Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings Read online

  _Chapter IX_

  AIR TRAILS

  Dorothy donned her overalls while Bill spoke to the mechanic who waswaiting by the plane. Then the man got into a car and drove away, andBill beckoned her to him.

  "All set?"

  "All set."

  "Then we'll begin. First of all, you must know the names of thedifferent parts of the plane. Some you know already, but we'll go overthem just the same. That hinged movable auxiliary surface on thetrailing edge of the wing is an aileron. Its primary function is toimpress a rolling movement on the airplane. Got that?"

  "Yes."

  "Then repeat what I just said."

  Dorothy did so.

  "Good. Now this is a drag wire."

  After twenty minutes of this kind of thing he asked her to point out anaileron and explain its use.

  "K.O." he said at last. "We'll go over parts each day for a while andthe book work you must do at home will help to refresh your memory. Nownip into the forward cockpit and I'll explain the working of thecontrols."

  He gave Dorothy a hand up and when she was seated, swung himself on tothe cowl of the cockpit.

  "First of all--and let this become habit--" he ordered, "adjust yoursafety belt. Yes, that's the way. Now we'll go ahead. That's the stickthere. Take hold of it. You'll notice it is pivoted at its base. Forwardmovement of the stick increases the angle of attack of the elevators anddepresses the nose. Backward movement decreases angle and raises thenose. Lateral movement of the stick operates the ailerons, movement tothe right depressing the right wing, and to the left, the left wing."

  When she was sure she understood the functions of one thing he explainedthe next.

  "Now tell me just what I have told you--" he commanded.

  Fully an hour had gone by before he was satisfied that she understoodthoroughly.

  "Tired?" he asked at last.

  "Not a bit," she smiled. "I'm afraid I'm kind of dumb--but all thesegadgets, as you call them, are a little confusing at first."

  "Oh, you're catching on in first rate order," he told her. "Nothing butpractice will make you letter perfect. And that comes soon enough whenyou handle the plane yourself. Now I'll fly us home. All I want you todo is to fold your arms and listen. Keep your eyes in the cockpit andwatch the movements of the stick and rudder bar. My cockpit aft isequipped with similar controls. When I move my stick--yours moves--andvice versa. All right?"

  "You bet."

  He reached in his pocket and drew forth a small leather-bound book whichhe handed her.

  "Here's your Flight Log Book, Dorothy. Write it up after every flight.There are columns for the date, type of plane, duration and character offlight, passengers or crew carried (if any) and remarks. A commercialpilot should have his log book certified monthly by an official of thecompany. For a student it is a good thing to commence during training.Stick it in your pocket," he advised as she thanked him. "And put onthis helmet. It's a Gosport, with phones in both ear flaps, connected bya voice tube to this mouthpiece. I'll use that end of it to coach youthrough during flight."

  "But this helmet is hard and stiff," objected Dorothy. "I'll bet itisn't nearly as comfortable as that nice soft leather one you'rewearing."

  "Possibly not. But until you're through with your instruction I want youto wear a 'crash' helmet. They're a lot of protection for the head incase of minor accident. No instructor worth his salt permits a studentto use a soft leather helmet until you've had a lot of experience."

  "Oh, very well then," she said, adjusting her heavy headgear, "you'rethe boss!"

  "You bet I am when it comes to this kind of thing. If I weren't sure youwere willing to give me strict obedience, I'd never propose teachingyou. And please remember that this isn't a joy hop. The more attentiveyou are to instruction--the quicker you'll learn."

  "I'm your willing slave, sir," she mocked good-humoredly, and drew thehelmet strap tight beneath her chin.

  Then as the engine roared and the plane rolled forward she felt the samethrill she had experienced the afternoon before when she and Bill hadtaken off in the amphibian. The same tightening of her muscles andbeating throb of the pulse in her neck. They were soaring upward now andthe sensation of smoothness became apparent after the jars and bumps oftaxiing over the rough field. The sting of the wind on her face wasexhilarating, but her eyes were streaming. Realizing that she had forgotto adjust her goggles, she pulled them down from the front of herhelmet.

  "I've been wondering how long it would be before you did that," cameBill's voice through the headphones. "Never mind--it's a grand thrillwhile it lasts--you'll lose it soon enough."

  Dorothy, for the first time in her life, found a retort impossible tomake.

  "Now that we've got enough air under us," Bill's voice continued, "I'mgoing to fly straight for home. Remember what I said about watching yourstick and rudder bar. Also keep an eye on the bank-and-turn indicator aswell as the fore and aft level indicator and inclinometer."

  Dorothy shifted her gaze to the instrument board before her.Unconsciously she ticked off the other instruments. There were the twoBill had just mentioned; a magneto switch, oil pressure gauge, earthinductor, compass indicator, altimeter, 8-day clock, primary pump andtachometer. It pleased her that she could so readily recall their namesand uses. Then she heard Bill's voice in her ear again:

  "The reason that I keep pulling the stick back slightly so often,Dorothy, in level flight, is because the old bus is a bit nose heavy.You'll notice it when you handle her later on. It's nothing to worryabout. Very few planes are perfectly balanced."

  Dorothy turned her eyes guiltily on the stick again. She had been caughtnapping that time! One really needed half a dozen pairs of eyes for ajob like this. And--how different Bill's manner aboard an airplane, shethought. He was certainly all business. But she respected and admiredhis knowledge and his ability as an airpilot which left no opening forargument.

  "You can look overside now," came his voice again interrupting herthoughts. "We're going to land."

  Below them she saw the Bolton's house. The nose of the plane droppedsuddenly as the stick went forward and they shot down to land on thefield near the Bolton's hangar.

  Bill spoke again from the rear cockpit. "If you're ready for more flightinstruction, hold up your right hand."

  Dorothy held up her right hand.

  "Good. Then we'll practice taxiing," came back the even voice. "Rememberthat a land plane with engine idling will remain at rest on the groundin winds of normal force. That means that all movement of the plane mustbe made by use of the engine. When your bus begins to move you controlit primarily by using the rudder. In a wind as strong as the one blowingnow, you'll notice the plane's tendency to turn into it. That's due tothe effect on the tail. It tends to swing like a weathervane until thenose is headed directly toward the point of the compass from which thewind is blowing. Your experience in sailing is going to be a great help.

  "Now, just one thing more and we'll shove off. While taxiing, you musthold the stick well back of neutral. That will prevent any tendency ofthe tail to rise and cause the plane to nose over. Grasp the sticklightly with your fingers. Never freeze onto anything. If you feel mewiggle the stick sharply--let go at once. I may or may not have my handsand feet on the controls, but you cannot know that. Act just as if youwere alone in the plane. Got all that?"

  Dorothy raised her hand again.

  "Then snap on the ignition and get going."

  For the next hour she taxied the _N-9_ around the field while Billissued commands from the rear cockpit. So interested was she in herlesson that it seemed no time at all before he told her to shut off theengine.

  "Take off your helmet and get down," he said as the plane came to astop. And he helped her overside.

  "Gee, Bill, it's wonderful!" she cried, jumping lightly to the groundbeside him.

  "You did splendidly," he encouraged. "This field is pretty rough inspots--makes it bumpy goi
ng. How are you--stiff?"

  "Not a bit!"

  "You need a rest, just the same."

  "But I'm not in the least tired. Can't I go up now?"

  Bill looked at her and shook his head. "Nothing doing," he said withpretended sternness. "That is--not for the next fifteen minutes. Herecomes Frank with something cold to drink on his tray--horse's neck,probably. There's nothing like iced ginger ale with a string of lemonpeel in it when you're real thirsty!"

  "My, you're thoughtful!"

  "Don't thank me--it's all Frank's idea."

  They sipped their drinks in the shade of the old barn that had beenturned into a hangar for the Bolton's planes.

  "While you're resting, I want you to study this paper, Dorothy. It's aroutine I want you to follow in preparing for every flight youtake--with me, or soloing," he explained, handing it over. "When you'vegot it by heart, repeat it to me and then we'll carry on. Your first jobfor the next hop will be to do exactly what I've written there."

  For perhaps ten minutes both were silent and Bill closed his eyes andturned over on his back.

  "Asleep?" asked Dorothy presently.

  "No--just relaxing. Got that dope down pat?"

  "Sure. I mean, yes, instructor."

  "Give me back the paper then, and shoot!" he said, sitting up.

  "Preparations for flight:" recited Dorothy. "First, inspect the planeand engine as necessary. Second, observe the wind direction. Third,observe the course direction (if a course is being flown). Fourth, setthe altimeter. Fifth, see that helmet, goggles and cushions are properlyadjusted. Sixth, see that cloth to wipe goggles is handy. Seventh, givethe engine a ground test. Eighth, see that the gas valve is properlyset. Ninth and last--Buckle the safety belt!"

  "One hundred per cent! Good work, Dot. Now come over to the plane andshow me how you do it."

  He grinned, awaiting a quick retort--but Dorothy, intent on the businessof learning to fly, walked at his side in a fit of concentration.

  "She sure is keen," he said to himself. "I never got a rise--and 'Dot,'to Dorothy, is like waving the American flag at a Mexican bull!"

  Dorothy continued to prove her aptitude for she went through the flightpreparations with but one mistake. She entirely forgot the matter of thecloth to wipe her goggles!

  Presently he took her up again and started in with his coaching.

  "You now have thirty-five hundred feet registered on your altimeter," heannounced through her phone. "Enough air below to get us out of troubleif we should happen to get into it. The higher one flies, the safer oneis. Now you are going to get straight flight instruction. I am movingthe stick backward--now forward--now backward--now forward. See how thenose of the plane rises and falls in response? Watch closely--I'm goingto do it again. There, now--take the stick and do it yourself."

  Dorothy did as he bade her. It was thrilling to feel the huge planerespond to her will.

  Then followed instruction in moving the stick successively right andleft by which means the right wing and then the left are correspondinglydepressed. After that came rudder instruction. First Bill pushed theright and left sides of the rudder bar successively, forward, therebyswerving the nose first to the right and then to the left.

  Dorothy, of course repeated these movements after him.

  Then he explained that to hold a steady course, to fly straight,constant right rudder must be maintained to overcome the torque, or dragof the propeller blades tending to swing the nose to the left. While tofly level longitudinally, some point on the engine is kept in line withthe horizon. That to fly level laterally, up aileron and opposite rudderare applied whenever a wing drops. He told her numerous other things,such as that when flying straight, the nose should frequently be droppedmomentarily, or the course changed a few degrees in order to look ahead.Otherwise, an approaching plane may be hidden by the engine.

  "Good night!" thought Dorothy as she strained her ears to catch everyword, while she watched the controls and saw how the plane reacted totheir manipulation by her instructor. "If it takes all this detail tofly straight and level, I'll get the heebie-jeebies when it comes toacrobatics!"

  "Take over controls," came Bill's voice. "Fly straight for that whitechurch tower on the horizon."

  Dorothy's body stiffened, but she took hold of the stick again bravelyenough, and placed her feet on the rudder bar at the same time. Shecould feel her temples throbbing, and her heart was beating faster thanthe clock on her instrument board. At last she was actually flying anairplane--all by herself. But was she? Suddenly there came a check inthe forward speed of the plane and Dorothy felt it start to slew offsideways as the nose dropped.

  Then before she knew exactly what was happening, the stick in her handseemed to spring back, then to the right, while right rudder increasedconsiderably without help from her foot. Up came the nose, followed bythe left wing, and down went the right. The slewing stopped as suddenlyas it had begun. Then she felt left aileron and left rudder beingapplied--and once more the N-9 was flying straight and level.

  "Forgot what I said about checking a skid just now, didn't you?" saidBill's voice in her ear. "Here's the news again. Any swinging of thenose to the left can be promptly recognized and checked--but,--andhere's where you went wrong--the nose cannot be swung back to the rightwithout applying a small bank. Any attempt to do so will cause yourplane to skid. That naturally results in a loss of flying speed forwardand the heavier end drops. If not checked at once, it means going into aspin. Carry on again now, and please try to keep your wits about you.This is not a kiddie-car. Mistakes are apt to be costly!"

  Dorothy bit her lips in anger. More than ever did she regret the lack ofa mouth piece on her head phone. Her temper flared at his sharp tone,and what seemed to her unfair criticism so early in the game. But shetook over again as he ordered and gradually her vexation disappeared inher effort to concentrate every faculty on the job of flying the planeand keeping to her course. She was gradually gaining confidence. Shemade the same maneuvers which had caused the skid before, and carriedthrough perfectly.

  Bill told her so in no stinted terms, and the last shreds of her angerdisappeared.

  "The man who put _me_ over the bumps," he added, "always said: 'when astudent aviator makes a mistake, give him blazes--make him mad. He'llremember what he should have done all the better--and live longer!' Thatadvice applies to either sex, Dorothy. Naturally, I hope you'll live toa ripe old age."

  Dorothy liked him for this apology. She wanted to thank him but ofcourse that was out of the question.

  "I'll take her over now." She heard his even tones once more, above theengine's roar. "Time for lunch. This afternoon, if you like, we'll takeup another end of this business. And you can get even by teaching me howto become an honest-to-goodness sleuthhound!"