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Roger MillerMillerWalking On AirTbe world'.; first “‘win*-walker—end that was a lad of 13—is the dazzling title claimed by 4year-old THomet A. Cushman, 3d It (iienmort- avenue Not only did he begin ruling the shaky old hi plant * at only 12 back in 1922 but he apparently was the first man to race an automobile with an airplane and barely missed piloting the first experimental jet plane in 1945.Hern in Liowood to 1910, Tom began to run out on the old Union (BeechmnMJ Levee every day after school In 1922 to watch John Dixie Dev is do barnstorming stunts In his old Standards. Jennies a n d Con-naueks He soon was helping the ex RAF pilot from World War 1 wash down bis bi wingers on the Levee in order to earn fine tides. Being wry short for 12, ho had to havo two cushions under him and one behind him during each of these first flights.At 13, he was hustling passengers for Dixie's Jitney hops at different farmers' fields within a W-mile radius. One day, while aloft with Dixie and two horrified passengers, Tom got a peculiar urge to crawl out onto one bi-wuvg by holding onto the guy wires and struts between the “doubledecker” panels, lie Is believed to be the first person ever to try this trick of “wing-walking and he soon was billed as “the world's youngest stunt boy” before regular crowds on the Bcechoiont I-evoe each Sunday afternoon—including his own cheering parents.• Fear was -s- fereijpi ,-W0ffdl tr0' ■■ ~S^8WBk ' On# day, he -sneaked onto the pin-type landing gear while one of Dixie's greenhorn students was taking off and crawled around the fusclago on the guy wires and Into the second cockpit while the rookie turned a ghastly white. For Beechuiont air shows, he began even more daring feats—hanging onto an inner tube slung under the landing gear in flight, holding onto a wing in flight by his teeth (with a hidden harness) and, finally, hanging onto merely a pair of gilk stockings tied to a wing strut. The latter was a Realsitk Hosiery promotion in the early 192o'a.At IS in 1923. he forsook such stunts to begin solo flying. However, one year later, he became the first person to race an auto with a plane, lie raced against champion driver Wilbur Shaw at Coney Island in ’27 but his 55 miles per hour in the air were surpassed by Shaw’s 70 IIPH .on the ground in a one lap match. In 1928 at 18, he briefly managed the old Frank's Airport at Bridgetown and Coral Gables roads and recalls one incident when he couldn't gain altitude on a takeoff and crashed through a neighbor's garage.He left Cincinnati in 1930 to be a civilian instructor on Waco, Aeronca and Stinson aircraft at Chicago's Elmhurst Airport. In 1942, he joined the Air Force Ferry Command to fly wartime Thunderbolts, Cessnas, B25’j and B-81's from the factories to military bases within the United States. Discharged with a broken car drum in late 1943, he became chief experimental pilot for Republic Aviation at Evans-vtlle, lad., and was assigned to pilot the first ex peri mental jet plane in 1945 when a higher priority .Army man was brought to at the last minute.Since *45, he has concentrated mure on another longtime interest—the musical instrument hmim-u which he also had as a sideline in Chicago since 1932. Today, he heads 35 teachers tn four studios in Cincinnati including his new Cushman Musk Studios at the Glenraore address in Cheviot.But machine power still is in his blood, lie man aged the Cincinnati Race Bowl in 1946 and 1947 and became co-owner of the Day ton Speedway last y ear. And ho still is flying regularly. His commercialMalta Stuntman tpm Cushman■ likes racing cart, too*license number of 4467-mued to 192S—makes him an aerial grand daddy among over a nuiUon licensee^ today'* * #As Tough As MailsA tribute to a pioneer local business and the people behind it featured the Cheviot Westwood Business Association meeting last week Nathan and Effio Fink of Fink Hardware, 3117 Hamson avenue, were honored as the oldest buwnea* mem hers attending the Club eioction and were pee sented with flowers The Finks have operated their Westwood firm since 1917 and joined the old West ern Hills Badness Association soon after Its found ing in early 1925 Ms choice is a happy example to .more than om war pf i «wt wfttrr real far banging twato 'toe Into*.....ul-as Some C-WBA colleagues may recall how Mr Fink, now 74, once was threatened by a holdup man six years ago. He chased that gunman clear out an the Street with a hammerThe Musk Man's Pal It's a small world—musically, too! Fred add Bendy Geist, 5679 Green Acres court, had a distinguish^* house guegt all day Sunday-dim Ingram who sinfy the lead la the Frisco Four quartet to “The Muak Man” now playing at. the'Taft Theatre, Jiat a. real dent of San Rafael. Calif. consented to visit l|e Getsls on Sunday after being hosted by Fred sag Other barber shop bar moor fan* at The Woodshed to Evanston after Saturday night’s show Fred Is the area representative for four Greater Cincinnati * barber shop harmony chapters of the SPE8SQSA and was president of the Western Hitts Chapter last year * *,While at the Geist home Sunday, Jim mentioned he and a man named Harrison “Hap Bailor raceutij were oo-directors of the harmony chapter chorus »n Berkeley, Calif Fred beamed, “We may lira at opposite ends of the map but we do have • mutual friend after all! Hap Balky and 1 sang together in the old Tunica quartet when we wore attending Purdue University and our quartet mode the Inter national aerai-finals both at Omaha in 1966 and at Toledo to 1961!” (Frod now is base far the Chord Clown* in the West HUts Chapter t -a ♦ * •They Saw The Lighfl A nervous thief must be visiting the home of Mr and Mrs. James A. Fogarty 1346 LaMar drive, Cove dale. On Sunday afternoon, they placed a red lantern twWrVlwlrTir ThFtr from lawn caused by th* recent floods When Mrs. Fogarty returned home from taking her husband to a train, the lantern was gone. She called. County police who made two thorough cruises of the neighborhood and then left The police must have put the fear of the law into someone's heart because when Mrs Fogarty peered out the window again Monday morning, there was the lantern hack to its place!
Newspaper Details
Western Hills Press
Cheviot, Ohio, US
Fri, Jan 30, 1959
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Cincinnati A.
OH, USA 15 Jan 2024
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