Record-Journal/1930/New Jersey Flier Makes Two Forced Landings In Pennsylvania

New Jersey Flier Makes Two Forced Landings In Pennsylvania. Eddie Schneider Seeking Junior Trans Continental Record Has Narrow Escape. Altoona, Pennsylvania; August 14, 1930 (Associated Press) A narrow escape from disaster was related by Eddie Schneider 18-year-old Westfield, New Jersey pilot on his arrival tonight by plane from Water Street at Schultz airport near Altoona from where he intends hopping off westward tomorrow in an attempt to set a new junior trans-continental east to west record flight. Forced To Land. Schneider related that on his flight to Water Street from Huntington where he was forced to land earlier in the day because of fog and rain his plane scraped the top of a tree tearing away part of the fabric from the lower part of a wing. It was Schneider’s first warning that he was flying so low, he said. Schneider upon determining at Water Street that the damage was slight, flew to Altoona later in the day to have the wing fabric repaired. Unfavorable Weather. He said that barring unfavorable weather he will take off early tomorrow for Columbus, Ohio He flew only 100 feet from the ground all the way from Huntingdon to Water Street landing at the latter place in a corn field on the farm of Clare Harris. Schneider said he hoped to reach Los Angeles with an elapsed time lower than the record of 33 hours and 35 minutes. Extremely Low Ceiling. Water Street, Pennsylvania; August 14, 1930 (Associated Press) Rain and fog today combined to frustrate the attempt of Eddie Schneider, 18-year-old Westfield, New Jersey pilot to break the junior transcontinental east to west flight record established by the late Frank Goldsborough. The record is 33 hours and 35 minutes. An extremely low ceiling forced Schneider to land at the Huntingdon airport this morning and early this afternoon he took off in an effort to complete his flight. He found he had misjudged the weather conditions and soon found it necessary to make a forced landing this time coming down at the Water Street airport which is 12 miles from Huntingdon. Hurt Record Chance. This delay prevented him from breaking the record and he said he planned to remain here until weather conditions were favorable for continuation of his flight. Upon reaching the Pacific coast probably at Alhambra, California he plans to make an attempt to break the record with a west to east flight When he set out at 4:55 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time) today. Schneider planned to refuel at Columbus and St. Louis. He intended to spend the night at Wichita, Kansas where he would install a 250-gallon tank in his plane and then hop to Alhambra, California. He probably will follow this course in resuming his flight out his west to east flight course will be determined when he reaches his Pacific coast destination. Weather Reports Unfavorable. Weather reports indicated that tomorrow would bring a continuation of today’s cloudy weather to Central Pennsylvania thus making Schneider's time for resuming his flight extremely doubtful.