Page:The Fun of It.pdf/123

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THE FUN OF IT
101

Don’t let your children fly in any but a licensed government-inspected plane.

Don’t, if they want to learn to fly themselves, allow them to attend any but the best schools, about whose equipment and personnel you are thoroughly informed.

Don’t, if they are to have a plane of their own, be penny wise and pound foolish. If necessary, wait until you or they can afford to buy adequate motors and demonstratedly established craft, rather than run the tragic risks of false economies and short cuts.

Don’t let the boy or girl hurry his or her training.

Don’t let anyone consider flying seriously until he or she has a thorough and satisfactory medical examination.

Don’t try to tell the instructor how to do the training.

Don’t fail to back the youngster who has begun to fly, with your full confidence; don’t worry him by your worry.


The main needs is to avoid “bootleg” flying—doing it secretly because parents object. I am sure some mothers and fathers do not know how often their youngsters find a way to visit air fields. Any­one who is situated so that he can observe any fly­ing activities, knows there are always children and young men and women in the background watching what goes on. They line the surrounding fences, if any, and they invade factories and hangars and transport waiting rooms whenever they can. They want to know all about airplanes and their operation, and most of all, they want to fly. Often they will go up for a free ride with any old pilot in any old airplane if given the opportunity. Or ifparents have issued an unreasonable “Thou shalt