The Flying Reporter

in Ques

see that the chocks were in front of them, then scrambled into the cabin and touched the starter. His engine answered with a roar. Jimmy throttled it down until it w

e had to do was to fly a hundred miles or so, gather a few facts, take a few pictures, and get back as quickly as possible. But there was no need to hurry, a

told Mr. Tom Johnson, the managing editor of the Morning Press, that that newspaper ought to have its own plane and its own pilot. And when Mr. Johnson said that that was the last thing the Morning Press needed, Jimmy had decided to prove to Mr. Johnson that the newspaper really did need a plane and a pilot even though the managing e

d landing. The story of that adventure is told in "The Search for the Lost Mail Plane." Thus, for the second time, Jimmy had saved the life of this brother pilot that he loved so well. The first time was when Warren Long's plane fell into the Susquehanna River immediately in front of Jimmy's home, and Jimmy had swum out in the icy water and rescued the unconscious pilot. The

selfsame "graveyard of airplanes." The story of that thief chase is told in "Trailing the Air Mail Bandit." It was a long, hard chase, too; and one which Jimmy would never have won had it not

son that Jimmy was right when he argued that the Morning Press ought to add a flier to its staff. Mr. Johnso

rt time that he had been a regular member of the Morning Press staff, there had been few stories on which Jimmy could work. Mostly he had been doing tasks of the fetch-and-carry sort

make the most of a story. That was why he at once saw that the tale in the morning paper about Warren Long was faulty, that the correspondent had failed to secure the dramatic elements in the story that would appeal most to people. That was why Jimmy knew there was a real human interest story in this thrilling leap from a burning plane. It was this keen news se

he thought of. In future it would always be the first thing he thought of. Warren Long's letter had made an indelible impression on his mind. He saw that the plane contained a little case of emergency rations that he habitually carried. He made sure his pistol was in place. That was a piece of equipment most fliers lacked. Mail pilots are compelled to

tle forward. No longer was there the staccato of exploding gases, but instead a thundering roar. Jimmy kept her wide open while he noted the maximum number of revolutions his propeller was ma

ed at the wind-sock on his hangar. Then he taxied slowly down the field. He headed into the wind and gave her full gun. The ship accelera

up the route of the Air Mail. Long before he crossed the Delaware, near Easton, he was right on the line. How much like old times it seemed, to be flying over the beacon lights. To be sure

. "This is station WWQ, Airways Communication Station, Bellefonte, Pa., broadcasting weather information on the Chicago-New York airway. It is now 10 A. M. Eastern Standard Time. At Hadley Field, N. J., scattered clouds, ceiling unlimited, visibility eight miles, wind south, nine miles, temperature 50, dewpoint 29, barometer 29.98; Allentown, Pa., scattered clouds, ceiling unlimited, visibility seven miles, wind southeast, four miles, temperature 51, barometer 29.94. Park Place, Pa., broken clouds, ceiling es

ngtown and back to Long Island without having to face any bad weath

ad small need of any such help this morning, for the air was so clear that he could see for miles in every direction. But he thought of the invaluable help this radio beacon must be to the mail pilots in the fog. The device had been perfected sin

longer did he hear the steady beat: "dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah." Instead, the head phones were saying: "dot dah, dot dah, dot dah, dot dah, dot dah." The radio signal had changed to dot dash, dot dash. That told Jimmy that he was to the left of the line. He knew that if he had chanced to be on the right side o

rrying the mail now. They always know when they are on the line, even if it is so foggy they can't see a thing. If it just weren't for these old Pennsylvania mountains,