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Tim Murphy #1
Daring Wings
Daring Wings
CHAPTER ONE
“Some of our biggest news stories will break above the clouds. The skyways are going to unfold great tales of romance, of daring, possibly of banditry, but whatever it may be, we must have the stories. Do you want the job of getting them?” George Carson, the sandy-haired managing editor of the Atkinson News, fired the question at the reporter standing at the other side of his desk.
“Do I want the job?” There was amazement in Tim Murphy’s voice. “Give me a plane and I’ll bring you some of the best yarns you ever printed.” His clean-cut features were aglow with interest.
“All right Tim,” said Carson. “This afternoon the News will announce the first flying reporter. I thought you’d like the job. That’s why we sent you to an aviation school—so we can have the jump on the Times and the Journal. They can hire plenty of aviators but it will take them time to train a first class reporter to fly.”
Tim grinned and his blue eyes snapped. Even though he was one of the star reporters on the staff he liked the managing editor’s indirect compliment.
“We’ve got a plane all ready for you at the municipal airport,” went on the managing editor. “It’s one of those new Larks with a Wasp motor that will take her along at 150 miles an hour. She’s all ready to go. The sky’s your assignment—go the limit to get your stories.”
Tim hurried back to his desk where the half completed story of a down-town fire was still in his typewriter. He picked up a pad of notes beside his machine and turned to the reporter at the next desk.
“Finish up this fire story for me, will you Ralph? Here’s all the dope and the city editor wants it for the noon edition.”
“What’s the big idea?” Ralph Parsons wanted to know.
“Big idea is right,” fairly exploded Tim. “I’ve got a new job—flying reporter. Carson has just bought a dandy new plane and I’m going to pilot it and write the stories.”
“Good, Tim. I don’t blame you for being excited. It’s a great chance. I’ll finish up the fire story for you. Will you give me a ride if I run out after I’m through this afternoon?”
“Sure, Ralph, a dozen if you want them,” and with that Tim seized his hat and dashed through the door of the big news room, down the stairs and into the street where he found one of the flivvers used by the reporters.
Fifteen minutes later Tim tucked his elongated legs into the cockpit of the trimmest little plane he had ever laid eyes on. He ran the motor up and down the scale, then gave it the gun, darted over the surface of the field, flipped the tail up—and the flying reporter was in the air.
It was a glorious feeling to be in the air—to be free of the smoke and smell of the city and for an hour Tim circled over Atkinson. High, then low, he dived, banked, zoomed and looped—did everything to test the flying qualities of the little plane. At the end of the test flight he was more than pleased. It was perfectly rigged.
Tim, an orphan who had joined the News after school days, had worked up from cub reporter to the police run and then up to special assignment writer. He had been sent to an aviation school three months before and while there had written a series of Sunday features on learning how to fly. Tim hadn’t dreamed of being given a flying assignment but he had mastered the intricacies of an airplane with the same wholesome enthusiasm which characterized everything he did. That was one of the reasons why he was a star reporter in spite of his comparative youth, for Tim had just turned twenty-one.
The Lark was still swooping over the field when one of the cars used by News reporters dashed through the main gate of the big airport. Tim cut the motor, made a three point landing, and climbed out of the cockpit.
Ralph Parsons hopped out of the car and ran toward the plane. He shoved an extra into Tim’s hands.
“TRANSCONTINENTAL AIR MAIL ROBBED; $200,000 TAKEN.” The headlines, in heavy, black type, fairly screamed the story at Tim. In brief clear sentences he read how the eas
CHAPTER ONE
“Some of our biggest news stories will break above the clouds. The skyways are going to unfold great tales of romance, of daring, possibly of banditry, but whatever it may be, we must have the stories. Do you want the job of getting them?” George Carson, the sandy-haired managing editor of the Atkinson News, fired the question at the reporter standing at the other side of his desk.
“Do I want the job?” There was amazement in Tim Murphy’s voice. “Give me a plane and I’ll bring you some of the best yarns you ever printed.” His clean-cut features were aglow with interest.
“All right Tim,” said Carson. “This afternoon the News will announce the first flying reporter. I thought you’d like the job. That’s why we sent you to an aviation school—so we can have the jump on the Times and the Journal. They can hire plenty of aviators but it will take them time to train a first class reporter to fly.”
Tim grinned and his blue eyes snapped. Even though he was one of the star reporters on the staff he liked the managing editor’s indirect compliment.
“We’ve got a plane all ready for you at the municipal airport,” went on the managing editor. “It’s one of those new Larks with a Wasp motor that will take her along at 150 miles an hour. She’s all ready to go. The sky’s your assignment—go the limit to get your stories.”
Tim hurried back to his desk where the half completed story of a down-town fire was still in his typewriter. He picked up a pad of notes beside his machine and turned to the reporter at the next desk.
“Finish up this fire story for me, will you Ralph? Here’s all the dope and the city editor wants it for the noon edition.”
“What’s the big idea?” Ralph Parsons wanted to know.
“Big idea is right,” fairly exploded Tim. “I’ve got a new job—flying reporter. Carson has just bought a dandy new plane and I’m going to pilot it and write the stories.”
“Good, Tim. I don’t blame you for being excited. It’s a great chance. I’ll finish up the fire story for you. Will you give me a ride if I run out after I’m through this afternoon?”
“Sure, Ralph, a dozen if you want them,” and with that Tim seized his hat and dashed through the door of the big news room, down the stairs and into the street where he found one of the flivvers used by the reporters.
Fifteen minutes later Tim tucked his elongated legs into the cockpit of the trimmest little plane he had ever laid eyes on. He ran the motor up and down the scale, then gave it the gun, darted over the surface of the field, flipped the tail up—and the flying reporter was in the air.
It was a glorious feeling to be in the air—to be free of the smoke and smell of the city and for an hour Tim circled over Atkinson. High, then low, he dived, banked, zoomed and looped—did everything to test the flying qualities of the little plane. At the end of the test flight he was more than pleased. It was perfectly rigged.
Tim, an orphan who had joined the News after school days, had worked up from cub reporter to the police run and then up to special assignment writer. He had been sent to an aviation school three months before and while there had written a series of Sunday features on learning how to fly. Tim hadn’t dreamed of being given a flying assignment but he had mastered the intricacies of an airplane with the same wholesome enthusiasm which characterized everything he did. That was one of the reasons why he was a star reporter in spite of his comparative youth, for Tim had just turned twenty-one.
The Lark was still swooping over the field when one of the cars used by News reporters dashed through the main gate of the big airport. Tim cut the motor, made a three point landing, and climbed out of the cockpit.
Ralph Parsons hopped out of the car and ran toward the plane. He shoved an extra into Tim’s hands.
“TRANSCONTINENTAL AIR MAIL ROBBED; $200,000 TAKEN.” The headlines, in heavy, black type, fairly screamed the story at Tim. In brief clear sentences he read how the eas
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1931
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October 25, 2021
Daring Wings is the first in a four-book series for young boys published 90 years ago. Its hero is Tim Murphy, pilot extraordinaire (thus my 5-star rating) and intrepid reporter for the Atkinson (Kansas) News.
A pilot / news reporter? Well, yes, and an adult reader may need to suspend disbelief over some of the other content and scenes, but the book does move along at a snappy pace from his original opportunity to fly and report, his battling with weather, balky airplanes, a Mexican revolutionary, and, ultimately, the mysterious antagonist, the Sky Hawk.
Hey, anything that will inspire boys to fly, I’m happy to endorse. I’ll have to read the other three of the “Tim Murphy Series” (which I own and have sat idle for too long on my bookshelf).
A pilot / news reporter? Well, yes, and an adult reader may need to suspend disbelief over some of the other content and scenes, but the book does move along at a snappy pace from his original opportunity to fly and report, his battling with weather, balky airplanes, a Mexican revolutionary, and, ultimately, the mysterious antagonist, the Sky Hawk.
Hey, anything that will inspire boys to fly, I’m happy to endorse. I’ll have to read the other three of the “Tim Murphy Series” (which I own and have sat idle for too long on my bookshelf).
Displaying 1 of 1 review