Throttling down the power of the engine he spirals downwards,
keenly observing the country below. There are
plenty of green fields to lure him, and his great object is to
avoid one in which the grass is long, for that would bring
his machine to a stop so suddenly as to turn it over; or one
of rough surface likely to break the under-carriage. Now
is perfect eyesight and a cool head indispensable. He sees
and decides upon a field and, knowing his job, he sticks to
that field with no change of mind to confuse him. It is none
too large, and gliding just over the trees and head on to the
wind he skilfully ``stalls'' his machine; that is, the speed
having decreased sufficiently to avoid such a manoeuvre
resulting in ascent, he, by means of the Elevator, gives the
Aeroplane as large an angle of incidence as possible. and the
undersides of the planes meeting the air at such a large
angle act as an air-brake, and the Aeroplane, skimming
over the ground, lessens its speed and finally stops just at
the farther end of the field.
Then, after driving the Aeroplane up to and under the
lee of the hedge, he stops the engine, and quickly lashing
the joy-stick fast in order to prevent the wind from blowing
the controlling surfaces about and possibly damaging them,
he hurriedly alights. Now running to the tail he lifts it up
on to his shoulder, for the wind has become rough indeed
and there is danger of the Aeroplane becoming unmanageable.
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