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Sky Blazers 40-06-29 (30) Jack Knight - Pioneer Airmail Carrier
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Sky Blazers 40-06-29 (30) Jack Knight - Pioneer Airmail Carrier
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If you're a facilities manager at a university, you know students rely on the cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, dinner and the occasional late night snack. So when a dishwasher breaks down and dirty plates pile up, the mess hall can turn messy in the blink of an eye. Enter Grainger. With over a million industrial grade products and fast delivery, the product you need now is never far away. So you can turn that dishwasher back into a lean, clean washing machine. Call click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Sky Blazers. Sky Blazers calling Colonel Roscoe Turner. Sky Blazers calling Colonel Roscoe Turner at flight headquarters. This is flight headquarters, Colonel Roscoe Turner speaking. Sky Blazers, coast to coast. Stand by, Sky Blazers, stand by. The makers of Wonder Bread presents Sky Blazers. Based on the adventures of the men and women who pioneered new trails in the skies that we might fly. In just a moment, we shall transfer you to Colonel Roscoe Turner at flight headquarters. But first, mothers, your own nearby food store has everything you want for a wonderful fourth of July picnic. Yes. Cheese and peanut butter, eggs for hard boiling or salad, pickles and potato chips. And say, just tell me, what could be more fun for dad, the children and yourself than a wonderful outing in the country? All you need is a nearby field for baseball, a brook for waiting and green shady trees to spread your lunch out there. And what a lunch you'll have if you do as good homemakers everywhere are doing. And make your sandwiches with delicious slow baked Wonder Bread. For Wonder Bread stays fresh so much longer. That's because Wonder Bread is actually slow baked. Every single loaf is handled with a mother's care. Right from the original mixing to the final wrapping. A loaf of Wonder Bread takes more than 10 full hours to make. Its trip to our spotless bakery stays in temperature controlled ovens 13% longer than many ordinary breads. And this marvelous slow baking helps to keep each slice moist and tender, tempting and delicious. Just right for the best fourth of July sandwiches mother knows how to make. Ask your grocer for Wonder Bread today. It's the bread he himself probably prefers to any other sold in his book. Yes, according to recent extensive surveys, more grocers say their wives serve slow baked Wonder Bread in their home. As those who mention any other bread. And the grocer knows which is the one best the freshest loaf in his food store. Look for the wrapper decorated with the red, yellow and blue balloons. Wonder Bread. Each loaf slow baked for lasting freshness. Now take it away. Colonel Roscoe Turner at flight headquarters. You're on the air. Contact Sky Blazers tonight. Instead of airplanes, I want to start with Indians. Apache Indians on the war path 70 years ago in the real wild west of New Mexico. Get that other man in the over the hook here, quick. I carry over your mail pouches, Ezra. Hurry it up, Shorty. Ezra, your shirt's all bloody. You've been shot. We'll get another man. Other man nothing. Mer's got to get through. That was how we took the mail through in the old days, the pony Express. That's when men was men, Jack. Yes, sir. Hey, I wish I was big like you, uncle ezra. The fellows 15 years old are twice as big as I am. Maybe they be, Jack, but there's no fellow in town within 50 pounds of your weight that dares pick on you. It's not size, Jack. It's the heart and the courage inside that makes a man. Uncle Ezra, when I'm older, do you suppose I can learn to fly an airplane? I want to do that more than anything in the world, Jack. You got the stuff that makes men. If you're determined to fly an airplane, I know someday you'll do it. But if you do it, be the best. Sky Blazers. That 15 year old boy was Jack Knight. And he thought of nothing else except flying. He read about it, lived it, ate it. And then, just as soon as he was old enough in 1917, he applied to the US Army Air Corps for admission. But he was turned down because he didn't weigh enough. He was refused four times. And then the fifth time, through some error, the question of weight went by unnoticed and Jack was allowed to take the examination. He passed all the tests with flying colors until the last day when he was with the instructor in the experimental room. Well, Knight, this next experiment is to test your muscular control, your ability to concentrate under difficult conditions. You see that pile of boxes there? Yes, sir. You've got to walk up one side, down the other. They're piled so that the slightest slip will send the boxes crashing to the floor. Yes, sir. Now, before you climb that pile of boxes, Knight, I'm going to whirl you around in this swivel chair 20 times as fast as I can to make you dizzy. That sure will make it harder. Sit down. Yes, sir. Here, take this needle that's sharp on both ends. Put one point against your thumb and the other point against your forefinger. Hold it steady or it'll prick you. Ouch. There, you, Honor. It's too hard. It'll draw blood. Yes, sir. Now, you've got to keep that needle between your fingers while I whirl you in the chair and while you walk up and down that pile of boxes. If you drop the needle or knock down the boxes, you fail the test, huh? Yes, sir. I'm ready. All right, I'm gonna spin you around. Get your feet up. All right, stand up, Knight. Now walk up onto the boxes. Careful now. Down. And don't drop that needle. That's it. Good job, Knight. Boy, am I glad that's over. Congratulations, Captain. Does that mean I'm in the Air Corps as a cadet? Certainly does. If I. Now, let me check over this report. Say, wait a minute. Why didn't you tell me you were underweight? I hoped I wasn't. How much am I underweight, captain? Five pounds. Only five pounds? Can't you let me in anyhow? No, I'm sorry, Knight. I'm awfully sorry. The type of young man we want. And if it were up to me, I'd pass you in a minute. But with all the red tape and regulations. Can't break the rules. Sorry. Well, suppose I gained those five pounds somehow. Would I be accepted then? That's right. Come back next year when you're five pounds heavier. Yeah, maybe next year. And maybe soon. Gotta get in the Air Corps somehow. Hi there, roommate. Oh, hey, what's eating you? Jack, you look awful funny. Nothing's eating me. I'm eating this. For Pete's sake, Look at the banana skins. It must be three dozen of them. What happened to the bananas? They're inside. Inside what? Me. What? Mm. What's in that other bag? Bananas. Are you crazy? You gonna eat all those? Mm. I gotta put on £5. You gotta? Oh, boy, do you look like I am sick. Harry, take my arm. Will you please help me get back to the Air Corps headquarter? I can't walk alone. I want that captain to wing. I told you, Knight, we can't take you. You're underweight. Not now, Captain, give Jack a chance. This is a matter of life and death to him. Hurry, will you? Whammy. All right, Knight, get on those scales again. Say, Knight, that's funny. You've gained over four and a half pounds since you were here before. I'm not so funny. But you're still a shade under I am. Harry, give me another banana. Gosh, Jack. All right, here you are. Well, Knight, I can see you're a fighter. We need men like you in the Air Corps. What about my. Wait, no. Okay, Knight, you've passed. Congratulations. I swear I'll never eat another bananas. As long as I live. If I do live, sky blazes. That's how Jack Knight got into the army air Corps, where he soon became a famous army flyer. After his honorable discharge in 1919, he was made pilot in the newly organized airmail line in Cleveland. One foggy day, the district air superintendent had been called before the government postmaster. That's the way it stands. You're the superintendent of the airmail. This flying of the mail was just an experiment. Well, it's failed. I've just talked to ten of your flyers. Not one of them will fly the mail through. But, Mr. Postmaster, you don't know a thing about aviation. It's impossible to fly any plane anywhere in that fog out there. And airplanes have no right to be carriers of the United States mail. Now, look. Now we'll settle the whole thing. Here's Jack Knight, the best flyer we've got. Sent for me, superintendent? Yes, Jack. The postmaster will tell you why. Yes, sir. Knight, the air superintendent and myself have called you in for a showdown. Showdown? Will you fly the afternoon mail plane to Bellefonte, Pennsylvania? Well, this is my day off, sir. You see, superintendent, another excuse. Every one of your pilots has made some excuse not to fly that mail out to Bellefontein today. Now, just a minute, postmaster. I'm not making any excuse, though a duck wouldn't fly in this fog. We've either got air mail or we haven't. If we have to ground the planes every time there's a fog, it proves that carrying mail by plane is impractical. And I shall recommend to Washington that the United States air mail be discontinued. I'll take the mail to Belfond. Postmaster Knight, if you think this trip is going to be too dangerous, I don't want you to take the plane up. Well, sir, if we're ever gonna have an air mail in this country, I guess a lot of us flyers have got to take some chances. Superintendent, here's a memo I've just been jotting down. Will you take it, please? Oh, yes, sure, Jack. Thanks. Now, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me. I guess the mail truck must be waiting to take me out to the field. Good luck, Jack. Good luck, Knight. Superintendent, I think you're too timid. Your own pilot thinks he can get through all right. Oh, what's that memo he left with you? Oh, this. This might interest you. Read it. I, Jack Knight, do hereby bequeath all my personal belongings. Say, this is his last will and testament. Can't stand listening to that plane up there circling the airport. Jack, Knight's been circling belfort now for 30 minutes. Since he can't stay up there forever, old Brian. Yeah, we know what that means. I wouldn't give you 10 cents for Jack Knight's chances of getting down alive in this fog. It's O'Brien. I've got an idea. Don't bother me, Billy. William. But. But I've got an idea how to help Jack Knight spot the airfield. Well, what is it, kid? It can't do any harm. Well, maybe. Maybe he could smell his way to the field. He could. What do you think? Jack Knight is a bloodhound. Go away, Billy. But Mr. O'Brien, if we made a great big fire with gallons and gallons of old engine oil, the smell would go way up in the air. And Jack Knight would know the smell of burning engine oil. Anyway, Billy, that's the craziest idea I ever heard. But we're going to try it. Come on, fellas, get going. Bring out those barrels of dirty oil. We gotta hurry if we're gonna save Jack Knight. Sky Blazers. They built that fire on the Bellefonte landing field. And while Jack Knight didn't smell the burning oil, he did see the smoke and so was able to come down to a safe landing. One of the strangest landings in the history of aviation. But In February of 1921, strong opposition arose in Congress to any further appropriation for airmail. In the Capitol building in the House of Representatives, the debate went on for hours. Aviation is all right for a stunt, but when we are asked to vote on appropriation of over $1 million to continue this experiment of airmail, I say we're just throwing good money after bad. Air mail hasn't amounted to anything, doesn't amount to anything and won't amount to anything. Airplanes can't fly at night. What good is it when I send a letter to California by airmail and every night that letter has to be taken off a plane and carried on a train all night? No, sir, that doesn't make sense. And I urge the appropriation for air mail be struck out of the bill. The chair recognizes gentlemen from New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I was informed by the post office department an hour ago that they are arranging for a coast to coast 36 hour flight of the mail on February 22nd. I suggest we hold up further discussion of this appropriation until after that flight has been attempted. If this test flight fails, Congress will unanimously agree to put an end to airmail. Sky Blazers. Every airmail pilot volunteered to take part in that test flight. Jack Knight was finally Chosen to fly the first half of the night on the west to east run from north platte to Omaha. There were no beacons to mark the course in those days and no system of weather reports. But Jack knight had his own ideas. The day before the test flight, Jack landed his plane at a lonely ranch house on the platte river in nebraska. What's the matter, pilot? Having trouble with your plane? No, just paying you a visit. My name's Jack knight. Hey, are you the mail plane that I see going overhead every day? That's right. Well, I'm Sam Burgess, Mr. Knight. Mighty glad to meet you. How do you do? Now, Mr. Burgess, I gotta have your help. Well, now, spit her out. What can I do for you? Well, tomorrow I'm flying marauder tonight. First time it's ever been done. Mr. Burgess, I want you to build a bonfire right out here on the prairie. Kind of a guiding light for you, huh? All right. Will you do it, mister? Pretty darn lonely out here. To my ranch house. We're a long way from town. We don't have much company dropping in. Somehow me and the old lady got to thinking of your plane going over every day kind of like a friend. Well, building a bonfire ain't much to do for a friend, is it? Thanks a lot, Mr. Burgess. Could you stay and have a little bite of dinner with us, Mr. Knight? Haven't liver. Well, I'd sure like to, Mr. Burgess, but I've got to talk to six more ranchers along the way. Oh, say, one more thing. Have you got a telephone? Yeah, I had one for him last year. Now, if I call you just before I start out, will you stick your head out the window and see what the weather's doing? Of course I will. What time you figure on starting out? 10:30 tomorrow night from north flat. And so, as mayor of the city of north platte, I want to extend. We send to you, Jack Knight, our good wishes for the trip you're about to undertake. This first night air mail flight will go down in history as a great pioneering apple. Thank you, your honor. I wish you godspeed and a safe journey through the night. It's 10:29, Jack. Okay, I'm ready. Your honor, will you have the police keep the people back from the Runway? I sure will, jack. Oh, chief, get those people back. Hey, pete, have you checked with all the ranchers? Every bonfire's burning from here to Omaha. Okay, then I'm taking off for omaha. You know, I feel as low as a snake's belly. It's a shame. It's a shame. Jack Knight will take the news pretty hard. Yeah, I hear. Hey, Bates, I hear a plane. Listen, Jack, Mac's not due here in Omaha for 15 minutes. Well, he's here coming in for a landing. Get the post office to send that mail truck out here to the airport right away. Right. I'll go out on the field and tell Jack the bad news. Hi, Jack. Hi, Harry. Fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Say, Harry, where's the pilots that are going to take over? Why isn't he out here in the field? Well, Jack, there's bad news. Oh, one of the boys crack up? No, but it's ceiling zero over most of Iowa. Test flight is canceled. Canceled? They can't do that. We've got to prove to Congress we can take the mail through. Word came through from Chicago a half hour ago that they'd already stopped the westbound plane and put the mail on the train. Orders are to stop the eastbound mail here and put it on the next train to Chicago. Just because there's a little bad weather. Where's the pilot that was going to take over? Chief sent him home when the news came. So quite a crowd here, but they all cleared out. Now all there is here is the chief, myself and another mechanic waiting to put this plane to bed. Harry, I'm going on to Chicago. You're going where? I'm going to take a mail through. I got to, Harry. The whole future of air mail hangs in the balance right now. You're crazy, Jack. You've never flown this run to Chicago. You haven't even got any maps. Well, that makes it suffer. But the mail through. And I'm taking it. Whoa. Have you got gas? Enough, Jack. Enough to last. Iowa City. I'll guess up there. Twist or tail. Switches off. Gas on. Gas on. Hello, Chicago Airport? Airmail headquarters, this is the Omaha airport calling. Jack Knight took off 20 minutes ago with the mail for Chicago. What? Yeah. Jack's gonna refuel in Iowa City. In Iowa City? But there's nobody there. They closed the airport, turned off all the lights, and everybody went home an hour ago when we canceled the flight. Good Lord. Well, get hold of the manager of the Iowa City Airport. But I can't get Iowa City. The storm's blown down all the wires. There's nothing we can do. Then heaven help him up there in that storm sky blazes. Hour by hour, the storm got worse. The airport in Iowa City, lashed by gales and driving rains, was deserted except for the watchman, Frank Jones. Hello, Frank. Oh, hello. I was cutting across the field on my way home from work. Frank saw your landing through the window and came in to rest. Very good. Got tuckered out fighting that storm. Yeah, it's a terrible night out. Other fellas, well, they all went home hours ago. And the air mail flight was canceled. No plane could ever get Frank. Sounded like a plane. Plane? Are you crazy? Yeah, I don't hear it anymore. Nobody could be up there in that storm anyhow. Must have been the wind. Well, Al, how's the missus? Oh, she's feeling better this morning, Frank. Thanks. I'm glad to hear that. Your best thing for her is just stay in bed for the next few. Yeah, well, better be getting along, Frank. Okay. I think I'll stretch out here and get me 40 weeks of sleep. I'm glad you stopped in, Al. There is a plane up there. Yeah, I hear it by the sound. He's sizzling overhead, trying to find the feed. Look out. We got a light. Flares. They're in my locker. Come on, help me get these flares lit. I'll put one flare here. Hold your head over it out while I light it. Yeah. Listen, Frank, his motor's missing. He must be out of gas. He'll crack up. He can't help it. I can see his light. It's gonna land. Get back to the player. Give him all the room there is. He's gonna hit those telephone lines. No, he missed them. Hey, thanks. Come on, you crazy garloot. Who are you flying in weather like this? I'm Jack Knight. You're a male from Omaha. A mail plane. Yeah, and I need gasoline in a hurry. You need what? Gasoline. I'm going on to Chicago. You gonna fly to Chicago in this weather? Yeah. Hurry it up, will you? This load of mail is due in Chicago at nine tomorrow morning. Gonna. Are you the telegraph operator? Yes, sir. I've got an important message I want to send to my uncle. Take it down, will you please? To Ezra Bolton, San Jose, California. Just say the mail got through. Sign it Jack Knight. Sky Blazers. From the date of Jack Knight's famous night flight. Airmail was here to stay. Two days later, Congress passed a bill authorizing the continuation of air mail service and providing for the erection of air beacons for night flying. Today, great airliners fly that same route over the Iowa prairies 10,000ft above the earth. They are equipped with two way radio beam retractable landing gear, the static suppressor, automatic pilot and 101 other ideas. And aids to air navigation that Jack Knight didn't have. But Jack, who is now Director of Public Education for United Airlines is still a great pilot with more actual hours of flying than any other man. Sky Blazers, I want you to begin training for leadership. Yes, leadership in school, sports, everything you do. Because from the younger leaders of today will come America's airline pilots of tomorrow. Right you are, Colonel Turner. And while we're on the subject, just what would you recommend for Sky Blazers who want to have the steam and energy it takes to be a real winner? I'd say follow the Sky Blazers rule number one. Get plenty of food energy with your meals by eating two slices of slow baked Wonder Bread and drinking a big glass of milk. Notes and case will tell you why. Sky Blazers milk and slow baked Wonder Bread are two of our best foods. Chock full of important food energy and muscle building protein. And we say eat Wonder Bread because this nourishing bread is actually slow baked for lasting freshness. That means it really tastes better and makes you want to eat more. In fact, plenty of famous airline pilots like Colonel Roscoe Turner rate Wonder Bread tops for freshness and flavor. Get Wonder Bread, favorite of the airways, next Monday. Sure, treat yourself to the bread. Sky Blazers. Eat Wonder Bread in the famous balloon decorated wrapper. Each loaf slow baked for lasting freshness. Sky Blazers. Don't forget we have a date at the New York World's fair on Wednesday, July 31. The bakers of Wonder Bread are going to have one of the greatest model plane exhibition contests ever held. There are 63 mighty handsome trophies for you to win. So start building your model now. Any type model plane will be eligible. You can get the full details, all the rules by riding The Sky Blazers 630 Fifth Avenue, New York. Sky Blazers 630 Fifth Avenue, New york. Get on the job. Tonight you have a swell chance to win for there are three age groups. Sky Blazers. Next week you're going to hear the real story of the world's first Army Air Force and the man who commanded it, Bert Hall. And as our special guest at flight headquarters next week, Lieutenant Arthur Doerr of the United States Army Air Corps. So get all your friends to listen next week to another Philip H. Lord dramatization of Sky Blazers. Today, the American Red Cross urgently needs a minimum of $20 million to relieve human suffering. Give all you can immediately through your local Red Cross chapter. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.