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calls. "Power took hold of the plane and pushed it forward."

Then things began to happen. Instead of lifting gradually from the ground, the clumsy biplane hit a bump and took to the air at a dizzy angle, climbing 50 feet in one surge.

"Fear gripped me for a moment," Holderman says. "Somehow I leveled off. Then fear released me and I felt free, like a swimmer who has just come to the surface after a long deep dive." He brought the skittish craft down to the required 10 foot level and guided it in a straight line across the field.

"My trouser legs slapped against my spindly shins like a line of washing in a wind," Holderman remembers. "My eyes watered; my heart pumped rapidly, my hands perspired and my brain sang strange, thrilling songs."

He landed at the end of the field and turned the Curtiss around for the return flight--turning an airplane in the air was too tricky for beginners.
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HOLDERMAN'S FLIGHT had taken only a few minutes and had covered about twice the length of football field. A few more weeks practice and he was considered a competent pilot--the youngest in America. 

He was qualified for "instrument" flying to [[too]]. In those days the only known aircraft navigation "instrument" was a simple piece of string tied to a strut ahead of the pilot.

When it blew straight back, the pilot knew everything was all right. If it drooped, air speed was dangerously low.  If it fluttered to one side or the other, the plane was side slipping. It was all as simple as that.

The veteran Rochester airman today is one of that dwindling pioneer band who grew up with aviation. 
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LIVING IN THE BRONX in 1908 he was a starry-eyed onlooker at the first "aerial exhibition and tournament" of the Aeronautical Society of America. None of the power planes brought there that day got off the ground even though the weather was beautiful, but to 13-year-old Holderman it was all magic.

Holderman was in the very first generation of model airplane builders. Later he built his own full-size glider--which never flew. He broke his collarbone and two ribs after a crash from 40 feet in another glider. This was an early Chanute "hang-type" glider. The "pilot" hung by this arms from the box-kite type frame and [[page cut off]]
[[continued from previous page]]air mail stories that made that service an airman's legend. 

He remembers the daring Max Miller, first pilot to fly the air mail officially, and one of the first to die in that service; and Mike Eversole, who was dismissed from air mail flying for purposely crashing a flying death-trap that the government wouldn't scrap in spite of the pilots' protests. 

Holderman served the air mail as pilot, chief flying mechanic and finally New York terminal manager. In 1920, he 
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new plane, taking passengers on short rides and giving flying instruction. 
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WHEN HE MARRIED Dorothy Harris in June, 1921, newspapers reported that the young couple were going on the "world's first honeymoon by airplane." His wife later became one of the world's top woman glider pilots.

The Holdermans flew, sold real estate and airplanes in Florida in the famous land boom there in the 20s. It was [[page cut off]]
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small plane.

He has piloted Gannett airplanes on errands of mercy, delivering medical supplies and bringing the desperately ill to hospitals. 

In 1940 he took time off to enter a New York to Miami passenger plane race and entered another 25-mile pylon race while he was in Florida. Holderman brought back to Rochester $2,500 in prize money and a gold trophy. He lost the first race by 36 seconds and won the second. 
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taken part in its development from a risky "outdoor sport" to a gigantic enterprise vital to our economy, a bulwark of our defense. 

Now beginning his 41st year of flying, the veteran aviator has no thought of quitting the air. To him, America's destiny is in the skies. While he is able, Holderman will stay a part of that destiny. 

His motto, he says, is "I don't want to be the most spectacular pilot, just the oldest."

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VETERAN OF 40 YEARS IN THE AIR: Russell F. Holderman today is chief pilot for The Gannett Newspapers. Pictured in his office at the airport, he displays stick and string gadget which was used to measu re [[measure]] air speed in early flying days.

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IN 1910-Holdermann (arrow) was member of one of first model plane clubs.

3
FIRST FLIGHT-At the controls of Curtiss biplane in which he made first solo flight in 1913.

4
ARMY FLIER-During World War 1, Holdermann served as flying instructor. Plane is named for his wife [[DOROTHY]].

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AIR MAIL-After war, Holdermann joined Air Mail Service as pilot, manager.

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STUNT FLIER-One of his early aerial feats (1921) was piloting plane which made first pickup of man from moving automobile. 

7
RACING TURN-Rounding a pylon during race at his D. W. Airport in Le Roy.

8
HIGH FLY-Holdermann (right) was pilot of first flight for baseball's famous John J. McGraw (left).

9
WINNER-Holderman won race trophy in 1940 event.

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