| Show Bayard Taylor Tells of Flying r I Adventures in Early Days t Leonard Johnson the man I call Leonard was my partner j while barnstorming in the early days of Aviation We were flying passengers passengers passengers' for for hire in the small towns of these western states After completing our assignment in Roosevelt Utah and I should add that this was the fall Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt was running for president we we planned to return to our home in Salt Lake City In time to vote Vern Aired Alred was the owner of the alfalfa field which we wo had been using for an airport and he declined I ed our offer to pay for Its use Consequently we took him andI and end I Us is family for an air ride over the valley and mountains he loved I Ho He wanted to pay us for this but butof j of course we refused fl it Storm Brewing I I In the meantime a storm had m moved In and clouds had moved I in over the town We decided to postpone our departure until there was a break or opening in the clouds clouds' in order to get above the st storm rm We had no no parachutes nor did We lve have any means of conta contacting contacting con con- ta the ground by radio which is the practice today With only a compass and It was considered unsafe to fly through storm and fog over the mountains Or Ordinarily ll the course of our fights were were determined by the sight of mount highways and railroads However we felt that if Ve the we could fly above the clouds we we could cowd fly a true course I and fly a compass heading toward I home Leonard and I flew flew fiew the plane alternately from town to town It happened to be my j this day and as soon as there wasI wasa was wasa a a hole in the clouds I 1 motioned I to Leonard we bade farewell and were about to enter the plane DIane to too leave However as I opened opened the door a large newly dressed pig appeared appear appear- ed In the back seat of the cabin I knew Mr Aired Alred had put It there and I told him that it would be unsafe to carry it through the mountains in stormy weather He HeI lucked looked so forlorn as I told him this that we wa decided to tie it Inand in inand inand I and take the chance All Seemed Well VeIl I After MAtter taking off from the field I immediately started climbing climbing climb climb- I In ing and flying toward the hole inI in inthe inthe I the clouds The plane climbed slowly and as I 1 attempted to go through the hole we were enveloped enveloped enveloped en en- in th the clouds louds Very shortly shortly short short- J ly it became so 80 dark that the wing tips were not visible even though it was mid As I attempted attempted at at- tempted to return to Roosevelt I suddenly decided that it would be safer to continue toward Salt Lake even though it may be necessary to fly blind As Js soon as possible I steered the plane onto the planned course and attempted to climb up and out of the fog We were unable to get above the clouds as we flew fiew our planned I I course but all seemed well I Pig Must l Go GoIce GoIce Ice MIce begin to form on the wings I I and propeller at feet and this caused the plane to shake as asif asif if it would come apart and it was almost beyond control As I I struggled struggled I I to keep the plane I In In flying position Leonard asked the question ques- ques tion shaU I 1 unload the pig ques-I ques It I was was wasa s 's a. a real worry to me as I 1 nodded nodded nodded nod nod- I Imore ded my assent To male make the plane more controllable was uppermost l I I in my mY- mY mind a at the time He lost no time in getting to the rear I I untying the pig and opening the the doo door It was wu a matter of a few ow I I seconds but it seemed a long timeto time timeto timeto to meIn meIn meIn me In the meantime the plane settled to a lower altitude the ice started to melt and the shaking shaking shak shako ing ceased Leon Leonard rd hesitated and didn't unload the cargo We of course realized t the e danger of discharging discharging dis dl charging anything from aircraft aircraft- in flight as there was danger to life below and the possibility of disabling the aircraft while un un- loading Ancestry Co Comes mea Forth Leonard and I understood each other regardless of the noise of the engine We realized d that if we were on our course some towns and highways would be beI I flown over The danger to i I those below In case of discharging I cargo would be rather remote but possible We were Hi ih accord I as he made the pig secure again and came up front Ice started to I I form several times tunes each time as the situation became really serious seri sera ous went to rear Intending in intending intending ous Leonard the re rear r in- in tending to pig I We thought it t would be possible possible pos pos- I sible to get above the clo clouds ds with less weight The possibility of of I losing control was a real emergency emer gen gency y and would be more dangerous danger ous to all concerned The danger to life below and end our own safety was taken into consideration My Mi partners partner's ancestry is mostly Scandinavian Scandinavian Scand Scand- and mine is Scottish scand scand-I the value of pork may have been con con- Regardless of reason the I j I two-hundred two pound pig remained In the back backseat of th the plane 1 How close we came t to some of I the mountain peaks which we could not see no one win will ever ever know At the allotted time it was my opinion that we were over I I I I I or near the Salt Lake Airport I X I I put the plane into position to descend descend descend de de- and we came down toward I the ground in a wide circle Leonard Leonard Leonard Leon Leon- ard watched on one side as I stretched my neck to be sure that we couldn't see anything in our path We were getting so 10 low Jow b be before before be- be fore anything came in to view that It was a real worry Soon a strange strange community appeared below below be be- I Ilow low and I realised that we had I i missed our goal At first it was a I puzzle to know where we were After flying over the town a afew afew afew few minutes It was recognised tobe to tobe tobe be Tooele Utah This is about twenty miles southwest of Salt Lake City on the west side of the Oquirrh Mountains and S Sa Salt a J I t Lake Is on the east side It is known by pilots as a box canyon It is surrounded by mountains and in stormy weather with a alow alow alow low ceiling of clouds above there is no possibility to land an airplane airplane air air- plane safety To climb In hi a circle is the only safe way to fly out of a box canyon I did this and upon reachIng reaching reach- reach Ing ng elevation sufficient to clear the he mountains I headed toward the he Salt Lake Airport and started to descend again This was really an unpleasant situation because the he clouds seemed so close to the ground I 1 was afraid that a blind bUnd landing anding might be necessary Dangerous Flying This was a real worry the danger danger dan dan- ger involved in such a procedure is obvious However I realised that we were over the best territory that was possible to reach If my calculations were Was correct w we would be near the Salt Lake Airport Air Air- port which is surrounded by l level vel territory Even so 10 to land in foggy roan wea weather her which we had and could not see lee the ground would be dangerous dangerous dan dan- for many reasons includIng including including ing a collision with anything or on on the ground It seemed to be asking for for trouble But as we descended through the clouds and fog there appeared to be no other altern altern- Our gas supply was getting low and we could not continue to be aloft much longer At this point for some unknown reason I pulled pul led back on the controls stopped our descent and steered the plane directly south Then after after about fifteen minutes of flying in this direction another attempt was I made to descend This proved more satisfactory as a railroad and highway were spotted below We followed d them to Provo selected selected se se- a level leyel pasture nearby and landed with about fifteen minutes gas supply left lefe in our tank It was a real thrill to get back backon on ground safely but we Immediately Immediately Immediately Immedi Immedi- started to worry about vot vote ing since this was the only reason we had flown that kind of weather on that day We knew an old friend there whose n name name me is Orvel We got in touch with him by I phone and he came out and offered offered of of- to loan us his car We f loaded our two hundred pounds of pork in the car and left for I Salt Lake We barely arrived in time to vote but we made it I have never known if we voted the same way or cancelled each other The weather cleared during the night and the next day was beautiful We drove back to Provo returned the borrowed car and flew fiew our plane to Salt Lake We had an appointment in Idaho and no time was lost In preparation to fly up there After the experience experience experience ence of the day before it was a areal areal areal real pleasure to take off and fly under such h conditions Everything seemed to be working perfectly as we were flying toward the Utah-Idaho Utah border I More ore Trouble As we were about to fly over Tremonton Utah there was a sudden noise in the engine it could be compared only with the explosion of dynamite Following this there was a terrific shaking of the plane that I am unable to explain It was hard for me to understand why the airplane was not torn apart However the shaking shaking shak shako ing soon ceased but there was no motive power and a forced landing landing landing land land- ing was imminent A field was immediately spotted spotted spotted spot spot- ted and we landed safely We We looked at t each other and very little was said as we from the plane to check the trouble Leonard took hold of the propeller propeller pro pro- peller and and pulled it back and forth As it rattled it was evident I that the crankshaft was broken Leonard made the statement just suppose this had happened yesterday Our partnership ended I and we both took Jobs with the they I i airlines However we have never forgotten those pioneering days and often talk about them and compare them with air travel of today Bayard C. C Taylor 1117 South East Salt Lake City Utah Leonard Johnson also of Salt Lake City 2138 2133 West North Temple Temple Temple Tem Tem- adds additional information to liia partners partner's story Your readers may like to know what happened to the plane I I rebuilt the engine and we flew homeI home I would like to tell teU something of Mr Taylors Taylor's history He lIe was born and raised in Coalville lie Ile served in the Air Force as pilot in World War 1 in Europe and anda a few years later he flew for TW A until he retired Mr Taylor is in good health and active Mr Johnson came to Utah from Orlando Florida In 1929 to get into aviation and learn to fly lIe He has been in aviation ever since |
