This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
90
THE FUN OF IT

sential. The field need not be elaborate, although naturally the pilot turns with delight to the large well-kept airport offering hangar service and com­plete equipment. But where air travel does not warrant great expenditures, a smooth parking space is gratefully used.

As I have said, it is sometimes wise for a pilot to bring his plane down to make a minor adjustment which he couldn’t do in the air. Or he may elect to wait till a storm has passed rather than try to fly through it. Under these circumstances, he may not be so hard put as he is with his motor entirely out, nevertheless safety demands a place to land.

And oh, for a country-wide campaign of sign painting! Coming down through a hole in the clouds, any flyer is thankful for definite information as to his location, even if it is only to check his navigation. If he is off his course, it may be im­perative to know where he is in order to safeguard his gasoline supply. Approaching darkness or the necessity for a repair landing makes minutes ex­tremely precious. At such a time, a name on a sign may be a real life saver. Too, inexperienced pilots especially need such added aids to their cross­-country flying.

There is also another side to this sign painting business. The city in which you live should be proud enough of itself to be recognized by air travelers. Often the thousands who pass by on the airways can’t do so unless the name is prominently displayed. Though there has been much progress