Aeroplanes

by James Slough Zerbe

This lends a sort of terror to the novice. He imagines a great many things, but forgets some things which are very important to do at this time. One is, that the front of the machine must be thrown up so as to bank the planes against the wind. The next is to shut off the power, which is to be done the moment the wheels strike the ground, or a little before.

Upon his judgment of the time of first touching the earth depends the success of safely alighting. He may bank too high, and come down on the tail with disastrous results. If there is plenty of field room it is better to come down at a less angle, or even keep the machine at an even keel, and the elevator can then depress the tail while running over the ground, and thus bring the machine to rest.

Frequently, when about to land the machine will rock from side to side. In such a case it is far safer to go up into the air than to make the land, because, unless the utmost care is exercised, one of the wing tips will strike the earth and wreck the machine.

Another danger point is losing headway, as the earth is neared, due to flying at too flat an angle, or against a wind that happens to be blowing particularly hard at the landing place. If the motor is still going this does not make so much difference, but in a volplane it means that the descent must be so steep, at the last moment of flight, that the chassis is liable to be crushed by the impact.

FLYING ALTITUDE.—It is doubtful whether the disturbed condition of the atmosphere, due to the contour of the earth's surface, reaches higher than 500 feet. Over a level area it is certain that it is much less, but in some sections of the country, where the hill ranges extend for many miles, at altitudes of three and four hundred feet, the upper atmosphere may be affected for a thousand feet above.

Prof. Lowe, in making a flight with a balloon, from Cincinnati to North Carolina, which lasted a day and all of one night, found that during the early morning the balloon, for some reason, began to ascend, and climbed nearly five thousand feet in a few hours, and as unaccountably began to descend several hours before he landed.

Before it began to ascend, he was on the western side of the great mountain range which extends south from Pennsylvania and terminates in Georgia. He was actually climbing the mountain in a drift of air which was moving eastwardly, and at no time was he within four thousand feet of the earth during that period, which shows that air movements are of such a character as to exert their influence vertically to great heights.

For cross country flying the safest altitude is 1000 feet, a distance which gives ample opportunity to volplane, if necessary, and it is a height which enables the pilot to make observations of the surface so as to be able to judge of its character.

But explanations and statements, and the experiences of pilots might be detailed in pages, and still it would be ineffectual to teach the art of flying. The only sure course is to do the work on an actual machine.

Many of the experiences are valuable to the learner, some are merely in the nature of cautions, and it is advisable for the beginner to learn what the experiences of others have been, although they may never be called upon to duplicate them.