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balanced. Stabilizers were non-existent. The pilot had to balance it four ways, front to back and side to side.  This was a simple as balancing a knitting needle on a billiard ball.  Mr. Curtiss explained in detail the controls and told me to get into the seat.  The climb into the seat made me embarrassingly aware of the unsuitability of my wardrobe. For a dazzling impression I had decked myself out in a [[strikethrough]] beaktjf [[/strikethrough]] beautifully tailored suit with an ankle length box pleated skirt.  It was [[strikethrough]] classy [[/strikethrough]] "Mod" all right but also about four yards in circumference at the hem.  I wasn't quite aware of what was happening [[strikethrough]] when I [[/strikethrough]] until I realized I was being lifted into the seat.  I sputtered "Grass cutting or not there's enough wind to bellow this dam [[sic]] skirt right up over my foolish head."  No one will ever know if a woman's first attempt in grass cutting ended up as a skirted aviation style [[strikethrough]] bilidman's [[/strikethrough]] blindman's bluff.  My future in the air was greatly helped by a mechanic who came charging down the field on a bicycle. At the plane he calmly reached down, unhooked [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] his trouser clips, strode over to me and silently dropped them into my hand. I jammed as much of my skirt as possible around each ankle and shoved on the clips.  I thought I was as ready as I'd ever be. Mr. Curtiss [[strikethrough]] launched [[/strikethrough]] prepared for the launching with, "The best an instructor can do, is to day [[sic]] goodbye, God bless you and keep you. I can't."

With this happy blessing the motor was started and I taxied to the edge of the lake.  Brakes were unknown on the early planes.  The field was heavily grassed and none too smooth. This made it fairly simple to stop at the other end of the field. Waiting mechanics turned the plane around and back I taxied to the starting point.  I was to continue this routine until I was so thoroughly familiar [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] with the controls that my response to them was almost automatic.