WALDO DEAN WATERMAN RECALLS BERT

	Waldo Waterman, 1971.

"Bert had entered the fourth grade in midterm and was assigned a seat near me, in the rear near the window. One day the teacher looked up and saw Bert's jaws moving as if he were chewing gum, a forbidden sin. As was the custom when anyone was caught doing such a dreadful thing, the teacher picked up her ruler and walked down the aisle, prepared to give the offending student a good swat. She said, "Bert, spit it out!" and Bert sure did spit it out with a great big splatt! It wasn't chewing gum, but tobacco that he was chewing and for that he was immediately marched down to the principal's office. That's the last I ever saw of him around Middletown Grammar School." From Waldo, Pioneer Aviator, by Waldo Dean Waterman with Jack Carpenter Arsdalen, Bosch & Co.,., 1988

 

WALTER E. LEES RECALLS BERT

	Wallter E. Lees - 1931.

"Bert was a mechanic for Glenn Curtiss at North Island, California. Ray Morris was in charge of instruction. He had a Curtiss pusher with 4 cylinder Curtiss engine, called a grass cutter or sort of primary trainer. Plane would barely fly, but as students had to fly solo, they had the throttle tied down, so all they could do was run along the ground to get the feel of the plane. As they advanced, the stop was taken off the engine so they could fly low and straight hops. Morris discovered that Acosta was taking the plane out and flying it himself, early in the mornings before anyone was on the island." SELECTION FROM WALTER LEE'S JOURNAL

 

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