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Illlinon-hen-tyc-tochnsovnat he he i liedes.ei'iy-ic-he.hefoy£s-:ermlmlsi-:nLDcampaign opened several weeica ago.*Mike’ Quits Stunt Flying To Teach Glider PilotsINDIANAPOLIS — fU.F )— Capt Michael C Mike Murphy, whose death-inviting stunt flying feats included cutting a ribbon stretched between two poles 20 feet high while flying upside down, has quit stunting to teach glider pilots and he hopes Liiey “don’t get too cocky and begin taking chances.The famous aerial ac»*obat of Lafayette, Ind., now is assistant in charge of gilders for the troop carrier command at Stout field here.He used to do such crack tricks as: Landing a Cub plane on an 8x17 foot platform atop a moving automobile, then ordering the duver to turn around so he could take off.He’s done every stunt in the book ar.d a few that aren't. Some of them he wrote into the book himself in his sky-writing days. And Mike Murphy is not a novice when it comes to glides He used to fly them back In 1928 when the pilot perched precariously in theopen sky on a tiny skybml only a fraction the size of the present ITCC gliders.Regarding gliders, Mike says: Within six months you'll hear r*s much talk about gliders as any other type of plane. They will be used as extensively and as effectively. They are ideal for the rapid transportation of airborne units and supplies‘The glider pilots are terrific They aie the tine ‘air commandos' Not only must they be skilled fliersi in every rospecl.. hut they must beself-sustaining men, They must be able to fight as well as fly. It's . possible that some ol them may be picked up soon after they land theircargoes of men and supplies through the new pickup method we have worked out, but others may have to keep going on their own for a long time.“These pilots receive thorough infantry training, They know how' to shoot a gun, and hew to live off the country. Many of them, no doubt, will fight side by side with the paratroopers they have landed That's the kind of men they are'1Mike Murphy was born in Illinois, moved to Lafayette when very young, was reared on a farm and became the neighborhood traGtor mechanic. He even built himself a racing car out of unused scrap. He'd been flying for two years when he turned to stunting (or acrobatic precision” as Mike calls it. refusing to use the term, stunting) for the money it pays.He won every acrobatic precision contest lie entered, copping the American competition In 1938, 1939find 1941 pprmnnont priSKi»ssmn ofthe Freddie Lund trophy In 1941 he also captured the international championship at Havana, the midwest title at Des Moines, la, and the national acrobatic championship at Dayton. O.Murphy taught sky writing and \ had a complete air show unit that | barnstormed Lhe country before he ! became a reserve officer in 1938 He j went on active duty last Murch.Now Mike Murphy has reformed from stunting and is teaching the boys caution.“The boys are great fliers and we have a wondciful safety record,” he said “I just hope they don’t get too cocky and begin to lakeday Est: age by wor G ave a i sen1 He Pol:chances.”
Newspaper Details
Hammond Times
Hammond, Indiana, US
Wed, Dec 23, 1942
Page 30
Full Page
Clipped by
Kokomo-Howard C.
IN, USA 11 Mar 2019
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