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MILLING, T. DEWITT, BRIG. GEN. USAF. - BLOG. FILE - FOLDER NO. 2 ITEM NO 5A SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM a detail in the Signal Corps for the purpose of learning [[strikethrough]] how [[/strikethrough]] to operate a Wright airplane. Having followed the press reports of the tests carried out by Orville Wright at Ft. Myer in 1909 and of the claims which were made for the many military uses of the airplane, I felt that such a detail was well worth a trial. I immediately wired in my acceptance and shortly after received orders directing me to proceed to Dayton. [[strikethrough]] for the purpose of l undergoing a course of instruction in the operation of the Wright airplane. [[/strikethrough]] Included in these orders was Lieut. Henry H. [[strikethrough]] (Pews) [[/strikethrough]] Arnold of the 29th Infantry, an old friend [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] ^with whom I was to fly with for many years and who ^later was [[strikethrough]] later destined [[/strikethrough]] to so [[strikethrough]] ably [[/strikethrough]] ^brilliantly command the Air Forces in World War II. Dayton, in April 1911, was a comparatively small city by present standards, having a population of some 100,000. It had a friendly appearance. After breakfast at the Hotel Gibbons, I proceeded to the Wright Airplane factory which had recently been built on the outskirts of the City. There I was met and given a warm welcome by Orville Wright and Frank Russell, the first manager of the Wright Company and who was to continue in highly executive positions with [[strikethrough]] the Burgess-Curtis and Curtis Wright Companies for many years. [[/strikethrough]] ^various aviation companies until his retirement. I soon found that more was required [[strikethrough]] than just [[/strikethrough]] ^in learning to fly an airplane ^than [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] the ^mere manipulation of the controls of the plane in the air. ^Assigned as [[strikethrough]] My [[/strikethrough]] instructor was Cliff Turpin who was to give me my preliminary flying lessons leading [[strikethrough]] d [[/strikethrough]] to solo flying. He took me back in the factory and outlined a course of work to be followed for several days ^before flying lessons were begun. I studied the construction and maintenance of the airplane and motor, learned to assemble the motor and how to operate it. [[strikethrough]] To save time in flying machines in the air [[/strikethrough]] ^To obtain practice on the ground in the use of the warping lever for lateral control, an old plane without landing gear or tail assembly was balanced on a sawhorse and mounted in the same position as that of the plane in the air. The warping lever [[strikethrough]] 'from which ran XXXXXXX control wires to the edge of the plane where a [[blank]] belt would actuate a sudden [[/strikethrough]] ^was connected by control wires to a moveable block mounted on the [[strikethrough]] wing [[/strikethrough]] right wing tip in the [[strikethrough]] interval [[/strikethrough]] manner of a moving belt moving over a pulley. A backward pull and the friction of the block and pulley would lift the left wing; a forward motion and the reverse would happen. - - - - - - - - [[backwards]] SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM [[/backwards]]
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