﻿THE 
  FIRST 
  ALASKAN 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  509 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

  

  ST. 
  PAUE, 
  MINNESOTA, 
  FROM 
  THE 
  AIR 
  

  

  The 
  domed 
  white 
  building 
  in 
  the 
  left 
  distance 
  is 
  the 
  State 
  capitol. 
  Severe 
  storms 
  in 
  

   the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Fargo, 
  North 
  Dakota, 
  the 
  next 
  landing 
  place, 
  justified 
  the 
  airmen 
  in 
  enjoying 
  

   the 
  hospitality 
  of 
  the 
  Twin 
  Cities 
  for 
  two 
  days. 
  

  

  On 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  Winona 
  the 
  hills 
  rise 
  

   rather 
  sharply 
  to 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  1,000 
  feet. 
  

   The 
  valley 
  between 
  runs 
  northwest 
  and 
  

   southeast, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  prevailing 
  winds 
  

   are 
  always 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  directions. 
  An 
  

   aviator 
  must 
  determine, 
  before 
  he 
  lands 
  

   his 
  machine, 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  wind, 
  

   and 
  if 
  possible 
  he 
  always 
  heads 
  directly 
  

   into 
  the 
  wind 
  as 
  his 
  airplane 
  glides 
  down 
  

   to 
  the 
  field. 
  If 
  the 
  wind 
  is 
  blowing 
  30 
  

   miles 
  an 
  hour, 
  his 
  speed 
  of 
  landing 
  is 
  in- 
  

   creased 
  or 
  decreased 
  by 
  30 
  miles, 
  depend- 
  

   ing 
  upon 
  his 
  coming 
  in 
  with 
  the 
  wind 
  or 
  

   against 
  it. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  field 
  is 
  small, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  utmost 
  

   importance 
  to 
  notice 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  

   wind 
  by 
  observing 
  smoke 
  drift 
  on 
  the 
  

   ground, 
  then 
  head 
  into 
  the 
  wind 
  and 
  per- 
  

   mit 
  it 
  to 
  retard 
  the 
  speed 
  of 
  the 
  airplane 
  

   in 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  The 
  citizens 
  of 
  Winona 
  insisted 
  upon 
  

   our 
  staying 
  over 
  to 
  attend 
  a 
  luncheon 
  

   arranged 
  in 
  our 
  honor 
  by 
  the 
  Chamber 
  

   of 
  Commerce 
  of 
  that 
  city. 
  I 
  found 
  a 
  

   small 
  particle 
  of 
  dirt 
  had 
  jammed 
  open 
  

   the 
  pressure 
  relief-valve 
  on 
  my 
  gas 
  tank. 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  quickly 
  removed, 
  our 
  gasoline 
  

   and 
  oil 
  were 
  replenished, 
  and, 
  as 
  Minne- 
  

   apolis 
  was 
  but 
  an 
  hour 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  distant, 
  

   we 
  decided 
  not 
  to 
  accept 
  Winona's 
  kind 
  

   invitation. 
  

  

  I 
  should 
  say 
  here 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  im- 
  

   possible 
  to 
  express 
  adequately 
  our 
  thanks 
  

   and 
  appreciation 
  for 
  the 
  wonderful 
  hos- 
  

   pitality 
  extended 
  to 
  us 
  by 
  each 
  com- 
  

   munity 
  on 
  our 
  route. 
  From 
  city 
  officials, 
  

   from 
  private 
  citizens, 
  and 
  from 
  fellow- 
  

   aviators 
  we 
  received 
  the 
  most 
  flattering 
  

   and 
  most 
  kindly 
  consideration. 
  

  

  THE 
  TWIN 
  CITIES 
  HAVE 
  A 
  SUPERB 
  FLYING 
  

   EIELD 
  

  

  At 
  6:10 
  that 
  evening 
  we 
  left 
  the 
  people 
  

   of 
  Winona 
  standing 
  gazing 
  up 
  at 
  us 
  with 
  

   their 
  "noses 
  in 
  air," 
  as 
  the 
  French 
  put 
  it, 
  

   and 
  just 
  an 
  hour 
  later 
  we 
  were 
  joined 
  on 
  

   our 
  route 
  by 
  a 
  Curtiss 
  airplane 
  that 
  had 
  

   set 
  out 
  from 
  Minneapolis 
  to 
  meet 
  us 
  

   and 
  escort 
  us 
  in. 
  

  

  While 
  still 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  

   Twin 
  Cities 
  we 
  sighted 
  ahead 
  the 
  glaring 
  

   white 
  race-track 
  of 
  concrete 
  situated 
  at 
  

  

  