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[[??]]--Main 2121  THE DENVER POST -- THE FIRST IN EVERYTHING -- SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 20, 1930

After Nineteen Years two pioneer army flyers flew together again in air corps maneuvers on the Pacific coast. Picture at left shows the aviators Maj. Thomas De Witt Milling (right) and Maj. H. H. Arnold (left), beside one of the observation planes. At the right they are shown with one of the early planes in which they trained together at Dayton in 1911.

[[image - 2 photos of aviators in front of planes]]

PIONEERS FLY TOGETHER AFTER LAPSE OF 19 YEARS

Headquarters Provisional Wing, First "Blue" Army, Mather Field, Sacramento, Calif., April 19. -- A unique army air corps reunion took place over Sacramento last week when Maj. H. H. Arnold and Maj. Thomas De Witt Milling flew together in a plane for the first time in nineteen years.

Almost twenty years ago--when flying was very young and both were second lieutenants--they learned how to fly at Dayton in machines built by the Wright brothers, who, in those days made instruction a matter of personal supervision. After they won their Federal Aeronautique Internationale licenses--Nos. 28 and 29 respectively--Arnold and Milling flew a great deal together. In those days the army had only two planes.

No sooner had they won their wings in 1911 than they set out to conduct a series of spectacular experiments which pointed the way for flight methods that are taken for granted today. They were pioneers in night flying, aerial photography, aerial gunnery and, in addition, won several sets of laurels in various racing events. Major Milling, for instance, won the 1911 tristate race in New England against other famous aviators of that period, while Major Arnold flew his plane in the first of all aerial motion pictures and won the Mackay trophy in 1912 for military flying proficiency. 

"We certainly enjoyed our first flight together since those early days of cloud pushing," said Major Milling as he and Major Arnold stepped out of the fast observation plane in which they had made their reunion flight. "As I sat looking at Major Arnold's familiar back, I thought the great flow of aviation development that has taken place since 1911. The army plane we used today has a 500-horsepower motor, can cruise 650 miles and has a high speed of 156 miles an hour. Contrast this with planes of twenty years ago which had 24-horsepower engines and which could fly for only two and a half hours at the rate of forty miles an hour with the motor wide open. How times have changed!"

WON HIS WINGS IN TWO HOURS.

A reminiscent look crept into Major Arnold's eyes, as he said, "Yes, I thought of that too and then, when I noticed that bunch of pursuit pilots flying in tight formation over on our left, it occurred to me that those fellows won their wings after one full year of intensive training--365 days of hard, grueling work. In our 'cadet' days, pilots were made in minutes, not hours. Major Milling has the distinction of winning his training in 1 hour 50 minutes. I had 2 hours 20 minutes."

Foremost among army aviators who received their training in those early days were Brg. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois and Brig. Gen. Frank B. Lahm, assistant chiefs of air corps in charge of material and training respectively. Major Milling is a native of Louisiana. Major Arnold hails from Pennsylvania. 

Officer: Say, didn't you see that signal?

Motorist: Er-er--yes, sir--but I didn't see you.