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
Bill slips her into Halifax for a perfect landing just behind a
Canadian Fairchild pontoon job. The Flight Sergeant comes over and
helps to anchor her. After consultation we invite him in and put the
situation of my retiring disposition before him.
* * * *
When we were forced down in Halifax our difficulties of maintaining
secrecy increased. Publicity, we feared, was probably unescapable. But
at all events, escape seemed worth an effort. And especially, so far
as possible, we thought it wise to conceal the presence of a woman on
the Friendship. The Sergeant had the surprise of his life when he came
aboard the plane to look over the equipment and found me part of it.
* * * *
_Log Book:_
He thinks a government official will take me in while the boys go to a
hotel. Consequently I stay on the plane while the others go back
to find out. They’ll pick me up later.
In the meantime a ham sandwich is food. I don’t dare take pictures
lest the people see I am present.
The plane rides at her moorings and the waves of passing launches
knock the pontoons with hammer blows. Water is very hard.
At last the gang comes for me. It is decided to go to a small hotel
in Dartmouth. It is Sunday, and Orchard Day, besides being the King’s
birthday. Consequently, no one much is at home. We have difficulty
finding the proprietor of the hotel even. He has no rooms in the main
building and we are shown to the Annex. It is very informal. The key
hangs behind the door for all who know where to find it. A strange
billiard table rests in the main hall. Our rooms are on the third
floor.
This country would be grand for camping. Real solitude with lovely
little lakes and bays. The pine trees don’t look attractive as landing
fields, but do for outings. Slim says in this connection that he was
glad of pontoons for the first time, as he looked over the landscape.
12 P.M. Two reporters and camera men are in the next room trying
to persuade Stultz and G. to dress and have a flashlight picture
taken. I am displeased with their thoughtlessness in keeping the men
(Bill and Slim) awake. I don’t know whether the newspaper men know I
am here so I am not shouting my sentiments.
It is now 9:45. We are out of Halifax about 15 minutes. The take-off
took one minute in a perfectly calm sea. We loaded 100 gals. of gas
after we had waited since about 7 A.M. until 9 for its arrival. Any
other day in the year, I suppose, would have been better to get it. I
wandered around and looked over the station, stopping a few minutes
in what I was told was Commander Byrd’s home when he was in charge
of the station during the war. Major Harrup is there now and while
the station is not active just now, is going to be soon, with several
seaplanes assigned to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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