July 9th
July 9th
Daily Flight Information:
Departed: Baghdad, Mesopotamia
Arrived: Aleppo, Syria
Miles Flown: 450
Flight Time: 6 hrs. 10 mins.
(11:15 a.m. to 5:25 p.m.)
Total Miles Flown: 15,075
Total Flight Time: 200 hrs. 28 min.
World Flight Arrives in Aleppo, Syria
Daily Report
by Lt. L. P. Arnold, "Chicago", Mechanic
Just for a change we slept until 7 o'clock & scheduled to start for Aleppo at 10 -- when all was ready it was found that #2 ["Chicago"] had a dead battery & it was 11 before getting away. A formation of five RAF planes took off with us -- escorted us until 12:30.
The city of Baghdad we did not see --except from a distance -- it is too bad that we have not the time to go sight-seeing at these various places. The entire trip today was again over the desert -- North Arabian. We followed the Euphrates River & seeing that helped break the monotony of seeing only barren sand. Sometimes we could see as many as 15 & 20 small sized sand storms traveling along the ground & about 60 miles from Aleppo we encountered some good sized one's, the dust from which extended to 4000 ft & the sun striking on top of this white dust gives it the appearance of a real vapor cloud.
At 5:20 we came to the French airdrome 9 miles North of Aleppo & after the usual greetings were exchanged & the champagne partaken of, we went to work & in a couple of hours were ready for tomorrow's flight & went to town. We had dinner at the American Counsels & about 11 were in bed.
As we drove through, Aleppo looked most interesting -- the town is centuries old & the buildings are all of that style. Camels roam around the same as cows do at home & every native has a small burro which he rides -- his colorful picturesque costume & his feet just above the ground make a real sight.
Daily Report
by Lt. L. H. Smith, Commanding
At 11:15 this morning, the flight departed for Aleppo, again flying along the Euphrates River most of the distance. Aleppo was reached at 5:25. The field here is the French aviation center for Air Service activities in Syria. It furnished excellent service. Its officers extended the courtesies of the French Government. The weather conditions on this flight were excellent except for one small sand storm and there were many emergency landing fields available, a number of which were prepared fields and used regularly by the French on their airways missions.