After the initial establishment of the US Army Air Service Government Field some interesting happenings occurred. During this time a passage of a fast-moving cold front swept through the area and a strong northwest wind was evident. Several large Army bombers were making their landing approach over the home of Jerome Johnson. Jerome’s young son, Floyd, and Floyd’s mother, Blanche, would stop and listen to the sound of the engines. Suddenly, one sounded much too close and Blanche grabbed her youngster and ran to a safe place in the cellar. With the addition of full power to both engines, the pilot was able, in the windy and down draft condition, to barely clear the top of the house in the large bomber. This incident was indicative of the hazards of the early days of aviation dictated by the necessity of the early low-powered bombers to land directly into the wind. The low overflight of houses that may be in the flight path was simply not a consideration.
The January, 1926 issue of the National Aeronautic Association Review stated that the Cumberland, Maryland Chapter of the NAA welcomes aviators and directed they should fly west along the main business street (Baltimore Street) crossing over Wills Creek, make two left-hand circles above the two churches at an altitude low enough to ‘attract attention’ then proceed to the Mexico Farms Landing Field. A ‘71’ Taxi would then be dispatched to the field to serve the pilot’s needs. A note followed: “Pilots are requested to use due caution and not construe this procedure as an invitation to ‘jazz’ the city”.
The Army Air Service had decreed that the construction needed at the air field was to be performed by local workers. An Army Air Service aircraft landed and the pilot walked to an adjacent field where Jerome ‘Bogus’ Johnson was mowing hay with a team of horses. He beckoned Bogus to stop. The pilot discussed some construction needed at the field and requested that Bogus, as a carpenter, accomplish the task. Bogus agreed that he would do the work, and then promptly climbed back on the mowing machine. The pilot stated that Bogus needed to start right away, but Bogus responded that he could not, that he had hay to mow. The pilot explained that if they would proceed to the construction site, dig a hole, put a post in the hole, he could then report to his superior that construction had begun. Bogus did just that, resumed his hay mowing, and the satisfied pilot departed. Apparently procedures such as that have changed little over the years.
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Wings Over Cumberland 