Читать книгу: «Famous Flyers and Their Famous Flights», страница 9
“Well, I’m getting ahead of my story.Let’s get back to the War. Because the warbroke out then, you know, and Jimmiejoined the air service. His first lesson, theyturned him over to an instructor by the nameof Todd. They were still on the ground, when they heard a crash, then another crash.Two planes had collided in the air. Firstone dropped, then the other, close to Jimmie’splane. One of the pilots was killed; the other pilot and his passenger were badlyhurt. Doolittle helped them out, and wentback for his first lesson.
“Jimmie, like Hawks, was just too good.They didn’t send him to France at all, butmade him an instructor at Rockwell Field,San Diego, where he became known as oneof the star aviators in the air service. He waspretty angry when he found that he couldn’tgo to France. He went out to relieve his feelings.He picked out an innocent soldier walkingdown the road, and made for him. Hedidn’t have any grudge against that soldier, just against the world. But that soldier hadto bear the brunt. Jimmie swooped downon him. The soldier wouldn’t move out ofthe way or flatten out. Jimmie swooped closerand closer. The soldier stood his ground.Finally Jimmy came so close that his wheelsnicked the soldier, and down he went. Andaway flew Jimmie, but so low that he couldn’trise again in time to clear a barbed wirefence at the side of the road. He got caughtin the fence and smashed up. They gavehim a month in the barracks to think overhow smart-aleck he’d been, and then Jimmiewas out again. The soldier had a bumpon the head to remind him that he’d beenin the way when Jimmie Doolittle was mad.
“Jimmie had other crashes. One was justbefore he made his famous flight in 1922across country from Pablo Beach to SanDiego. On his first attempt at a take-off oneof his wheels struck some soft sand, andover he turned, being thrown into the water, plane and all. His second take-off was moresuccessful – in fact, it was perfect. He gotto San Diego in 22½ hours.
“Jimmie’s greatest achievements have beenin testing and experimenting. After the warhe went to the Army technical school atDayton. He got an honorary degree fromthe University of California, and then hewent to Boston with Jo, and entered theMassachusetts Institute of Technology.With Jo’s help he did four years’ work inthree, and got the degrees of Master ofScience, and Doctor of Aviation Engineering – thefirst flyer to get the D.A.E. degreethere.
“He resigned from the army to join theShell Petroleum Corporation, Curtiss borrowedhim again, though, and he went toEurope to demonstrate speed planes for Curtissto 21 European governments. He’s amarvellous tester. He got the D.F.C. for histranscontinental flight. In 1925 he got theSchneider Cup in the International races, and in 1929 the medal of the Federale AeronautiqueInternationale for his outstandingachievements in aviation.
“I haven’t told you the most outstanding, feats, Doolittle was one of the pioneers inblind flying. He experimented for the GuggenheimFoundation, testing instruments tobe used for blind flying. He also tested thestress and strain that flying has on the humanbody. He would go into right spirals, risking his life, in order to see under what pressurea man becomes unconscious. It’s adangerous business, but great for aviation.
“In September, 1931, Doolittle won theair derby, flying from Los Angeles to NewYork to establish a new transcontinentalWest to East record on 11 hours and 15minutes. He won at the same time the LosAngeles-Cleveland Bendix trophy when hecrossed the finish line of the National AirRaces at the Cleveland airport. His time toCleveland was 9 hours and 10 minutes, anaverage speed of 223 miles per hour. As ifthat wasn’t enough, he flew back to St.Louis to sleep, making a trip of 3,300 milesin 19 hours. He’d broken Hawks’ recordthen standing. Both the boys are still goingstrong. You never knew when you’re goingto wake up and find that one of them hasflown across the country so fast that heended up right where he started from, onlytwo hours earlier. But now I’m getting fantastic,”said Pat. “I must be getting tired, and no wonder. It’s time we were getting tobed, if we want to leave at any hour tomorrow.”
CHAPTER XI – Hal Comes Through
The day of their departure dawned brightand clear. There was a high ceiling, the airwas crisp and cool, with a fresh wind blowing.The boys could hardly control themselvesin their impatience to be off. Bob’sparents and Mrs. Gregg drove down to theairport with them to see them off. In spiteof the excitement of the boys, there was anundercurrent of restraint in the group. Nobodytalked very much except Bob and Hal, who never stopped talking.
The cabin plane had been taken out andwarmed up by the mechanics of the port.It looked sleek and beautiful in the earlymorning light. Pat was going to fly her.He walked over to the AdministrationBuilding to make final arrangements with theirfriend Mr. Headlund. He took a shortcut across the field. The port wasn’t verybusy. But there was some activity – activitythat Pat, intent upon his business, did notnotice. A student pilot, taxiing his planeacross the field for his first solo flight, wascoming straight toward him. Pat did notnotice the student, the student was too rattledto see him.
Bob was the first to notice what was happening.“Look put!” he screamed. “Pat, look out!”
The student pilot suddenly saw Pat. Heveered his plane, but a corner of the wingjust grazed Pat’s head, and knocked him flat.He was already getting to his feet when theothers got to him.
“Are you hurt, old fellow?”
Pat was rubbing his head. “No, I don’tthink so. That is, no, I’m not at all. Justnicked me. I’ll be all right in a second.” Heshook his head to clear it. “Gave me a bit ofa bump. I’ll be all right.”
The student pilot, white and shaking, came over to them. “Hurt badly?” he askedanxiously.
Pat laughed. “No such luck, lad. Youmissed me that time. Better luck next time.You might try picking on somebody who’snot so tough, next time.”
Pat was himself again, and the others, thankful that he had not been seriouslyhurt, watched him go into the AdministrationBuilding. When he came out, Bill asked.“Do you want me to pilot?”
Pat looked scornful. “Since when did alittle bump on the head put me out of commission?I’m driving the bus.”
All the baggage stowed away, the boys, the Captain and Pat got into the plane.They waved good bye to the others outside, the huge craft taxied over the field, turnedinto the wind and rose into the air. It waspleasant being off at last. There was thegrand trip before them, and then the vacationitself, fishing, swimming, shooting.Hank had filled their heads full of the gloriesof his private mountain, as he called it.The cabin with its huge open fireplace builtof stones, the bunks in two tiers like theberths on a pullman. Bob and Hal had alreadydecided that they would have to taketurns sleeping in the upper one, becausesurely the upper one would be the most fun.
Their thoughts kept returning to the coldmountain streams filled to the brim withscrappy fish, and the waterfall that Hanksaid he used as an outdoor shower. A wholemonth of it! The boys could hardly sit stillon the leather cushions.
“Want something to eat?” said Bill.
“Of course,” they said, almost together.
Bill reached for the lunch hamper. Thensomething seemed to go wrong. The planelurched. But they hadn’t struck an air pocket.It’s nose fell, and the three were almostthrown into a heap, one atop the other. Theplane was going into a spin! Beyond theglass partition, Pat lay slumped over hiswheel.
Something had to be done at once. Andit was Hal who did it. He pushed open theglass partition, and got somehow to thepilot’s seat. With all his strength, and hisexcitement gave him a strength that he hadnever before possessed, he pulled Pat out ofhis seat, and pushed him through the door, where the Captain and Bob were waiting totake him. Hal slipped behind the wheel, andneutralized all controls.
Thank God, they had been flying at a highaltitude. The spin wasn’t a tight one, but aloose one. Hal pushed her nose down. Thatwas what Pat had told him, wasn’t it?Don’t try to pull her nose up. Push it down, and she’d come out of it and go into a glide.At first nothing happened. Hal was trembling, not so much with fear as with exaltation.He felt the great ship respond. Theywere coming out of it! They were glidingswiftly down to earth. He had her perfectlyunder control. Slowly he pulled her up, then, and they were flying quietly and steadilywith the horizon again.
The Captain was at the door behind him.“You’re great, Hal, you’re great. You hadmore guts than any of us. I knew you hadit in you, and you’ve showed us, Hal.”
Hal was happier than he had ever beenin his life. He felt that he was master ofthe world now. He’d saved his pals, andnow he would never have to be afraid ofanything again. “How’s Pat?” he asked.
“We’re turning around. He hasn’t cometo,” said the Captain. “I’m afraid he washurt more badly than he thought.”
Hal banked and turned. It was good tofeel the ship respond to him, dipping onehuge wing slowly, and turning about gracefullyin a great circle. If not for Pat, hishappiness would have been complete.
They got Pat to the hospital, where itwas found that the nasty crack on the skullhad given him a slight concussion. But youcouldn’t keep Pat down. It merely meantpostponing that trip, not cancelling it.
Hal was the hero of the day. The newspapers, who got the story at the airport, hounded him until he conquered his shyness, just to get rid of them. They made the mostof the story, and Hal was almost afraid toleave the house, for fear some of his friendswould meet him in the street, because Halwas still the same modest retiring soul thathe had been.
But he did leave the house to go down tothe hospital to see Pat, along with Bob andCaptain Bill. Pat was sitting outside in awheelchair when they came, and they satdown on the grass beside him, and talkedabout their postponed trip.
“Do you know,” said Captain Bill,“when we come back from our trip, there’ssomething that’s going to keep me busy.”
“What’s that?” asked Bob.
“I’m going to collect all of those storieswe told into a book. What do you think ofthat for an idea?”
“Great!” said Bob. “All of our stories?Mine, too?”
“Sure, all of them.”
“But Hal won’t have a story. He hasn’ttold one,” said Bob.
“Hal’s going to be the hero,” said theCaptain.
