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Show SIDE SLIP Virgie Killam "13.00 per hour. Dual instructor. Members My at $8.00 per hour," looked look-ed like awful big print to Edward Royal an air enthusiast. "Gee, just think if I could fly a plane and become an all around good air pilot. Why, I could take all my friends on trips with me and have just all kinds of fun," thought Eddie as he read the aviation magazine. "Instead "In-stead of going to college I can put that money dad gave me into a plane and work for my lessons." "No sooner said than done," was Eddies motto and by-word. In two weeks he ha bought hint a Baby Moth Monoplane and was taking his first flying lessons. The first lessons were some of the greatest thrills Eddie had ever experienced exper-ienced in his life, even though he had his mother's warning words ringing in his ears, "Eddie, I think you're doing wrong by not going to college, Eddie your doing wrong." Gradually the nays grew into weeks and the weeks into months. Eddie was to have his first solo flight on this bright, clear, crisp, April morning. A prickly feeling was running up and down this anxious boys spine. "Should I go through with this, or shouldn't I?" was all Eddie could think. "Mother is afraid, but, gee, I've not spent all my time and money just to turn green or yellow at the last minute. I'm going solo this morning if I have to die in the attempt. at-tempt. Ten o'clock came rapidly. This was the time the students were to be on the field. Eddie was at the western side of the hangars talking to a few builders and bis instructor. "Royal, you'll be an A, student if you'll jret that confounded idea out of j your head about banking, When you bank you slip off too far on your left wing. Now, today, I'm not going to be there with you to pull you out of any rough places. Everything will depend de-pend on you and if anything goes wrong my soul goes out to you to help you but I can do nothing more than watch and hope. Go to it kid, times up. Your the doctor." These instructions instruc-tions came from instructor Cowley. Everything he had said just made Eddie have another prickle run down his sensitive spine. "Everything's up to me. I'm the doctor. No one can help me if I turn out the fool. Well, here goes nothing," noth-ing," shouted Eddie. "Contact." His motor caught quickly and in a few secons he was taxying down the runaway toward heaven only knew what. As the monoplane rose gracefully held his breath and in his mind ran a seperate prayer for this youngster during his first flight alone. Up into the blue sky where everything every-thing was peaceful, except for the drone of the motor, Eddie took his plane. A feeling of ease came to him as he straightened out from the climb off the field. The motor was working perfectly. As the propeller caught glints of sunshine Eddie thought of patient instructor Cowley who had taught hinl how to command this plane. "Im going to show him who's who in the air, right here and now," laughed laugh-ed Eddie as he took a firmer hold on the joystick. The left wing tipped slightly as Eddie pressed the rudder bar. Lower it sank to the earth. Eddies heart jumped into his mouth. "Am I doing it right? Can I come out of a side slip OK? you're doing wrong Eddie," and a million other thoughts such as these went hurriedly through his brain. A feeling of numbness came over him as he felt a slight jerk toward to-ward the right. "I'm sorry for everything I've ever done wrong and if I am dead when I come out of this mess, I hope mother doesn't feel too bad, sobbed Eddie to himself although he wasn't crying and neither was he spinning toward the earth as he had thought before. His plane was gliding along like a bird and he had come out of the banking bank-ing proposition alright. But Eddie could not get the idea out of his head that he was doomed to die. In some sort of a trance he guided the little Baby Moth Monoplane back to his mother field and set her down upon the graveled runaway In another an-other moment Eddie was unconscious. A rumbling noise came from somewhere some-where above. A voice was saying "Edward Royal, oh Ed. come on snap out of it. You've come through like I expected you to and I'm proud to be the one to present you this flying emblem. em-blem. Hey you, are you thinking I'm giving a free lecture or something of the sort. If you don't wake up I hope somebody helps me from letting my left side slip to your jaw? Eddie came to with a jerk. A lump was welling in his throat and all he could say was, "Gee Cowley, you're one big help when it comes to getting a feller together again even if he is in a left banking side slip. o |