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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0141.PDF
MARCH 13, 1909. an impromptu Berlitz school opened at the Hotel Gassion at Pau each night by Miss Wright; M. Georges Clemenceau—the six-foot son of the French Premier— the Comte de Castillon, and others; while Captain Lucas Gerardville does not understand our language. One notices, too, that neither of the " flying men " will trust himself to speak in French, hence, when the " Capt'n " has taken his seat on the vibrating aeroplane, Mr. Wilbur will be observed to stop the motor and cry out, ': Mr. Berg, I want you." That gentleman having climbed over the slack, tangentially set wires that lead from the forward part of the main planes to the sides of the runners, "Teacher" proceeds: " I want you to tell the Capt'n that he's to try and keep not less than two metres off the ground, and not more than four. As soon as he goes more either way he's to let go and give over all control to me." Master, pupils and public hereabout alike regard giving a lesson as being as ordinary a procedure as asking a friend to take a seat on a motor car and go for a ride. " Oh, yes," Mr. Wilbur will say, screwing up his eyes and shooting a quick keen glance at the horizon, " we'll certainly be flying this afternoon—about 4 o'clock." Close on that hour the machine starts. If you told anybody here that a degree of danger or of uncertainty attended mechanical flying in these early stages, they would ridicule the suggestion. We have all had the magic machine fly over our heads, and seen it travel voluntarily above a long line of carriages and cars, when any compulsory descents would spell instant disaster. But the descents are voluntary, not compulsory. The machine is brought to earth conveniently close to the pylone or at the very entrance to the shed, as the case may be; for it goes as absolutely whither the pilot wills as does a motor car. Horses neither shy nor become restive at the sight or sound of the gliding machine; nor do the patient oxen heed the approach, overhead passage, and flying away of it. Everybody and every animal that beholds it in use accepts human flight for the most natural and effortless thing in the world. Nor is it surprising, for the Comte de Lambert has had a score of lessons, representing a total of less than five hours' handling of the machine, and he is now competent to do everything save start and alight. Moreover, when Mr. Wilbur Wright came to Le Mans he had not had so much experience with a power - driven machine; hence, because in his preliminary flights the aeroplane undulated somewhat, it was erroneously con- cluded by certain theorists that such was the law of nature when riding the wind with an aeroplane so constructed. But to-day Mr. Wilbur flies with perfect smoothness, which the Comte de Lambert has nearly achieved. Now that the brothers are world-famous and the cynosure of all eyes, it must be a happy reflection for their hale and aged father that he was immensely helpful to them in completing the final stages of their great discovery. His faith in the ability of his boys to achieve their purpose never wavered, and they tell you with pride that whenever their father went to see them during the experimental days he always brought good luck, which incidentally invariably extended to their having a good flight. "Father—he's just splendid," they will say with affectionate pride ; and one sees as by reflection the renewed hope that must have come to them time and time again during the troublous days from the cheery presence and practical assistance of the grand old clergyman, who, for all that the presence of Miss Wright in Europe leaves him lonely at home, would not curtail her visit by a day. To the contrary, he is anxious for her to visit as many places of interest as possible. The link that ties the brothers is by no means the only one that is uncommonly strong in the Wright family. Indeed, as a family they are united to a rare degree. And that unity of purpose is manifest in their characters as it is in their activities. _ .-. ii- The larpe Aerp Dc. rge doors drawn back preparatory to taking out the biplane.Wilbur Wright is in tiie act ct passing into the shed. The snapshot gives an admirable notion of his energetic walk. On the left are seen the windows of the dwelling rooms. On the right is the workshop where the machinewith which the demonstrations to be made in Rome is partly in process of erection. The car in front is the Hon. C. S. Rolls' Rolls-Royce. 143
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