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[[newspaper clipping]]
OFFICER IN AIR

Commodore Gilmore Goes Up With Lieut. Milling.

FIRST DIP UPSET HIM A BIT

Felt Like Asking for a Transfer, He Said. New Wright Military Machine and a New Model 75-Horsepower Curtiss Engine Received at College Park for Installation in Fast Machine.
^[[July 24 12]]

Commodore James C. Gilmore, U. S. N., retired, of this city, was one of the visitors at the United States army aviation school at College Park yesterday and made his first aeroplane flight in the large Curtiss biplane, driven by Lieut. [[pencil underlined]] Thomas DeWitt Milling. [[/pencil underlined]] Lieut. Milling made several fancy turns with his machine while carrying Commodore Gilmore, but was not able to thrill him in the least.

Commodore Gilmore was securely fastened in the passenger's seat with a couple of straps by the young aviators and donned a leather coat, goggles, and the regulation army aviator's helmet. Several of the younger officers gathered around him before his flight and told him all sorts of things that were not altogether pleasant, such as "goodby Commodore," "have you written your last will and testament," and "what shall we tell the folds at home." He paid no attention to the "kidding" of the young officers, but sat in the passenger's seat as composed as if he were riding in a trolley car. 

"It is a pleasant sensation when one is used to it and when you know when the driver is going to make one of those fancy turns," said the commodore, "but I'll have to admit that I felt like asking for a transfer when Lieut. Milling made that first dip. After that everything was lovely." The flight lasted for about five minutes.

New Military Machine Arrives.

A new type C Wright military aeroplane arrived at the school yesterday afternoon from the Wright factories at Dayton, Ohio. This new machine is similar to the one that Lieut. Hazelhurst and "Al" Welch made their fatal flight in several weeks ago.

One of the new model 76-horsepower Curtiss engines was received yesterday at the school also. This engine will be installed in the small standard Curtiss aeroplane and will be used in the war maneuvers which are to take place next August all over New England.

Hugh Robinson, head mechanician of the Curtiss factory, who will instruct the officers in the use of the new engine, stated that when the engine is installed in the small Curtiss the school will boast of one of the fastest stock machines in the country. He said that the new engine was guaranteed to develop an average speed of 70 miles per hour, and when recently tested by the French government it developed a maximum speed of 78 miles per hour with 86 horsepower. 

For Flying in Wind.

The new machine will be primarily intended for flying in the wind where the other aeroplanes are almost useless. There are only a few other machines in the country of this type. Beachy, at the recent aviation meets in Chicago and Boston, used a machine and thrilled large crowds by making flights in a wind that almost blew a gale. 
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