They strolled over to their old plane which, though somewhat battered, still bore the number on the tail that the Skipper remembered so well—A-4812.
“Now this time, Kiwi,” Armbruster said, as they resumed their seats, “I am going to let you take the plane off the ground. Remember, open the throttle slowly till the engine is running smoothly; then, as the plane gathers headway, push the stick forward till the tail is off the ground. As it rolls along and gathers speed, pull the stick back ever so little. If the plane doesn’t rise, don’t force it but wait till it seems to pick itself off the ground. Keep a sharp look ahead and be sure and fly straight. Don’t let it swerve.” Then he added, “All right! Let her go!”
Kiwi did as he was directed, but was warned a few seconds later, “Don’t get the tail too high.” And as they were speeding over the ground, “A little back pressure on the stick,” came through the phones; and then the plane started to rise. Kiwi’s eyes were glued on the horizon and he concentrated on keeping the plane in a straight line until the voice told him it was time to turn.
He swung cautiously around to the right and was pleased to hear Armbruster’s voice telling him “That’s fine!” They practised turns to the right and turns to the left, and Armbruster landed the plane two or three times so that Kiwi could take it off and master that particular lesson.
They finally landed, for it was getting dark.
Early the next day Armbruster said:
“Now we’ll start on the landings. I’ll pick out a certain spot for you to land on, and you must judge your distance just right, throttle back the motor and glide down. Be sure and keep the nose down so that your flying speed doesn’t register below fifty-five miles an hour. Then, as you see the ground approaching, pull back slightly on the stick until you are flying on a level with the surface and just a few inches above it. It takes a lot of practice to judge this distance just right. You will find it’s easier if you look over one side or the other of your cockpit—whichever is more natural for you, do it that way. Then as you are gliding along level and just as you feel the plane start to sink, pull the stick back in your tummy and you’ll land all right.”
Kiwi took the plane off and did a few wide turns to the right and to the left until he realized he was performing big figure eights in the air. Then Armbruster said “There!” and pointed to a spot upon which they should land.