Winter doldrums which hit private flying the past several weeks, brightened considerably Sunday. Airports buzzing with business as pilots became accustomed to cold-weather flying.

Personally I like winter flying. It is considerably different than summer flying, much more beautiful and is satisfying to the pilot who likes to "feel" his wings cutting through the air.

You know that hot summer-time air is expanded, therefore think. It has less of that stuff called "lift." In the wintertime, the air is condensed and hard. It has lots of lift. You can almost feel the air solid and comforting under your wings. This invisible, odorless, colorless gas called "air," becomes a living tangible thing in the wintertime.

The pilot can feel the solidness of the air beneath him. His controls answer more promptly and his ship climbs in a very satisfactory manner. They float longer coming in for landings and control "feel" is accepted.

Flying immediately after a snowfall has beauties that cannot be appreciate without trying it. You can also become momentarily lost right over your own airport. The world is a vast blanket of crystalline whiteness. Roads, trees, rooftops are all white and blend together. The familiar patchwork of fields, network of roads is gone. Only the drab gray of the lakes and rivers dot the pureness of the landscape.

It takes a little doing, to become oriented in this absence of familiar landmarks. But it's a picture--believe me!

Snow landings are a little different. If there is a deep enough snow to slow your wheels down, it's advisable to come in with a little power on, maybe 1500 RPM, depending on the ship. Hold it off in an exaggerated note-high attitude, letting the tail down first. The nose will then wind-mill down, allowing the wheels to drop gently into the deep snow. You get almost no forward roll after touching the snow. Carburetor heat is a necessity.

DC-6 Mystery
Airlines owning some 70 DC-6 super-liners, with the blessing of the Douglas company, have voluntarily grounded their DC-6 airliners, following two fires while in flight. To show you how it works, when a plane is first developed it carries an NX number or "experimental." After the CAA has given it exhaustive tests for safety, an NC or "commercial" number is granted and passenger hauling begins. Unfortunately-for the DC-6 is a fine airplane-an "in service" problem arose that could not be anticipated. After the disastrous crash out west, where the pilot was unable to get the ship down before the fire burned away the controls, the CAA eliminated the magnesium flares which they previously required to be carried. These flares accounted for the extreme heat, the fury of the western fire.

Several days later another fire took place aboard a DC-6, but this time it was not so intense, the pilot landed the ship safely. The CAA, puzzled since the flares had been removed, discovered that gasoline was overflowing from the newly filled wing tanks, was swept backwards beneath the metal fuselage. It would have evaporated harmlessly, except for the outside air-vent for the cabin heaters. This vent, sucked in the gasoline, caught fire. When the flares were still aboard, they caught from the burning heater. So all DC-6 airplanes are being modified to eliminate these hazards. They will soon be in service again, safely.

Flying Photographer
It all started shortly after Sky Writing published the schedule of places to go by airliner. Just to show you some of the nice things that happen to a columnist, pretty, vivacious Martha Cox, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Cox, dropped in the office, wanted flight schedules to St. Louis. You bet we looked them up. To make a long story short, Martha flew to St. Louis while mama stayed home and chewed her finger-nails down to her elbows. The entire family is enthusiastic now. Miss Cox caught a ride on a DC-3 (two motors) at Chicago, arrived in St. Louis one hour and fifty minutes later. Had a fine lunch enroute. But the trip back was even more super. At St. Louis, she was escorted aboard a big DC-4 (four motors) with 52 other passengers. Dinner, fried chicken, was served while aloft. In one hour and ten minutes, she arrived at Chicago municipal airport. The round trip cost about $27 including everything.

Airliner Use Increases
TWA has announced a net profit from passenger hauling of $400,000 in the month of September. This is an encouraging note of increase in flying service, for their net loss for the entire year is $4,000,000.

Lowman's Luscombes
Lowman Flying Service now sports two new metal Luscombes . The Luscombe is a high-wing monoplane. Built of metal, they are fast-have a cruising speed of 105 miles per hour. They are "side-by-side" ships with stick control.

Warsaw Daily Times Mon. Nov. 24, 1947