17. A Lesson
While he did not want to take off the next morning, he kept moving by changing the aircraft’s oil and doing other routine maintenance. When he found himself doing things he did not need to do, he realized if he did not take off that afternoon, he might not ever fly again. He comforted himself with the thought that he was not the only pilot to ever go through an experience like that and he had somehow managed to land safely. He chalked it up as a learning experience and vowed to be more careful.
18. The Big Apple
Following a stop in Botwood, Newfoundland, to check out the Botwood Flying Boat Museum, Smith flew to Bangor, Maine, in the US. There he cleared customs and took off for New York. Rather than deal with the JFK Airport, he flew by Manhattan, the aircraft carrier Intrepid, and the Statue of Liberty, and landed right on the Hudson River.
(Continued on next page)
