Weldon Aviator’s
First Flight
Monday, Nov. 4, 1918
This evening at 1 o’clock I started on my first ride. I had
on my flying pajamas, helmet with a talking tube connecting my ear to the
instructor’s mouth, and my goggles all fixed up nicely. After examining our
ship the Lieutenant and I crawled in. then the mechanic runs in the front of
the ship and says, “off,” that is that the ignition is off, so he can spin the
propeller thus filling the cylinders with a vaporized mixture of gas, so the
engine will start easily. He spins it several times then says, “contact.” The
Lieutenant says “contact” and turns on the ignition. The mechanic then spins
the propeller and the engine starts.
Now came the exiting moment, the engine was warming up and I
was adjusting myself and hooking my life belt, which is a large belt attached
to the seat and holds you in very tightly. Before I knew it we were “taxiing”
down the field. “Taxiing” is going along the grown, running on the rubber
tires.
We went a little faster, then faster and faster, until we
had enough speed so that the reaction of the air on the wings was greater than
the weight of the machine, thus raising our ship off the ground. We were going at
the rate of about 60 miles per hour when we left the ground and it was so
smooth and easy that it seemed more or less like a dream to me, except the
continual hum and noise of our motor. Here we started climbing higher and
higher, all the time circling the flying field.
It was a wonderful feeling to be up in the heavens sailing
through nothing but space with no mud holes to dodge nor tires to look out for.
After getting about 2,000 feet up we turned toward Americus, which was about
five miles away and almost before I knew it we were right on top of the Georgia
peach city. My instructor with a little sense of humor asked me if I wanted to
stop here and see my girl.
Over the city we went exactly 2,700 feet and did a spiral
and a loop. I thought I was a real bird then sure enough. Then he began
circling about, diving, etc., to show me the effect of the rudder, ailerons and
elevators. The rudder is the control that turns the ship about its vertical
axis, like the wheel on an auto. The ailerons, which are on the wings, control
the machine laterally, i.e., from tip to tip. The elevators control it
longitudinally. The only difference between the controls of an auto and a plane
is that the plane has three axes to control and the auto has only one. All this
detail explanation may seem rather dry, but it gives you an idea of the
principles of aeronautics. After being in the air a half an hour, we nosed down
and made a pretty landing on the field.
I forgot to tell you that the town looked like a little doll
village, the roads of red clay showed up very plainly like red ribbon and the
fields and woods looked as if they had been drawn by an expert draftsman. At
about 2,000 feet the railroad looked about two inches wide and everything was
beautiful. I noticed when we got over Americus the very house in which we took
dinner yesterday and wished for some more of that good turkey and oysters.
My instructor is Lieut. Stout and a very nice gentleman. I
am glad I drew a good instructor, for it means a lot.
All this week I fly in the evenings and have five hours of
classes in the mornings. This morning after a three-hour class with the Lewis
airplane gun, the gun instructor appointed me gun instructor teach when he was
away. I took that rather nice, but I had rather they wouldn’t keep me after I
get my commission, but send me to the other side.
--Donald
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