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[[newspaper clipping]] [[image - woman and man with plane]] [[image - woman and man with plane]] [[image - two men with plane]] In Social Circles THE DAYTON HERALD, MONDAY, MAY 21, 1934 Mrs. B. B. Talley (Manila Davis), of Fountain Lodge, is planning to leave Tuesday morning for Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma, where she will remain for a month. Mrs. Talley will fly to Fort Sill. MANILA DAVIS-TALLEY Democrat:— Sometimes a few items concerning the activities in other states serves to stimulate interest in one's own, so here is a bit of my own observation on my western flying trip. I still hope for adequate flying fields to be established in good old West Virginia and if I can contribute to it in any way I will certainly try. In January, 1934, by husband, Lieutenant B. B. Talley, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, was ordered from New York, to duty at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. I flew him out to Dayton in our own plane, and received the greatest disappointment in all my years of flying when I was forced down by rain and snow over West Virginia, and could find no place to land, or any markers in the villages to check my instruments by. Due to the high wind from the storm our fuel was almost consumed when we reached the Ohio river and the old Glendale airport. (I had been told this was a good field.) Well, the land was still there is all I could say for it. We sat down in the rain only to find no one there, no gasoline, and not even a telephone that we might get a weather report to see if we could get through the "soup," whatever might lay ahead of us. After measuring the gasoline in the tank with a stick, as we used to do our Fords in good old West Virginia fashion, we took off again, hoping for better luck someplace in Ohio. We came down at the weather station and emergency field, Cambridge, Ohio. It was an excellent field, but no hanger; so we tied the plane down with ropes in circus tent fashion, and went in to thaw out. The manager informed us that all flying east of the Mississippi had been grounded since six a. m. and here we had been out until eleven, trying to find someplace to land for weather reports and gasoline. It was sheer luck that we got through it all. I hope the near future will bring better flying facilities in the state. May 22 I flew out to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to join my husband who arrived the day before in an army plane for temporary duty. The flight was beautiful. I came by way of St. Louis, and across the Ozarks. The landing fields were well kept and excellent service for re-fueling all along the route enabled me to speed along my way without any delay. (Due to my limited capacity, I had to come down often for gas.) Flying in this part of the country is a real pleasure. Every few miles, thanks to the enterprising people and the government aid, there is a nice airport with at least a hanger, a windsock, and gas. They have just completed about thirty such fields and are running a state air-tour this week, visiting all these fields with about fifty planes. Among the entrants is Dr. Border, a surgeon of Mangum, has a plane equipped as an ambulance that he uses over the state to rush people to the hospital for emergency operations. Dr. Border is past 70 years of age, but enjoys his plane as much as we do, in addition to the errands of mercy he flies. Only yesterday, as we were leaving Mangum, (where we spent the week end), Dr. Border came over to see our plane as they rolled his aerial ambulance out for an emergency call. A pilot and two passengers had apparently been stunting and spun in at Altus, a town about the size of Sutton, about ten miles away. He was there in a few minutes. We followed over to get the details, and went on our way. Today, we learned that his arriving and performing operations immediately saved the lives of two of the injured. His plane is known through the state, and is called "Wings of Mercy." From here we will fly to Rapid City, South Dakota, for the take-off of the Stratosphere Flight that is being made by Major Keppner and Captain Stevens, of United States Army Air Corps. They expect to ascent into the stratosphere about eleven miles on a purely scientific expedition, at the same time breaking all world altitude records. When we return, about the fourth of July, I hope the proposed landing fields, the outline of which your paper carried some months ago, will be a reality, for we hope to visit Braxton county by plane at this time. I hope you are having a nice summer and much prosperity. Most sincerely yours, MANILA DAVIS-TALLEY P.S.—My airplane carries the colors of West Virginia of the Sportsman Pilots Association (which designates the home state) on the side, and everywhere I fly, I am asked what part of the state I am from. [PAGE 185]
