A talk with Mike always sent these fears to the winds. He had no fears whatever.
As Mike was to have the chief share in piloting our airship, I decided to take generous notes and prepare a full account of the places we visited and our most exciting experiences as we flew over the green fields of Erin. From these notes I have prepared for the world the account of our trip which is found in the following chapters.
We had not breathed a word about our plans to anyone on board during our voyage across the Atlantic, and when we landed at Queenstown we quietly sent on our “baggage” to Cork, and followed ourselves that evening. We had planned to begin our flight from Cork. We expected to fly around the island in a couple of days and then visit some attractive places one by one. We were compelled to change this plan, as we shall see.
After a good night’s rest at the Imperial Hotel in Cork, we “assembled,” as aeronauts say, the various parts of our airship the next morning on a level field just outside the city.
We avoided the public as much as possible, and the few people who came around found us non-committal, and wondered what we were doing.
THROUGH THE EMERALD ISLE WITH AN AEROPLANE.
In the evening when we were left alone, about nine o’clock, (it is still quite light at this time in Ireland during July) we made a short trial ascent. Our first flight beneath the kindly Irish skies was a complete success. Everything was working beautifully.
Well satisfied with our first day’s work we returned to our hotel for the night. Our plan was to fly the first day as far as the Giant’s Causeway, going up the West side of the island. On the second day we expected to return to Cork and make trips here and there after that.
We had another good night’s rest, and rose with the sun, or rather a little before it. We found our aeroplane in the field as we left it, and after carefully examining every part, Mike said: