank, or upside down, when he emerged from the fog. He now searched for a break in the clouds. XVhen he found this, he nosed the plane fCm1fi1111r'd on page 1203 Eighteen
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