20 hrs., 40 min. : $b our flight in the Friendship : the American girl, first across the Atlantic by air, tells her story — John Shaqi
20 hrs., 40 min. : $b our flight in the Friendship : the American girl, first across the Atlantic by air, tells her storyEarhart, Amelia
History
20 hrs., 40 min. : $b our flight in the Friendship : the American girl, first across the Atlantic by air, tells her story
Earhart, Amelia
Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937; Transatlantic flights; Women air pilots -- United States -- Biography
One of the last plays we saw, I remember, was “The Good Hope,” with
the charming Eva LeGallienne. The story is a tragedy; all the hopeful
characters drown while the most tragic one survives to carry out a cold
lamb chop in the last act. A recurring line is “The fish are dearly
paid for,” and our crew adopted that as a heraldic motto, emblazoned
under a goldfish rampant. I had the opportunity of thanking Miss
LeGallienne for her cheering sendoff when I met her on returning to
New York. She helped Charles Winninger auction off one of the flags we
carried on the flight, at a theatrical performance for the benefit of
the Olympic team which was about to sail for Europe on the ship which
had brought us back, the President Roosevelt. Anyway, that evening she
got us on the stage before 17,280,891 people, so we have two grievances
against her.
As I look back on the flight I think two questions have been asked
me most frequently. First: Was I afraid? Secondly: What did I wear?
I’m sorry to be a disappointment in answering the first query. It
would sound more exciting if I only could admit having been shockingly
frightened. But I honestly wasn’t. Of course I realized there was a
measure of danger. Obviously I faced the possibility of not returning
when first I considered going. Once faced and settled there really
wasn’t any good reason to refer to it again. After all, even when
driving one admits tacitly there is danger, but one doesn’t dwell on
the result of losing the front wheels or having the rear end fall out
on a mountain.
Perhaps the second question may be thought feminine, but I have had as
many men as women appear interested.
Remember the early stages of automobiling? In those days an “auto”
ride was a rare experience, made rarer by the clothes one wore. A linen
duster, gauntlets and a veil were the requisites of touring in 1907.
Fashions in air clothing are emerging from the same sort of chrysalis
stage. For routine short flights I wear every-day clothes—what one
would use for street wear or sports. But obviously the Friendship
flight was different. Compare it, perhaps, to a strenuous camping
trip. One couldn’t tell what might happen. Serviceability was the prime
requirement. I had to wear breeks because of the jump from the pontoon
to the door and also because of the necessity of slipping on and off
the flying suit which is worn outside one’s other clothing.
In Boston I remember a solicitous friend wished to give me a bag for
extra clothing.
“There isn’t going to be any,” I explained.
That appeared to concern him somewhat—certainly much more than it did
me. There seems to be a feeling that a woman preparing to drop in
on England, so to speak, ought to have something of a wardrobe.
However, I chose to take with me only what I had on. The men on the
Friendship took no “extras.” Pounds—even ounces—can count desperately.
Obviously I should not load up with unessentials if they didn’t.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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