To the Editor of the "Nonri-Ciua Dany News"
Sui—In this morning's issue under the caption-of "Tourists to Fly to Peiping" you state "For the first time fan aeroplane will ce-operate with [world cruise to-morrow." That statement is Incorrect inasmuch as it the second time that has happened, the first being the special charter of the Douglas DC2 of the China National Aviation Corporation for the Cruise of the "Empress of Britain" on Sunday, March 29 last, With a full plane and a crew of! four the beautiful Douglas took_off from Lunghwa promptly at 7.20. The day looked a little grey, but Mr, McCloskey, the pilot assured the travellers that we would have a good trip as weather reports indicated. There was the usual hurry of strapping the passengers in their seats for} the take-off by the energetic Chinese steward. In a moment we were our way, not being aware as to when we actually left the ground.
'As we gained altitude we passed through banks of white fleecy clouds and there suddenly burst upon us the most inspiring sight. The bright sun was just coming up in a perfectly cloudless sky and we were riding along on the top of what' looked like soap-suds. The blue of the sky took on the various shades. deep indigo over us and as we looked at the horizon it tapered into a very' light blue of the early dawn, We were then at 13,000 feet, We left this cloud bank after about! ftteen minutes and were well on our way to our first stop Peiping. We aid not follow the" regular route, being a special, we let the Stinson lane which left for the regular run fat the same time look after the malls.. We cut across country over! the Interior, and soon we were fascinated with the slight of the towns which appeared to be quite near tach other, connected by thread-like roads, but as we went farther inland the roads became fewer, and canals were the means of communication between the towns and ships and funks looked ike mere specks upon the waters.
Mr. McCloskey brought. us. maps and explained to the tourists just where we were, pointing out dried up tiver-beds almost beside, so it seemed to us, rice fields being irrigated. The sun would catch patches of water which would shimmer like mirrors coming back to us in blinding flashes of light.
As we continued Mr. McCloskey exninined to the men passengers just how that giant "and complicated Instrument "board was operated. neluding Its artifeial horizon, which fascinated one of the men in partly cular, who Is the head of a locomotive! Company. The ce-pilot interested the passengers greatly when they' heard that he, a Chinese, was born Baltimore, educated in its schools, and received his aviation instructions there, One of the passengers, 0 physician attached to Johns Hopkins had a long conversation with him, enjoying a sort of "old home week."
'A strong head wind held us up a bit but the atr was not "bumpy" and one might have been in a new motor ear. Suddenly 1 was aware that all were very quiet and saw all but tone passenger fast asleep in the wide comfortable seats, they having seen the high spots of Shanghai the night before, starting at the American Club and ending at the Lunghwa airport.'
As we neared Peiping one of the passengers, an old China hand, asked me if It were possible to fly low over the Forbidden City. I asked Mr. McCloskey, and we'had the delightful experience of flying quite low over The Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City and the Legation Quarter. We circled it twice, and the bright sunshine caught the lovely blues and yellows:
'We landed in' Peiping at about 12,80, and all of the passengers expressed their appreciation to the pilot for a wonderful experience. necessary for the Douglas to return at once fo Shanghai, and after fueling, Mr. MeCloskey took off with strong tail wind, and was back in Shanghat in 3% hours the meantime the Stinson arrived in Peiping at 6.05 pin. Just thirty five minutes after the Douglas arrived back in Shanghall T returned to Shanghai the follow-Ing day on the Stinson making the usual stops, Captain Allison being the pilot, "Of all of the places we saw Tsingtao was unforgettable with Its deep blue sea and bright yellow beaches stretching out into it, Hoalchow, with its salt vats was! Interesting, and coming through the country into Shanghai by the. back way ft seemed, the country' looked bright and prosperous with the land being irrigated by the use of wind~ millg which could be seen revolving slowly, We were fying at about 5,000 feet most of the way back.
'The. bright ribbon road from Shanghai to Wusih was a busy one, plenty of motors of all kinds racing. long at high speed. Finally in the istence we could sce the dim out ne of a smoke Shanghai, and soon we were able to see the' Hungino aerodrome, the lovely gardens of the private homes along Hungjao Road, the flags gayly flying on Hubleon Inn and then' the. impressive new apartent houses just completed.
In a few moments Lunghwa Aero-|' drome was in sight and after circling it we made a perfect landing almost twenty minutes ahead of time on account of the strong tail wind, well-known newsreel man said to me not long ago, "It is impossible to know China until one has" flown over iv The distances "are not realized, especially in the Interior where even the railways do not call.
Thus ended for me my first long ight, having delivered the first group of tourists to China safely in Peiping that brilliant Sunday morn ing.
Shanghai, Apr.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.