his comrade, but with never a doubt of the result, for the
hospitality of the country house is proverbial among pilots! What old
hand among them is there who cannot instance many a forced landing made
pleasant by such hospitality? Never too late or too early to help with
food, petrol, oil, tools, and assistants. Many a grateful thought has
the writer for such kind help given in the days before the war (how long
ago they seem!), when aeroplanes were still more imperfect than they are
now, and involuntary descents often a part of 'cross-country flying.

Ah! those early days! How fresh and inspiring they were! As one started
off on one's first 'cross-country flight, on a machine the first of its
design, and with everything yet to learn, and the wonders of the air yet
to explore; then the joy of accomplishment, the dreams of Efficiency,
the hard work and long hours better than leisure; and what a field of
endeavour--the realms of space to conquer! And the battle still goes on
with ever-increasing success. Who is bold enough to say what its limits
shall be?

So ruminates this Pilot-Designer, as he puffs at his pipe, until his
reverie is abruptly disturbed by the return of the Observer.

"Wake up, you _airman_," the latter shouts. "Here's the very thing the
doctor ordered! A basket of first-class grub and something to keep the
fog out, too."

"Well, that's splendid, but don't call me newspaper names or you'll
spoil my appetite!"

Then, with hunger such as only flying can produce, they appreciatively
discuss their lunch, and with many a grateful thought for the
donors--and they talk shop. They can't help it, and even golf is a poor
second to flight talk. Says the Pilot, who must have his grievance,
"Just observe where I managed to stop the machine. Not twenty feet from
this hedge! A little more and we should have been through it and into
Kingdom Come! I stalled as well as one could, but the tail touched the
ground and so I could not give the Aeroplane any larger angle of
incidence. Could I have given it a larger angle, then the planes would
have become a much more effective air-brake, and we should have come to
rest in a much shorter distance. It's all the fault of the tail. There's
hardly a type of Aeroplane in existence in which the tail could not be
raised several feet, and that would make all the difference. A high tail
means a large angle of incidence when the machine touches ground and,
with enough angle, I'll guar