Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

By the Author of “The Planet's Air Master,” “In Two Worlds,” ete. PaN the twilight of a tropical sunset, a giant Grey- to Capetown. It’s a darn sight safer and easier lite'to follow. ee - “i son mail plane stood poised before its hangar, But it means another hour or two in the air and that costs more, = < i}| Its rounded nose, flanked on each side by three besides it slows down: the service. They've lost.more money ay |S $i] great motors, was pointed to the west towards in the two planes that have disappeared than they'll ever get = ie ts meee) the miles of trackless jungle over which it would — by cutting the time down this way. Not-to-mention the four Io | - soon be soaring on the newly formed mail route to the coast— lives that probably were cut short when them planes crashed. a . to Capetown. I'm telling you Tom, it’s-madness to sénd planes out over such Rha 2 is “T’ve got-a funny feeling in my bones,” Jim Rogers, a young a run at night, Why man, the search parties haven't even ES relief pilot at the Kimberly field, said toa second birdman, found the wreckage of-those other ships yet, and the one that. — standing beside him. They were watching the huge silver bird came down a couple days after they opened up this line.” warm tp for the flight, “What's the trouble?” asked Curtiss. “T don’t. wonder at your funny feeling,” returned Tom “It’s due_to this infernal atmosphere,” Rogers said- excitedly. Curtiss, the second pilot, “after losing a ship last night and “Why: man, every fellow. who has hopped this run will: tell one a week ago,” you that his radio receiver has gone bugs at times so that he } “That’s what comes of trying to hurry ‘ couldn’t hear-a sotind: except a thunder. of i = things along too fast,” Jim. spoke again. static. Then there’s Weldon ‘and Bradley; “We have a stretch of 500 miles of con- they'll both tell you that the guiding beam tinuous jungle to fly over, and-what have Trepersy just simply ceased to exist: although they 23 we for guidance? Where are our beacons, knew. that they were on the route. She st warning signs or landing fields? From just takes-a notion to drop dead for a “F, here to the coast.we haven't a single sign stretch of fifty miles, then comes back on SA to guide us. Just blind flying all the way, the air again. Then again, how come: so Ds and only two spots where a fellow can many of the fellows claim that: their com- 2 land, provided he is able to find them.” pass’ stick on them at times? It’s’ this <4 “The ‘radio beam will keep you on the tricky atmosphere that they have hete if JF : track, and it’s going continuously during I know: anything.” ee every trip,” Curtiss answered, The roar “of the battery of motors on: ms “The radio beam my eye,” exclaimed the waiting plane -now drew: the attention ES Rogers, “Did you hear what Weldon had of the two pilots, who-silently watched the “ to say about the radio guiding beam when trim glittering ship start down the field oa he dropped in here with the-mail last Tues- and: climb into the air, disappearing into == ; day evening? He followed the beam, de- the blazing red western sky. : : pending upon it, and he was no more than ra “T've got a fitmny hunch that he’s headed 7% 200 milesout when he lost-it altogether. for trouble,” Jim broke the silence, as the gare He flew miles: off his route trying to pick EDWARD. E. CHAPPELOW two commenced to walk-toward the: field n. it up, but it was over-an hour before he struck it again. Even office. “Too many of the boys have had trouble getting-through ; his compass stuck on-him on that trip, and it was only by in daylight:to give me any faith in a night run,” keeping certain mountain peaks and_such land marks’ in view Entering the office they approached the desk of Watson the - < that he-was able to keep from wandering farther. off the route, airport chief, Now where would Weldon have been if that trip of his had “You look a bit worried, chief,” Tom commented, as he been-at night instead of day—and storming at that? Weldon noticed a slight frown on the other's face, wouldn't have had one chance-in ten of getting through. If “Iam. Those damn fools at Capetown insist upon keeping : he didn’t crash into some mountain side he would have used up the night schedtle in the face of what’s happened. I just ‘ up-all his fuel trying to get through and find his-way home. sent Weldon on tonight’s hop. The poor. fellow was nervous, 4 I'm telling you, Tom, I’ve ne desire to stick around this vicin- you could see it, but he never said’a word, He's one of the : ity at all. In the first place, I have no love for tropical flying. best pilots we've got, That's why I sent him because if any ; a7 The air is about as tricky and treacherous right here as it man can get through then Weldon will” | : { could be anywhere, “And what are they. going to do about the situation?” asked ; < “Take a-look at that sunset over there, as red and as pretty. Jim. : as if-you were viewing it through / ; the Golden Gate at home, But HE airplane has done one notable thing Weldon’s Idea tine chances. out of ten: there’s if no other—it has opened up to man se GOVERNMENT ship flew oe either a cyclone or.an all-electric vast areas of wnatraveled, unknown landa. the route yesterday and [ thunderstorm skilking below that And: those aviators, who at the riak of their again. last night, and reported f horizon. No sir, I’ve no confi- lives. have charted the air lanes-over these nothing unusual. We-now have T dence in this tropical atmosphere wast deserts and jungles, have erected for four ‘landing fields cleared along 3 at all; the barometer has a habit themselves a reputation as the true pio- the: route, one to every hundred =a of dropping too fast and too low.” neers of this century. flying. miles, and yesterday they -— “Well you're right in a way, Many of them have met with experiences completed ‘the setting up of Jim. It is a damn dangerous stranger than anything we can suspect; and searchlight stations at-each field. route for a mail line. Of course unfortunately few have returned to tell wa The government ships report the they’re clearing up landing fields of them. But whatever any aviator might toute marked plain enough for along the way. now, and setting have seen or met, certainly nothing could safe flying, so that’s as far as = up beacons, but until they get the have deen stranger nor more exciting than \g it goes. So far, I don't think route lit tp, they: should send the the air trap our author writes of—the trap either of the other ships have — ships around the other way.” _ from which few escaped. Mr. Clappelow, as been found, although three planes ahoays, mixes a delightful blend of scientific of the Royal Air Force are going “@ URE they should. They truth with imagination, and the result is to start an aerial search in the should make a bee line always a thrilling tate. morning. for the coast and follow it down “Tf Weldon doesn’t get through 967 = Comicbooks PO EE RE Sa TE See EE EO ee el Ge eR oe