During that 3000-meter tumble I was
planning the best way to hit the ground (I had the choice of sauces): I
found the way, but there were still 95 out of 100 chances for the wooden
cross. _Enfin_, all right!" And this postscript followed: "Sixth time I
have been brought down: record!"
Lieutenant V.F., of the Dragon Escadrille, colliding with a comrade's
airplane at a height of 3000 meters, had a similar fall onto the
Avocourt wood, and was similarly astounded to find himself whole. He
had continued maneuvering during the five or six minutes of the descent.
"Soon," he wrote, "the trees of the Hesse forest came in sight; in fact,
they seemed to approach at a dizzy rate of speed. I switched off so as
not to catch fire, and a few meters before reaching the trees I nosed up
my machine with all my strength so that it would fall flat. There was a
terrible shock! One tree higher than the rest broke my right wings, and
made me turn as if I were on a pivot. I closed my eyes. There was a
second shock, less violent than I could have hoped: the machine fell on
its nose like a stone, at the foot of the tree which had stopped me.
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