A photo of Joe taken on the day of his first solo flight.
As I dug through the papers of my great uncle, Joseph C. Bergling, I ran across some hand typed articles he wrote about his aviation experiences in the earliest years of flying. These papers were passed to me by my father before he died. He had received them prior to Joe's death. They are too interesting to stay in a manila folder in my basement, so I have scanned and OCR'd them so that they can be posted here. I hope that someone might find them useful. Copies of these documents have also been given to the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola.
Joe flew for Civil Air Patrol and worked as a civil servant at an airport for many years. His student pilot's license is signed by a number of aviation pioneers, including Orville Wright. A scan of that document is presented below. (Link to full res scan)
The first is entitled "Near Mishaps Flying". The second appears to be a speech prepared for the OX5 Aviation Pioneers. Links are to scans of the original typed documents. Converted text follows, so that they will be indexed and searchable.
Smooth air, Uncle Joe.
NEAR MISHAPS FLYING~ WORLD WAR II
By:
Lt. Col. Joseph C. Bergling Civil Air Patrol (Ret.)
During World War II, of over 400 flights I made while on active
duty, there were a number of incidents that were hazardous.
Flying into MAD (Middletown, near Harri s burg, PA), the Towe r
reported wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour, at 160 degrees which was
a 40 degree cross wind on the runway. I approached the runway, which
was 120 degrees, made about a 45 degree left turn, flew along the
Pennsylvania Railroad about as high as the electric poles. Half way
along the field, turned right, about 90 degrees, into the wind.
Starting the final approach, with power on, I headed for the X where
the two runways meet, touching down with the two wheels. When I
tried to bring the tail down the plane took off again, I gunned the
engine, rose to about 15 feet and traveled further across the
intersection of the runways. I throttled back just enough to
maintain flying speed. With no forward motion, I gradually set the
two wheels down near the edge of the runway. I throttled all the way
back, but the tail of the plane was still in the air. This time I
brought the tail down very slowly. As I turned to go toward the
hangar the cross wind banked the plane until the left wing tip nearly
touched the ground. I kicked the right rudder to head into the wind
and stayed there until the tower sent a jeep and two airmen to help
me taxi to the hangar. I think the wind was more than 35 miles per
hour because the stalling speed of the plane was 40 and I was still
flying when the forward motion of the plane had stopped when I was
about 15 feet in the air.
On two occasions at Bolling, I was number one for take-off.
While taxiing to get into the main runway the wind was so strong that
the plane took off before I got on the runway. As the plane left the
ground due to the strong wind, I gave it full throttle, and then
turned to line up with the runway.
One day at Bolling a Consolidated 8-24 "Liberator" had run off
the edge of the runway and damaged its landing gear. I was standing
near the plane when some dark clouds approached the field. It was a
hot day and I noticed a breeze of very cool air. I didn't like what
I felt, very hot and then very cold and the black clouds. I told
some of the men I thought that a strong wind was going to hit us.
With the help of others we untied the Taylorcraft that was on the
ramp and pushed it and a couple of other planes into the hangar.
Just as we closed the door the wind hit. Bolling recorded the wind
above 100 miles per hour. With the rain and wind beating against the
hangar one wondered if it would hold together. Planes bumping into
each other, into the hangars or turning over damaged twenty-seven of
them. A few civilian maintenance men jumped into planes that were
running loose and were able to save them by holding them into the
wind until the storm was over.
A Civil Air Patrol plane that was stationed on the field for
''Tracking Mission" was one of the unlucky ones. Two of the C.A.P.
pilots were untying their plane when the wind struck. When they saw
it was too late they jumped into the plane, the wind blew the plane
over on its back with the two men in it. They were not seriously
hurt.
I had a great respect for thunder storms, knowing what they
could do to light airplanes. I never flew through one, if I couldn't
get around one I would turn back. During the thunderstorm season of
July and August 1943, I flew every day and only had to turn back two
or three times.
Taxiing behind large planes when their engines were revving-up
was always a danger with our small planes. Once when I was taxiing
on the ramp at Bolling a 8-17 ''Flying Fortress" was idling its
engines. Thinking it was safe to cross behind the big plane I
started to taxi. Just as I got behind the big plane the engines
began to rev-up, blowing my plane over until the right wing nearly
touched the ground. I kicked left rudder and headed into the wind
until the four engines were idled. One other time I got behind the
prop wash of a large plane; this time at Martin's Field in Baltimore.
Landing east and over the long runway, flying lower than the top of
the hangars, the plane banked into an almost vertical position. I
gunned the throttle and landed further down the runway ok. Checking
back at operations I found that a Martin B-26 "Marauder" was running
its engine full-throttle with the prop wash crossing the runway.
All flights weren't for parts alone, some times it was to carry
someone someplace or a combination of the two. The shortest trip was
from Bolling to Washington National with Colonel Walter E. Nicol our
Commanding Officer of the Maintenance Section at Bolling. We took
off at Bolling heading toward National, crossed the Potomac River and
landed straight ahead without making a turn. That flight must have
been about two or three minutes at the most. The longest trip was to
Elkins, West Virginia - 2 hours and 27 minutes.
Sometimes the flights would be to fly Captains, later Majors
Springer or W.E. Dinsmore, test pilots at Maintenance to pick up
planes at different fields to deliver to Bolling. Sometimes I would
fly a mechanic to a field to work on a plane, or fly him back after
he made repairs. Some flights were heads of departments to
Middletown; while I checked on parts he would tend to his business.
On one trip flying back to our home base from Middletown with
the Supervisor of the Instrument Shop, the clouds were very low, so
low that they were covering the top of the hills. Visibility was
unlimited. Approaching Bolling Field I couldn't get to the field
because of the low clouds. Zig-zagging back and forth trying to find
a spot through I decided it wasn't possible, then I spotted the
Pennsylvania Railroad. I followed the railroad that was on low
ground to the Anacostia River, down the river to the Potomac. When
we were over the Potomac between Bolling and National Airport,
Bolling Tower called me by radio and asked if I wanted to land,
"wiggle your wings". It reminded me of the old joke, "Tower do you
hear me wiggle the tower''. I made a 180 degree turn and landed.
During the time that I was zig-zagging trying to find a way to the
field the compass was spinning like mad. My passenger, who was an
expert on instruments but not a pilot, could not understand how I
knew where I was. I wasn't even looking at the compass but living
here for 35 years I was familiar with the area. I was looking at the
ground and low clouds trying to find a way into Bolling. The next
morning I was surprised, to say the least, when I looked in the plane
and saw a complete set of blind flying instruments installed in the
Taylorcraft.
The instruments help a lot in flying the plane, especially in
hazy weather or night flying. There was one time, that I have never
forgotten, stranded at ~iddletown for two days because of bad
weather. The next morning I went to operation, as a matter of fact I
was already there, because I had spent my last dollar for food the
night before and didn't have enough money for a bed at the Visitor
Officer Quarters. That morning the sky was clear and there was a
calm. But there was a heavy fog over the river. The field next to
the river was covered with fog and you could only see about
two-thirds of the way down the field. The people at Operations were
upset because a brand new 2nd Lieutenant and new Weather Officer was
calling the weather "contact". I hurriedly made out a clearance,
Operations cleared it and I got out as quickly as I could before they
closed the field. Having picked up a sailor who was hitch-hiking to
Washington, we took off in the direction that would take us down the
River. When we were about two-thirds down the field the tower asked
to give them my position, I reported "just crossing the end of the
runway". With about 30 hours of blind flying practice in a Link
Trainer and with the Taylorcraft now equipped t~ith blind flying
instruments, I was convinced that it would be no problem, with no
wind, to keep on a straight course that would make it possible to
stay away from the high church steeple near the field since flying
down the river there would be no mountains. Flying a straight course
for about 5 minutes we were still in the fog over the river. I
decided then to make a 90 degree turn to get away from the river. A
couple of minutes later we broke out into a perfect clear day. The
passenger had his eyes "glued to the windshield" trying to see
something through the fog. A few minutes after we were in the clear
sky he fell asleep and didn't wake up until we were a few miles from
Bolling. He said in all seriousness, "that was a long ride". By
that remark I could only guess that the five minutes in the fog must
have been misery for him.
In February 1943 the Army wouldn't supply the C.A.P. planes with
fuel. On one trip I took off about 10 miles from Middletown and
landed at Wilson Field to refuel. I decided to visit my
brother-in-law, Paul Long, and his family who lived in Mechanicsburg.
He later became a Lieutenant in the Navy and served in the Pacific.
After coming out of the Navy he became an architect and built over
100 schools, numerous churches, convents and other buildings around
Harrisburg including the City Hall. In semi-retirement he did a lot
of painting and gave classes in art. After spending the night with
his family he drove me to the airport. Checking the weather the
reports were clear at Baltimore and Washington. It had snowed during
the night at Wilson but the weather was good when I took off. Flying
toward York, Pennsylvania I encountered lowering clouds. Following a
road that lead between two high hills I had to stay below the tops of
the hills to keep out of the clouds. Near York I remember looking
down and could see the face of a boy looking up at the plane. Flying
south over the York Road towards Baltimore the ground was getting
higher and the clouds lower and it was snowing. Snow began ta pile
up on the leading edge of the wing. I knew then I was getting into
trouble. At Shrewsburg, Pennsylvania I spotted a field that looked
like a good place to land. Making a 360 degree turn I headed for the
field. Knowing that ice on the wing could effect the stalling speed,
I had to decide at what speed to land. If I came in too slow I would
drop in, if too fast I would run off the edge of the field. Gliding
in about 60 miles per hour, and only a few feet high as I crossed the
beginning of the field at about 55 MPH. At 50 MPH the plane stalled
making a good landing. I had guessed right. The snow on the wings
did make a difference in the stalling speed. The normal stalling
speed for the plane is 40 MPH. A young airman home on leave helped
with the plane. I phoned Lt. Dinsmore and told him where I was. He
asked if I could get off all right. I told him I could and would as
soon as the weather cleared. This was about 9:30 in the morning.
About 3:00 in the afternoon I called Bolling, they said the weather
was ok. I took off and headed for Bolling. Before I got to
Baltimore I could see that I would fly into the same condition I had
flown into in the morning. This time I could see the long line of
clouds ahead in a N.E. to S.W. direction. I flew S.W. along the
clouds staying a safe distance from them. Nearing Rockville,
Maryland I could hear, over the radio, Bolling closing the field. I
landed at Congressional Airport, now Congressional Plaza, and phoned
Lt. Dinsmore. Col. Nicols sent his chauffeur and car to pick up the
parts. It was three days before I flew the plane to Bolling because
of the high ,..Jind. ''Flying" magazine has a column "I Learned About
Flying From That''. Well I learned from that cold front, never try to
push through one. Even if the weather reports are good.
Another time I "Learned-From-That" While climbing after taking
off from M.A.D., up the river, to get about 1,100 feet so I could
turn south to go to Bolling I noticed a buzzard flying over the river
near the top of the mountain. Near the top of the climb the big bird
soared right in front of the plane. I made a steep turn and dove the
plane towards the river to miss the bird and mountain. As I dove the
bird did too staying in front of the plane for a short while and then
bared off to one side. When I pulled out of the dive we had lost
over 500 feet. From that day on I kept my distance from buzzards.
My passenger didn't say a word all the way home.
Although the Taylorcraft in over 600 hours flying never had a
hard landing and the Continental engine, 75 horse power, never quit,
it was almost shot down twice. Captain J.B. Jones, C.A.P., my
Commander at Langley Field borrowed the plane when his wouldn't
start. He flew over the area that he was assigned to, but since he
had cancelled the f li ght a nd had fail ed to report that he was going
to keep the assignment he was shot at by a ground crew member. Seven
20mm cannon shells burst over his head so close that the bullets
shook the plane. We had a little joke about it after things cooled
down. We said it was all right because the Captain in charge
"apologized", he stopped the trigger happy gurrner 1;Jhen he saw 1,.,ihat
was going on.
May 28, 1943 I flew a mechanic, Albert Manganello from Bolling
to Quantico, Marine Air Base about 30 miles down the Potomac River to
work on an Army plane. Flying back up the ri ver we crossed over the
Potomac close to the east bank at less than 500 feet altitude. As we
passed the Navy station we looked down and s aw an explosion, in a
second or so an e normous boom hit the plane . It shook the plane
violently. When the plane stopped shaking I tried the controls and
told Al Manganello that everything was working ok. Checking with the
foreman of the Armor Section at Bolling he said the fire from the
explosion was probably because we were looking down the mouth of the
barrel of a large gun as it went off. I wondered if Al would ever
fly with me again. He did several times.
Flying at about 1,000 feet a few miles from Quantico a Marine
plane appeared overhead about twenty feet away going in the same
direction. I thought, "what is he trying to do, scare me", well he
did. He was number one to land and I followed behind. As I was on
final approach I noticed he was still traveling fast on the ground.
He ground looped Just before he got to the edge of the field but not
in time to keep the tail from bouncing on rocks damaging the plane.
Then I thought maybe he wasn't buzzing me, but was a "near miss'' that
scared him enough to cause him to make a bad landing.
Another time flying over Porter· Street into Bolling "I Learned
About Flying From That''. There had been an article about the danger
of slipping plane while landing. I was using that method often to
bring the plane down where I wanted it to land. This day I was high
coming over the fence, I slipped to lose altitude when all at once
the plane stalls and began to drop like a rock. I gunned the
throttle, leveled the plane and got flying speed just as the wheels
touched the ground. I was careful about slipping after that.
While making an approach west into Bolling, over Porter Street,
that led to the main gate, I was first to land when I saw a Navy C-45
on my left approaching the Navy field north and next to Bolling. We
were on a collision course. I asked Bolling about the plane on my
left, the tower remarked that they had no control over Navy planes.
I pushed the throttle full forward gaining altitude and went around
again.
There were some other scary moments. Flying from Bolling to
Washington National with Col. Nickel, a Navy C-45 buzzed us when we
were about 20 feet in the air. Col. Nickel said "make your landing".
I had cut off this Navy plane. The plane had to go around again.
Explaining to the supervisor of the tower I was sure I heard that my
number 090 was first to land, he took a minute to check then told me
to be careful after this. Later on I heard a plane being called by
radio Navy 090.
Checking my log book there were flights I don't remember, and I
remember some that are not recorded. The one year and four months
that I, or should I say "We" were on active duty, there was about 600
hours flying time which included carrying about 110 passengers and
hundreds of parts, over 400 flights, averaging about 1 hour and 10
minutes per trip. The shortest about 2 or 3 minutes, the longest 2
hours and 27 minutes. Capacity of plane 12 gallons, used 4 gallons
to hour. Range 3 hours at 2,100 RPM and 97 miles per hour. Only one
trip that didn't accomplish anything.
With the end of active duty April 1944, I flew to Hyde Field to
report to the Commander of the 22nd Tow Target Unit of which I was
attached. Flying the pattern, the turns, the final glide, the touch
down, the run down the runway, turning at the taxi strip a t the
proper speed and taxi to the ramp was the most perfect I ever did, it
was flawless. I never felt more than ever as if I was a part of the
plane and the plane was part of me, we were one, this our final day
together we had to be perfect, and we were. A Civil Air Patrol pilot
came over and remarked, "That is the most perfect landing I ever
saw". After "checking it out" with the commander, I flew the plane
to Congressional Airport and turned it over to the owner, Major
Arthur Hyde, the Maryland Wing Commander. I cried when I left my
reliable companion, this beautiful red and black Taylorcraft, NC
34090 that had served our country so flawlessly.
There was one mission in April 1944 I will never forget. Not a
danger to me but to a six year old girl who was dying of meningitis,
in Childrens Hospital, Washington, D.C .. With no penicillin she would
not live long.
Colonel Jarman, Medical Officer at Bolling Field, issued orders
to release to me penicillin that saved the little girls life. The
little girl was my daughter, Frances Marie Bergling.
Later in 1944 I returned to Bolling as a Civil Service Employee
and worked in the office of Maintenance Control, staying a year and
eight months. My total time at Bolling was three years. When the
active duty flying was over, I put part time in the Civil Air Patrol.
I organized and commanded the College Park Flight, was promoted to a
Group Commander of Maryland Wing. 10 May 1948 the National Capitol
Wing was created, I was chosen the Wing Commander.
The Taylorcraft 34090 and I were accident free, others were not
so lucky. 64 members of Civil Air Patrol died and about 100
airplanes were badly damaged or destroyed.
Speech prepared for OX5 Aviation Pioneers
MR. TILLERY, MEMBERS OF 0X5 AVIATION PIONEERS,
BOB WALLACE SAID IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HAVE MEMBERS OF 0X5 TO TELL OF THEIR EXPERIENCES IN AVIATION,
MR, TILLERY ASKED ME TO GIVE A TALK AT THIS MEETING, THE MEMBERS OF 0X5 KNOW THE HISTORY OF AVIATION WELL,
WHAT l WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO TELL WHERE I WAS WHEN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION WAS BEING MADE,
10TH FEBRUARY 1908, THE SIGNAL CORP OF THE ARMY GAVE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS A CONTRACT TO BUILD THE ARMY'S FIRST AIRPLANE,
THAT WAS THE DAY I WAS BORN,
My MOTHER SAID WHEN I WAS 4 YEARS OLD l WOULD CLIMB OUT THE SECOND STORY WINDOW AND STAND ON THE PORCH ROOF OF MY GRANDPARENTS'
(LOVELESS) HOUSE IN BERWYN HEIGHTS, AND WATCH THE PLANES FLYING FROM THE COLLEGE PARK AIRPORT.
I REMEMBER AT THE AGE OF 8 AT THE ALTAR OF OUR CHURCH WERE STATUES OF TWO ANGELS, I THOUGHT HOW WONDERFUL IT WOULD BE TO HAVE WINGS AND BE ABLE TO FLY.
IN THE WINTER OF 1916-1917, I WAS PLAYING ON THE ICE OF THE DUCK POND AT SOLDIERS HOME WHEN AN AIRPLANE FLEW OVER. I RAN
ACROSS THE ICE TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE PLANE WHEN I STEPPED ON A BOARD WHERE THERE WASN'T ANY ICE, I REMEMBER LOOKING UP AND SEEING ICE ABOVE ME, A MAN SAW ME AND HELPED ME OUT OF THE WATER (I THINK THE PLANE WAS A CURTISS PUSHER)
1917 I MADE MY FIRST JUMP---- WITH AN UMBRELLA. I JUMPED OFF AN EIGHT FOOT WALL, LANDING HARD TAUGHT ME NOT TO TRY THAT AGAIN,
WHEN MY FAMILY LIVED AT 414-10TH STREET, S.E., WASHINGTONJ D.C. IN THE 1920's l WOULD GO OVER TO BOLLING FIELD AND WATCH THE PLANES
FLY, AT THAT TIMEJ THE ARMY AND NAVY USED THE SAME FIELD. THE ARMY'S BUILDINGS WERE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FIELD, THE NAVY'S BUILDINGS WERE ON THE WEST ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ANACOSTIA RIVER WHERE IT FLOWED INTO THE POTOMAC.
I REMEMBER SEEING Lt. AL WILLIAMS DEMONSTRATING INVERTED FLYING, THE OUTSIDE LOOP, AN INVERTED VERTICAL CIRCLE COMPLETELY AROUND THE
FIELD AT VERY LOW ALTITUDE. HE GLIDED UPSIDE DOWN IN HIS FINAL APPROACH AND ROLLED OVER JUST IN TIME TO MAKE A PERFECT LANDING.
ABOUT 1925,I TOOK MY FIRST RIDE IN A CURTISS JENNY, 0X5, AT HOOVER FIELD, VIRGINIA, RUTH BOWLING, LATER MY WIFE, AND I HAD
A RIDE IN A SEAPLANE WITH A HISPANO ENGINE AT ARLINGTON BEACH SEAPLANE, INC,, SOUTH END OF HIGHWAY BRIDGE, I HAD A RIDE IN A BERLINGER-JOYCE AT HOOVER.
ABOUT 1927, - ASH I NGTON AIRPORT, INC, TOOK OVER A 1/4 MILE DIRT
RACE TRACK ACROSS THE COLUMBIA ROAD FROM HOOVER FIELD,
I BOUGHT A HEATH PARASOL, SENT IT BACK WHEN I FOUND OUT I
COULD NOT PUT IT TOGETHER.
HERBERT FAY, PILOT OF A NEW WACO 10 SAID HE WOULD GIVE ME FLYING LESSONS FOR WORK IN HELPING TO MAKE THE OLD RACE TRACK INTO A FLYING FIELD.
ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATERJONE OF THE NEW PLANES TAKING OFF FROM THE FIELD HAD A FORCED LANDING ON A FARM SOUTH OF THE OLD BOLLING
FIELD) WHERE THE NEW BOLLING FIELD IS TODAY. THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY FIRED ME FOR LETTING A WASHINGTON POST PHOTOGRAPHER TAKE
A PICTURE OF THE PLANE, So MY TWO WEEKS WORK ENDED WITH NO FLYING LESSONS. I LATER HAD SOME RIDES AT WASHINGTON AIRPORT THAT I PAID FOR, STEWART REISS GAVE ME ONE HOUR DUAL IN A WACO 10J 1927; PART IN VIRGINIA) WEST OF ALEXANDRIA) VIRGINIA; PART AT COLLEGE PARK,
MARCH 1928 MY BROTHER AND I JOINED A FLYING CLUBJ THE DC, AIR LEGION. PAUL GARBER GAVE THE CLUB A LECTURE ON THE HISTORY OF FLYING,
1929 I JOINED THE CAPITAL AERO CLUB, TOOK PRIVATE PILOT'S GROUND COURSE AT D,C, AIR LEGION, MECHANIC COURSE AT THE AVIATION SCHOOL OF AMERICA, PARACHUTE COURSE AT NAVAL AIR STATION,
MADE ONE JUMP AT LOGAN FIELD) BALTIMORE., MAY 1929, lsT SOLO., COLLEGE PARK AIRPORT) THE 11TH HOURJ 11TH DAY, 11TH MONTH) 11 YEARS AFTER WORLD WAR I IN A TRAVEL AIR, WITH A WORLD WAR CURTISS 90 HP OX5 ENGINE,
JANUARY 29, 1930; PRIVATE PILOTS LICENSE NUMBER 11902, FLIGHT TEST AT HOOVER FIELD,
1930; GLIDER LICENSE NUMBER 436,
WHEN LINDBERGH ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON AFTER HIS NEW YORK TO PARIS FLIGHT, I SAW HIM RIDING IN A CONVERTIBLE ON 10TH STREET BETWEEN
F & G.
MY WIFE SAW HIM A NUMBER OF TIMES AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY WHEN HE WAS DOING RESEARCH, AIR MAIL PILOT AT BOLLING, MARCH 4, 1929. THE INAUGURATION PARADE OF PRES1DENT HERBERT HOOVER, I WAS MARCHING WITH THE DC NATIONAL GUARD. WE HAD JUST MARCHED PAST THE PEACE CROSS ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, WHEN I HEARD ENGINES IN THE SKY. THE CLOUDS COMPLETELY COVERED THE SKY, NOT MUCH HIGHER THAN THE CAPITOL DOME, VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUDS WAS UNLIMITED.
I LOOKED UP AND SAW COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS THE NAVY'S ZEPPELIN, THE Los ANGELES, IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS, NW, OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING NOT MORE THAN A HALF BLOCK FROM THE CAPITOL GROUNDS.
I WAS AMAZED, HOW DID THEY KNOW WHEN TO LET DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND MISS THE CAPITOL BY ONLY ABOUT A BLOCK OR SO?
THE 800 FOOT ZEPPELIN FLEW ABOVE THE PARADE ROUTE ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, JUST A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE BUILDINGS,
I REMEMBER THE GOODYEAR BLIMP AT HOOVER, I THINK IT HAD A HANGER THERE. WHILE FLYING AT COLLEGE PARK, l SAW A PLANE THAT WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH BLIND FLYING INSTRUMENTS. THE PLANE WOULD FLY INTO THE FIELD JUST A FEW FEET OFF THE GROUND AND THEN CLIMB AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THAT JIMMY DciOLITTLE WAS ONE OF THE PILOTS.
ONE DAY AT BOLLING FIELD, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE OCCASION WAS, BUT 1,100 AIR PLANES FLEW OVER WASHINGTON.
1928 THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AERONATUICAL MEET WAS HELD IN WASHINGTON, AVIATION PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ATTEND. I WAS ABLE TO GET AUTOGRAPHS ON MY STUDENT PILOT'S LICENSE, OF ORVILLE WRIGHT, LT. AL WILLIAMS, LT. LESTER MAITLAND, CLARENCE D. CHAMBERLIN, FOKKER, LADY MARY HEATH, PARKER CRAMER AND A FEW OTHERS.
ALL THESE EVENTS WERE COVERED BY THE NEWSPAPER RADIO AND MOVING PICTURE NEWS REELS WHICH WAS SEEN AND HEARD WITH GREAT INTEREST.
ERNIE PYLE, THE MOST POPULAR REPORTER IN WORLD WAR ll, HAD A AVIATION COLUMN IN THE WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS ABOUT 1928 TO 1933)
MAYBE LONGER. HIS REPORTING WAS OF GREAT INTEREST IN NEWS OF THE AIR MAIL, BOLLING FIELD NAVAL AIR STATION, WASHINGTON-HOOVER FIELD.
THERE WAS NEWS OF THE SMALL AIRPORTS THAT SPRANG UP IN THE WASHINGTON AREA. COLLEGE PARK, OF COURSE, WAS THE FIRST AND OLDEST, THEN CAME CONGRESSIONAL, SCHROM, QUEENS CHAPEL, CAPITAL, HYDE IN MARYLAND. IN VIRGINIA, BEACON, HYBLA VALLEY AND OTHERS. ALSO NATIONAL NEWS.
ERNIE PYLE WROTE A LOT ABOUT GLIDING. ONE DAY I GAVE HIM SOME INSTRUCTION IN A GLIDER. HE MADE SEVERAL SOLO FLIGHTS.
ONE DAY AT HOOVER FIELD, ERNIE PYLE AND l HAD A FLIGHT IN A PITCAIRN AUTOGRO, PILOT BY JIM RAY. THE DAY BEFORE HE DEMONSTRATED THE AUTOGYRO, IN FRONT OF THE CAPITOL, FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, ALSO LANDED AT THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS,
0N OUR FLIGHT WE TOOK OFF AT HOOVER FIELD, CLIMBED OVER THE AIRPORT AND THE COLUMBIA ROAD THAT SEPARATED THE TWO FIELDS. WHEN WE WERE OVER THE CENTER OF WASHINGTON AIRPOR THE PILOT STARTED THE DESCENT, fROM l000 FEET, WE CAME STRAIGHT DOWN AND LANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD.
1930 I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE EAGLE GLIDER CLUB. THE 25 MEMBERS MADE ABOUT 400 FLIGHTS. I MADE ABOUT 150 FLIGHTS. RUTH BOWLING, MY FIANCE FLEW THE GLIDER.
JANUARY ll, 1931 I FLEW A RUBBER GLIDER FOR MOVING PICTURE NEWS CAMERAS. THEY TOOK PICTURES OF THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH FLIGHT, THE GLIDER CRASHED ON THE EIGHTH FLIGHT. THE MOVING PICTURES WERE SHOWN IN THE THEATERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE EIGHTH FLIGHT, THE CRASH WAS SHOWN IN THE MOVING PICTURE, "THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES".
BEFORE T.V, WHICH WAS BEFORE WW ll, THE THEATERS WOULD SHOW MOVIES OF NEWS EVENTS ON THE SCREEN. THERE WAS ONE THEATER, TRANS LUX, THAT SHOWED ONLY NEWS EVENTS THAT RUN ABOUT ONE HOUR. IN MAY 193 WHEN THE GERMAN ZEPPELIN HINDENBURG CRASHED, THE TRANS LUX SHOWED THE PICTURES FOR WEEKS,
WHEN OUR COUNTRY ENTERED WORLD WAR II, DECEMBER 1941, I JOINED THE CIVIL AIR PATROL AND WENT ON ACTIVE DUTY FROM NOVEMBER 1942 TO APRIL 1944l STATIONED AT LANGLEY AND BOLLING FIELDS. I WAS A CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE AT BOLLING FROM OCTOBER 1944 TO JUNE 1946.
I WAS IN CIVIL AIR PATROL ABOUT 15 YEARS.
I FLEW PLANES WITH 0X5 ENGINES, WACO 9 & 10, AND TRAVEL AIR ALSO OXX6 LINCOLN PAGE KITTY HAWKJ 100 HP FIVE CYLINDER AIR COOL ENGINE.
THE PIPER CUBS 40, 50, 55 AND 65 HP ENGINES. PIPER CRUISER 75 HP, STINSTON VOYAGER, 75 HP.
PT-17 WITH 225 HP.
CESSNAS 150-152 & 170,
1957 AT A CIVIL AIR PATROL CADET ENCAMPMENT, I HAD A FLIGHT IN A JET T-331 A TWO PLACE F-80. THE PILOT LET ME ROLL THE PLANE AND PERFORM SOME OTHER MINOR MANEUVERS AT NEARLY 500 MILES PER HOUR,
