A DASHING FIGURE

While the American and British expeditions were held up, a French world flier, Lieutenant Pelletier D'Oisy, carried on. He went farther in ten days than did Britisher Mac- Laren, covering 5,468 miles in 45 hours and 20 minutes of actual flying time. D'Oisy decided a month ago to make his mad rush for Tokyo to beat MacLaren he made no special preparations, took an ordinary French Army Breguet plane with a 400 horsepower Lorraine engine, filled up with gas and was off. He is familiarly known as " Pivolo" in the French air service, was a pioneer in the introduction of Rugby football in France and is altogether a dashing, picturesque figure with his flyer's cap always tilted at slightly more than the regulation angle. His mechanic, Besin, rejoices in the appellation of " Lulu" and is perhaps the best mechanic in the French air service. D'Oisy does not love fussing with a monkey-wrench, Besin will not touch the controls, in fact has removed the dual control stick in the Breguet plane. So-- like Jack Spratt and his wife-- they are happily mated. U. S. sympathies are naturally with the English speaking fliers. But no one can hide a sneaking desire to see this dashing French "elan" rewarded D'Oisy's luck may break too, however. At Agra he found that the intense heat of the Indian sun had softened the dope on the upper surface of the wings, and slackened his fabric. But 48 hours later he was 850 miles further, at Calcutta.

With reporting by TIME