SPECIAL ARTICLE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16359, 2 November 1918, Page 7

SPECIAL ARTICLE.

—: + AVIA-TION IN CANTERBURY. * "WOMAN'S FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF FLIGHT. (Br Isa Montgomebt.) (SPECULLT wbitten fob "the press.") [The folic the? is an account 0 f a 2»ew lady's first impressions of flight, and will convince the most sccptical of its safety aß d comfort. x The »» is conquered. It bonoTO* us all to appreciate that aerial conveyance will bo as common in the . fotnre as sea conveyance to-day. The following account is, in both power of description and Beif-analyaia of eensatione, a nniqne and valuable contribution to aaral writings. It should be mentiomthis lady "rcntnred aloft , immediately following what might , been a bad accident to another Msoplan®, displayed considerabje confides and courage m mpleasant air conditions.] J. L. SLEEMAN, lit.-OoL, DJI.T. I gazed with interest, not unmixed irith awe, at the winged creature resting so tranquilly on the earth. The little body, about the size and shape of a side-c3r, had two seate, one capacious and oadded at the back, and the other like a racing boat's eliding Beat in front, where the pupil sits. The machine being under dual control, a mistake can instantly be corrected by the instructor, who sits in the back seat. "All yon have to remember is not to move your feet so as to interfere with the control lever," said the Colonel, "or to turn down this switch, which cnts off the engine. Yon can hold on here," indicating an upright supporting the npper wings, "but yon won't jvant to hold on, you can sit with your hands in your lap." I climbed in off a petrol case, squeezed myself into the little seat, planted my feet once and for all clear of the control lever, noted with, extreme deliberation the switch I was not to touch, and felt my responsibilities were it an end, and that I was too interest»d to be frightened. The instructor vont round to the head of the plane, tnd disappeared behind the wheel made by the ten cylinders of our IOCK-horse biplane. I saw the propeller swing, and heard him call, "Contact!" "Confoct," repeated the mechanic standing ,at my , side. "Switch," called the instructor. "Switch," repeated the mechanic. Hen my pilot reappeared, and with quiet,, decisive movements, settled himself behind me.

"Tlioro'll be a big rush of air at first, it may take your breath away," I ho said. "keepyour head well down behind the screen.;, Witch this,, it's thej height indicator." • There was'*a noise of engines,''and we moved along the ground, making a quick turn from the hangar, where, against the , dark opening, the boys were watching us with smiling interest. I >vaved the Colonel a jauntyfarewell, and caught the. anxious eye of the assistant inairacfor upon some upper, arid ho doubt- vital jiartof the'plane. With relief. I saw the muscles of his face relaxj and the strain leave his eyes.' Wo bumped over the ground, gathering speed, while I kept my head obediently behind the six-inch wind-screen, ready for any sudden and terrifying development. Nothing happening, in a moment or two I looked up, longing for the time when I* should feel myself rising off the earth! Then, with a roar, of engines, our pace was greatly . accelerated, the wind rushed past .us, .and we seemed to gather ourselves together as a diver -before a plunge. Wifch'a relief of tension came the know- ■ ledge that wo were flying. .5' Smoothly ' we rose,, the earth . falling from us. I'm r\oi a bit frightevod, I'm only enioyirig^it,'; I- congratulated myself, and turned to smile at the man wHoheid' waring life or. crashing^death -in_ his guiding hand.. It was then - that- I realised m T complete trust in my pilot, who smiled back" in such good fellow- * $e mounted, going towards-the. city; I watched the indicator creep up. to 1000 ft ; to my right, between the wings lay miles of ocean; to my left, snowclad mountains, below, -the plain where five-storiod buildings andsmall ■ .cottages were as shapes cut in flat car-1-hoard and laid upon the earth. ■ It was , a day without sun, and the clouds were Swept high, in'heaven by. the nor'-west wind. I saw" - the earth' in a monotone! • as through faintly smoked glass-Kjnly over the 6now hills were long, luminous streaks of 6ky. A shiver, went through the plane, she to one side, then/righted herself—a cold hollow, feeling took me where my middle should have been.This is what is termed an "air pocket" I reasoned, though, any degree of air pressnre wins unrecognisable in the wind that with unchanging velocity screamed f ast us. Tiie'dial -passed 1500, feet, and was conscious for the jirs't time of rising as something lifted her nose and we leaped upward. Again that cold hollow feeling, and as the dial went towaHs.2ooo feet I wondered how many more such disturbing leap.;. we would make. I did not know till my flight was over that they were,'caused by the. windoatching her straight oh. I should imagine that on a calm day one wouldnot lose the sensation of unexpected stability and safety—a straight drop or collapse i 3 Lnthinkable, so buoyant, yet so steady, is the aeroplane.' Anouier pleasant surprise is the absenco. opthe giddiness on looking down that. sometimes feels on the. top of a mgh building; personally, also, I had noissnsation of sickness. went the clasp of my leather flood ttat the colonel had so carefully j I grasped the ends and held Ott'tiß my arm ached. Then cautiously I removed My_right hand from the upright, 'and,- pulling off with my teeth . one _of the colonel's gloves I had borto -.replace my biscuit-coloured swdes, refastened tho clasp. It was , * realised that I had no desire to hold on;.» and folded mv hands with prjde in iny lap. ' ~« we mounted into the.' nor'-wester tna plane -dipped from side to side and r j a Fward every other moment. Ono , 6n dcen heavy dit> to my right bronght ' a, vision <of aside-long rush to earth. Ishuddered, and my pilot, raising him®®?f from his seat, snoi'ted something «n, my ear, "whether in warning or reassurance I-know not. being unable to .-distinguish a word. I pulled back the - ea j? a P an d caught "nor wester," and n ?daed intelligently, my mind being unaffected in any way. by the words, bnt I took comfort in the knowledge "tbat, at 2500 feet in the air, in fi j IMivering. straining .machine, my pilot-, j .-nonchalantly holding the steering 6tick [ one hand, should lean forward to : '!'• e lL In ear. i .vjHow is a sensation to be described j i r that those who have .experienced it not. yet enter into it? Only by thosfc £ .Vmbols with which we dumbly strive to , of nur emotions: v joy, sorrow, |

fear, exaltation. Just a set of wornout bricks with which we try to build some permanent likeness of the emotions that hold us quivering beneath their spell. Therefore to describe the act of flying I put down jqy: the joy of knowing I was flying" and was. not unduly airaid. Exhilaration: of rising untrammelled above the earth, of entering -into a new world. In this there is a certain god-like sensation. Then interest: of the movements of tho plane, the rise and dip of the engino in the grey bonnet, tho strange carpet of fields, ploughed and green, trees and hedges and habitations that is tho earth. I remember very distinctly leaning over the side of the car and looking straight down where a golden mimosa was spread in a field of purple-brown soil. Detachment and association: detachment from those who creep Upon the earth, and association with the one human being, who with you, makes free of the kingdom of the air. Discomfort: of the roar of engines 3nd unchanging rush of wind that makes the eyes stream. And through all darting an intensity of physical sensation, which I will not name fear, for mentally I was unfraid.

I had lost all sense of time and direction when suddenly the roar of engines ceased, the wind abated, and w e floated in blissful quiet, poised—a great bird with 'wings outstretched, king of the air.

"I've shut off the engines and I'm going to spiral down," I 'heard behind me. 'It will seem a bit funny but don't be frightened." Gathering myself together I laid hold of the uprights and waited. Down went the grey nose, for an instant I saw the whole earth beneath me, then down we rushed through space. I shut my eyes and bowed my head. If this were the end well I didn't care l —it bad been worth it. Then just when I knew I was alive we turned, cork-screwing, and bewilderment drove out all else; twice we turned, and then as I looked out over the dipping bonnet' a feeling of great might came to me. Here was I king of the air turning in my own element. Proudly and with calmness I looked upon my domain and pitied those little creatures upon the earth that rose every moment to "meet us. Regretfully I saw them oome nearer and nearer, gather about the shed I now recognised, not without a subconscious, feeling of relief, to be the _ hangar. Strangely unfamiliar and stupidly concerned about the business of the earth they seemed. Without a jar we alighted and bumped again over the grass. The colonel, looking just a little relieved, welcomed me back to earth, the boys stood around i smiling. Something was* evidently expected of me. "It was great," I said for lack of anything better to say/ My pilot, his face speckled with little disks of dried engine grease, was beside me on the ground. I should have liked to make some momentous speech, but all T coulid say was:— • "It was great." "Well," said he, "you can say you've done what no one else has done, you've been up in a nor'-wester. It was pretty nasty, really," he added to the colonel. "3 wasn't afraid once," said I. Now, was this strictly true ? "I had such perfect faith in my pilot," and this was the truth indeed.