Famous Flyers and Their Famous Flights Read online

  CHAPTER IV--Some War Heroes

  Whether secret springs were put into operation by Mrs. Martin thatafternoon or not, nevertheless Hal was able to join the party going tothe airport early the next morning. It was a beautiful morning. It hadstopped raining, and the sun, coming out strong and bright, had driedeverything so thoroughly that only an occasional puddle here and thereon the road showed that it had rained at all. The drive to the port waspleasant, too; the port being about a mile out of town, and at leastfive miles from the Martin home.

  When they arrived, the day's program was in full sway. A hugetri-motored plane was loading passengers for a cross-country trip. Asthe three approached the port, they saw the great plane rise into theair and take off exactly on schedule. Smaller planes were flying aboutabove the airport, and on the ground mechanics were working over severalplanes that needed overhauling. Captain Bill wanted to go first to theadministration building, a large white brick structure, modern as anyoffice building in appearance. He wanted to see the head of the airport,an old friend of his, and make the final arrangements for the care ofhis plane when it came in.

  As they were about to enter the building, a tall, heavy-set man passedthem, on his way out. Captain Bill started, and half turned. "Well, ifthat didn't look like--" he began, then turned and went on into thebuilding. "Looked like an old flying buddy of mine. But of course, itcouldn't be. Old Hank never was that fat. Never had an ounce of fat onhim. All skin and bone. But you never can tell, eh, boys?"

  "You'll be getting there yourself, some day, be careful," laughed Bob.

  John Headlund, delighted to see Captain Bill, jumped up from his desk,and pumped his hands up and own. "If it isn't the Captain! Man, it'sgreat to see you again!" Headlund and Bill had flown together in France,and although they had kept in touch with each other a few years afterthey had returned to America, the press of business had kept them apart,and they had not seen each other for years. Captain Bill presented theboys.

  "They're going to bring new business for you, Headlund," said Bill."Here are two of America's future flyers."

  The boys grinned.

  Headlund, after wishing them success, turned again to Bill. "Do you seeany of the old boys?" he asked.

  "Pat McDermott's my partner," said Bill. "He's flying the old boat inthis afternoon sometime."

  "He is! That's great! And quite a coincidence, too. Do you know who washere--left just before you came in?"

  "Not Hank Brown!" shouted Bill. "By golly, I thought I recognized thatface! Old Hank! What was he doing here?"

  "He's got a ship down here in one of our hangars. It's a beauty--a fourpassenger cabin plane, with the pilot's seat up front--a beautiful job.Listen, Hank's gone down to the hangar now to look it over. Maybe youcan catch him down there. It's Avenue B, the last hangar in line."

  "Great. I'd like to see Hank. Last time I saw him he was in an Englishhospital, eating porridge and not liking it at all. Who would havethought that the old skinny marink would have put on all that poundage?Old Hank fat! And flying in a cabin plane. Come on, fellows, we've gotto go down there and see him." He turned to Headlund. "I'm going to bein town all summer, Heady, and I guess you'll be seeing plenty of me.What street did you say? Avenue B?"

  Captain Bill and the boys hurried out, found the right road, and walkedalong it until they came to the last hangar. A beautiful plane, blackand aluminum, stood outside. But as they approached, there was nobody tobe seen.

  "Ahoy, there!" shouted Bill. "Anybody here know Hank Brown?"

  Hank himself appeared from the other side of the plane, where he hadbeen conferring with a mechanic. "I'm Henry Brown," he said, peeringfrom behind gold-rimmed glasses at Bill and the boys. His faceregistered no sign of recognition at first. Then suddenly it lighted up,he rushed forward, and gripped Captain Bill's hand in his, slapping himheartily on the back with the other. "Well, Bill! You old sock! Where onearth did you come from? What are you doing here? Where have you been?"

  Bill, delighted to see his old buddy, laughed at him, and poked him inhis now well-padded ribs. "One question at a time, Hank. What are youdoing here? And how come you've got this grand ship?" asked Bill.

  "I asked you first," laughed Hank.

  They spent the next ten minutes telling each other just what they hadbeen doing since their last meeting. They spared the details, but eachwas satisfied with the other's story. Hank had done well as the managerand later as president of his father's steel plant. Prosperity hadironed out the wrinkles that had always twinkled around his steely greyeyes, and contentment had added inches to his waistline, but he wasstill the same generous, fun-loving Hank that the boys had known inFrance.

  "Listen," said Hank. "Come on in and try the plane. See how comfortableit is. Say, this is some different from the old rattletraps we used tofly, isn't it?"

  "But we had some good thrills in them, didn't we," said Bill. Thismeeting with Hank was bringing back memories that had not stirred in himfor many years.

  "Let's get in here where we can talk in comfort," said Hank.

  They mounted a little step that the mechanic set for them, and enteredthe side door of the plane. The inside was amazingly luxurious. Alongboth sides were upholstered seats, covered with multi-colored cushions.There were built-in fixtures, and everything to make for the greatestease in traveling. The pilot's seat could be partitioned off by a glasssliding door up front.

  The three men sat down on the seats at the side of the cabin. "Gee,they're soft," said Bob. "I could ride all day on these." He jumped upand down a little.

  "Remember your manners," said Bill.

  Bob stopped jumping and blushed. "Oh, I forgot," he said. He had reallyforgotten that Hank Brown was an important man, a millionaire. But Hankonly laughed.

  "How would you people like to take the plane up on its last ride thisyear?" he asked.

  "The last ride?" said Bill. "Why the last?"

  "Well, I'm putting her away," said Hank. "That's what I was talking tothe mechanic and Headlund about. I was going to spend my summer up in mylog cabin in Canada, fishing, and all that. But my wife wants to go toEurope instead. She's going to take the two girls over to France andleave them there in school. That would mean she'd have to come back allalone. I've been intending to go back to take a look around ever sinceI've been back in America, so I thought I'd take the opportunity ofgetting over there now with her. I wouldn't take the plane. I won't needa big ship like this. If I want to fly I can pick up a little French orGerman bus. So I'm putting old Lizzie in the hangar. Seems a shame. Buthow would you like to go up now? Would you like to try her out?" heasked Bill. "Would I?" said Bill. He slid into the pilot's seat, andlooked over the instrument board, to familiarize himself with theinstruments with which the plane was equipped. Then he turned back tothe boys. "Want to go up?"

  Bob was almost beside himself with excitement. "Take her up, Bill goon," he squealed. "Sure we want to go up. Go ahead, Bill."

  Hal said nothing. His face was pale. Bill thought that it would be bestto ignore him, and just take it for granted that he wanted to go up,too. And Hal, although he was by this time frightened to death, wouldnot admit it. He decided to risk the going up rather than say that hewas afraid.

  The mechanic taxied the plane out into the open and took away the steps.Bill pressed the starter, and the great propeller began to move. Slowlythe ship rolled over the ground, gradually gaming momentum. Finally itrose into the air. Bill handled the huge ship as though it were a toy.Higher and higher it rose. Bob, looking out of the window, saw thebuilding of the airport whizzing by below them, then disappear into awhirling mass. Were they going? Were they standing still? Bob couldn'ttell.

  "How high are we?" he shouted at the top of his voice to Hank.

  "About 5,000 feet," judged Hank. He was looking over at Hal ratheranxiously. He thought that maybe the boy was going to be sick. But Halmanfully hung on, and said nothing.

  "We seem to be standing still," shouted Bob.

  "We're going, all
right. Your uncle is a great one for speed!" shoutedback Hank.

  The plane was banking now for a turn. They were going back. In a shortwhile Bill had brought the plane down once more into the airport.

  "Well, how did you like it?" he said, turning around in his pilot'sseat.

  "Great!" said Bob.

  But Hal was just a little sick. He said nothing, and waited for theworld to settle down again.

  "You sure handle the ship like you used to in the old days," said Hankadmiringly to Bill.

  "She's a great ship," said Bill, modestly.

  Hank had an idea. "Say," he said impulsively, "how would you like to flyher while I'm in Europe?"

  "Gee, Hank, I really don't think"--began Bill. He thought, the same oldHank, always generous, always impulsive.

  But Hank was going on with his plan. "Listen, I won't take 'no' for ananswer. You fly my plane. And you can fly it up to the Canadian cabin ifyou want to. Then a perfectly swell vacation plan won't be entirelythrown away. How about it? The cabin is all ready to move into. They'vebeen fixing it up for me. What do you say? Are you game?"

  "Game?" said Bill. "Gee, I'm crazy about the idea. But I don't see whyyou should do this for me."

  Hank was embarrassed. "You've been pretty decent to me in other times,remember that, Bill, old boy," he said.

  "Forget it," said Bill.

  Hank turned to the boys. "Bill here shot down a Boche when the Boche wasall but stepping on my tail. Those were the days, eh, Bill?"

  "You bet," said Bill. "We sure were glad to get back alive. Remember oldLufbery? Raoul of the Lafayette Escadrille? There was a boy who couldshoot them down. Six out of seven in one day. Not bad flying, that. Theyused to get pretty close to Raoul themselves. He'd come in with hisclothes ripped with bullets, but ready to go right out again with thenext patrol. Then one day he got his, and there wasn't a man there thatwouldn't have given everything he had to save him, either. He'd gone upafter a German that nobody seemed able to down. Lufbery climbed up toget above him, and dove. But something went wrong with his plane--Godknows what, and those who were watching from the ground saw it burstinto flame. Then they saw him stand on the edge of the cockpit and jump.It was horrible. But it was the only way for Lufbery to die--with hisplane. He wanted it that way."

  Then Hank said, "And Bill Thaw! There was another flying fool. Bill wasgreat fun--always laughing and joking, just as if his next flight mightnot be his last. Remember what he did to those three German planes whenthey got fresh with him, Bill?" He turned to the boys. "Thaw," heexplained, "was coming back from his regular patrol, when he suddenlycame face to face with three German planes. One of them maneuvered tohis left, the second to his right, and the third dove below him to fireup. Well, Bill had to think fast, and he did. He side-slipped until hewas directly over the plane below him, and fired down. One gone. Then hepulled himself out of a steep dive, and went after the second plane. Aquick swoop, and a steep bank, a rapid burst of fire, and the secondGerman went down in a burning nose dive.

  "From then on it was nip and tuck, and each man for himself, dog eatdog. It was a pretty even battle. The German was plucky, and ripped intoThaw for all he was worth. But one lucky turn, one accurate shot, andThaw had him. Down went his plane. Thaw, his plane in ribbons, hisclothes bullet-riddled, limped home, stepped out of his plane with asmile, and a joke on his lips."

  "Golly," said Bob, "that must have been great fun. I wish I'd beenthere."

  "What would we have done with a baby in swaddling clothes?" laughedBill.

  "Aw," said Bob, "you know I mean if I was old enough."

  Hank was looking into the distance, with the far-away look that meantanother story was coming on, and Bob stopped talking.

  Finally Hank said, "Remember Luke and Wehner? What a team! You never sawtwo men so different in your life. Frank Luke talked a lot--not alwaysthe most modest fellow in the world, either, and made a great to-doabout everything he did. But he sure did plenty of damage to theGermans. Joe Wehner was quiet, modest, never talked very much, and neverabout himself. But still they were always together. Came to be known as'The Luke and Wehner Duo.'

  "They worked together, too. Went out on the same patrol and always stucktogether. Luke's specialty was shooting down Drachens. Those were theGerman observation balloons that they sent up behind their lines toobserve what was going on in the American lines. Of course, theinformation they got caused plenty of harm, and anybody who shot down aDrachen was doing a lot of good. But the things were expensive anduseful, and the Germans sent them up with plenty of protection. Therewas always a swarm of planes flying around them and ready to light intoany stranger that came near.

  "Luke and Wehner used to take care of that. Wehner would fly above Luke,looking out for any plane that might come to attack him. If one hove insight, Wehner would go for him and engage him while Luke flew on andshot down the balloon. Balloon after balloon went down. The Germans weregetting wary.

  "One day when Luke and Wehner were on their way to see what they coulddo about three Drachens that were watching the American lines, they metup with a formation of Fokkers. Wehner dived into the uneven battle.Luke flew on, and shot down one, then the other bag. But the gallantWehner had fought his last fight. One of the Fokkers downed him. Luke,who saw what had happened to his pal, left the remaining balloon andfuriously charged the Fokkers. He fought like mad, zooming, diving,spurting fire into those German planes. Two of them hurtled to theground. The others fled. Luke started for home. On his way he engagedand downed another enemy plane. It was a record that on any other day hewould have boasted about. But not that day. His pal had been killed, andLuke was for once silent and speechless.

  "Of course, he didn't give up balloon breaking. He added up a goodlystore. But one day he got his, like so many of them. He'd sent threeDrachens down in flames that day, when his own plane was so badlycrippled, and he was so badly wounded that he was forced to land. Hewouldn't let them take him, though, and he died fighting. When a band ofGerman soldiers approached him, he pulled out his gun and shot six ofthem before he fell dead."

  It was Bill's turn. "Of course you boys have heard of EddieRickenbacker. There was an ace for you. If it was speed and trick flyingthat you wanted, Eddie was the man to give it to you. He had a bag oftricks that would get any pursuit plane off his tail. But he didn'talways use them. He didn't have 26 planes to his credit for nothing.Eddie was a great ace and a great scout."

  Hank interrupted. "Here we go gassing again like two old fogies. I feellike my own grandfather sitting on the front porch and discussing thebattle of Bull Run. We are getting old, aren't we, Bill? Theseyoungsters ought to be glad that they didn't have to fly those old busesthat we used, though. The new planes are great to fly. You two are goingto have a grand time. I'd rather fly than travel any other way. But Idon't think that it would be quite the thing to suggest to my wife nowthat I would rather fly to Europe with her than take the boat. So oldHank will be a land animal this time. Or rather, a water animal, insteadof a bird."

  "A sort of--fish?" laughed Bill.

  "Shut up, you," said Hank. "Now, listen, how about that offer of mycabin and my plane for your vacation? It'll be a grand trip, and Iguarantee that you'll like the cabin on the mountain. Nobody around formiles, except Jake, who takes care of the place for me. In fact, there'sno town for a hundred miles around. About the only practical way ofgetting there is by plane. Just think, old man, all of that beauty andsolitude going begging. You can get right back to nature there, live awild life, or have all the conveniences of home, whichever you chose.We've got the place all fixed up. It's a real man's place, and you'lllove it. And I'd like to see somebody who'd appreciate it have it thissummer. And I know you would."

  Bill looked at Hank, who was talking so earnestly, with a puzzled look."Listen, Hank," he said, "you aren't trying to persuade me to go upthere as a favor to you, are you? Because if you are, you're crazy. It'scertainly not you who should be doing the begging. We ought to be downon our hands an
d knees begging you for the place. The only reason Ihesitate at all is because I think it's too much you're doing for us."

  Hank snorted. "Then you're going to take the place."

  Bill looked at him fondly, seeing through the strange marks that timehad left on this man, the young, awkward boy whom he had befriended inFrance, when he had been just a young fellow himself, but not so greenas the other. Then he said, "What do you say we leave it up to theboys?" He turned to them. "What do you say, Bob? How does a vacation upin the mountains sound to you?"

  Bob, his eyes shining, could hardly answer. He hadn't wanted to show toomuch eagerness before because he had remembered his manners just intime, and was watching Bill to see how they should respond to HankBrown's generous offer. But now that he saw that Bill was favorablydisposed, he breathed, "Oh, gee, I think that it would be great! Justgreat! Let's go, Bill."

  Hank was amused and pleased by this enthusiasm.

  The Captain turned to Hal. "How about you?"

  Hal, who had forgotten his misery during the recital of the excitingstories of war aces, and was once more fired with ambition, now that hewas safely on the ground, was almost as enthusiastic. "But," he said asan afterthought, "I don't know whether I could go, of course. Mymother--" his voice trailed off.

  Bill reached over and grasped Hank's hand. "We'll take it, old scout.Don't know how to thank you."

  "Don't," said Hank. "I'm glad you're going to go. All you have to do isto wire to Jake when you're coming. He lights bonfires to mark thelanding field, and there you are. I'm going to be in town for two weeks,so you can come up any time to make arrangements. O.K.? Now I've got togo. I've been spending too much time as it is. Wish I could stay and seePat, but I can't. Tell him to come up and see me, will you?"

  He bid them goodbye and left in his automobile which had been parkednearby. The next hour was spent in an exciting inspection of the variousplanes in the airport, from tiny two-seater monoplanes that looked likefragile toys, to huge biplanes; and in a growing impatience with Pat'sdelay. Finally a tiny speck appeared on the horizon, but the three ofthem had been disappointed so often that they did not dare to hope thatthis was at last Pat McDermott. But it was. He stepped out of the greenmonoplane and pushing up his goggles, looked around him. He spied histhree friends immediately, and hurried to meet them.

  "Hi, Irish!" called Captain Bill. "I want you to meet two pals of mine."He introduced Bob and Hal. "We're going to teach them to fly."

  The two boys shook hands with Pat. He looked like his name, a tall,broad, husky man with a shock of curly hair that had probably once beenred, but which was now brown, with a little gray at the temples; a youngface--it was impossible to tell how old he was; and a broad grin thatspread across his face and up around his eyes, disappearing into theroots of his hair.

  "Well," he said, without ceremony, as though he had been friends oftheirs for years, "They'll make good flyers if they're not too lazy. Andif anybody can make you work, I can. And I will."

  The Captain laughed. "Don't take Pat seriously," he said. "He's too lazyto make you work very hard. But let me warn you that he's trained armyflyers, so you'd better not mind what he says, while he's teaching you."

  The boys had gone over and were looking at the Marianne. She was abeautifully stream-lined craft, large yet graceful.

  Pat noticed the boys' admiration, and was pleased. "How about taking aride in her now?" he asked.

  "They just got down to earth," said the Captain. He explained about Hankand Hank's plane. Pat was delighted that their old pal had turned up,and decided that they would have to have a reunion very soon. He alsodecided on the spot that he was going along with them to the mountains.

  "Try to keep me away. Although I don't much fancy the riding oncushions, in a fancy plane. When I fly, I want to fly. But if you let medo the piloting, I'll make the best of that." Pat always decided thingsthat way, but nobody resented his high-hand manner, since he looked, andwas, the sort of man who could make good on any job he undertook. "Well,Bob, my lad," he said, turning to the boy, "how about going up? It's thefirst step in learning to fly. And don't think that it's going to belike cabin flying. You'll notice the difference when you get up. Ready?"

  "Sure," said Bob.

  Pat produced a helmet and some goggles. "It's an open cockpit you'resitting in," he said. "And see that the goggles fit tightly."

  Bob wiggled them around. "They seem all right," he said.

  "All right, hop in," Pat told him.

  Bob climbed into the rear cockpit, no less thrilled by his second flightthat day than he had been by his first. He waved his hand to the Captainand Hal who were watching them. Pat climbed into the front cockpit."Ready?" he called.

  "O. K!" shouted Bob.

  Pat started the motor, which was a self-starter. The plane taxied gentlyacross the field, and Pat turned her nose into the wind. Bob felt herlift from the earth; there was a bump--they hadn't quite cleared; Patspeeded up, until Bob, looking over the side of the cockpit, could seethe ground slipping by dizzily. Then the bumping stopped; they had leftthe ground. This time they did not again bump; the Marianne soared intothe air.

  Bob could feel the blast of air against his face, and he was glad hisgoggles fitted well. The motor roared, the wind screamed. Bob tried toshout, but could not hear himself uttering a sound. He looked down. Theairport looked as it had from the other plane. Now he had more of thefeeling of flying. There was a sudden bump. The Marianne droppedsuddenly. Bob felt as though he were in an elevator that had descendedvery suddenly--there was the same pit-of-the-stomach feeling. Air bump,he thought, and it was. He looked over the side again, and could seenothing. They were traveling pretty high.

  Then suddenly the roar of the motor stopped, and they began to descendat what Bob felt must be an almost unbelievable speed. At first Bob wasfrightened, but then realized that they were gliding down. Every now andthen Pat turned on his engine again. Bob, looking over the side, couldsee the fields coming up to meet them. They landed so gently that hehardly felt the jolt of the wheels touching the ground.

  How funny to stand on the stable ground once more! The sound of themotor was still roaring in Bob's ears. He pulled off the goggles andhelmet. "It was marvelous!" he shouted loudly to his friends.

  "We can hear you," said the Captain. "You needn't shout!"

  "Was I shouting?" laughed Bob.

  "You are," said the Captain.

  But Pat had turned to Hal. "Well, lad, you're next."

  But Hal said what he had been rehearsing for many minutes, in fact, eversince Bob had taken to the air. "Don't you think it's rather late? Wehaven't had any lunch. Maybe we could go up again after lunch."

  Captain Bill, who knew the struggle that was going on in Hal's heart,and who was getting hungry anyway, said, "Lunch. That's the idea. We'vegot a great picnic lunch, Pat."

  "Lead me to it," said Pat.

  "Knew that would get you," laughed the Captain.

  They left the plane in charge of a mechanic, who was to look after it,and went over to the automobile that the Captain had parked. Theydecided, on Bob's suggestion, to eat on a grassy slope from which theycould see the airport.

  "I've got an idea," said the Captain. "You can start your story aboutLindbergh."

  "I'm ready," said Bob, "if you're ready to listen. I think I know thestory backwards and forward."

  "Begin at the beginning, always," the Captain warned.

  They reached the spot where they had chosen to picnic, and settled backcontentedly in the long grass to hear part of Bob's story before lunch.