Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-08-02
or A|RMEN
Dangers Of a Bird-Man Are Nu-
merous.
Freak Currents Of Air Imperl the
Lives Of NavIsators Of the Clouds
---Atmosphere Full Of pockets"
and Raging Wind Eddles.

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machine to earth.
Az the cost Of many valuable lives
a number OF these death traps set
by nature have been discovered, but
although the experienced airman
knows they are there, he is never real
ly certain of emerging unscathed from
such encounters.
One Of the best-known and most
dreaded air traps is the air pocket or
'remous," as it is called in flying par
lance. This is an air hole in the
air of irregular shape, which renders
no support to the wings of an aero
plane, neither can propeller blades
grip" in those portions of the at
mosphere.
These pockets are often to be found
over wooded country or In valleys sur
rounded by irregular ranges or hills,
says a London correspondent. But
they are mainly formed oy the sun
shining on damp ground. The heat
of the solar rays draws the moisture
from the ground and dots the at
mosphere around with patches of vac
uum. This is why airmen always
fight shy of flying in bright sunlight
Airmen are always nervous of fly
ing low over wooded country, although
low altitude is often necessary. If
landmarks are to be picked out and
the proper flying route taken. For
trees have a dangerous knack OF
throwing off treacherous air currents,
which may easily spell disaster to the
airman.
A breeze near the ground. as 1t
strikes the tree branches, is directed
straight up through the air. The air
man flying low over the tree catches
the upward current under one of his
wings, which pushes the machine over
at a dangerous angle, and the inev-
liable side slip intervenes. The one
great precaution against air currents
of this description is high speed,
which gives the aeroplane sufficient
stability to withstand diverse cur
rents of this kind.
For similar reasons, no aviator. un-
less forced to do so, will fly low over a
congested city. The uprising smoke
from chimneys, especially tall fac
tory shafts, sends UP powerful cur
rents of air, which are certain to
wreck his machine should they strike
it unawares.
The skillful airman can now fly his
machine in high winds of 80 to 40
miles an hour with amazing ease, but
the danger of such flying is that once
let strong wind get behind the aero
plane, then trouble Is pretty certain
to come. 1t requires airmanship of
the highest merit to turn an aeroplane
when the wind is blowing hard in
it's wake, for as the machine swings
around the wind catches it broadside
on and robs it of the speed necessary
to stability.
The aviator who is caught by a
strong wind in this way is in sorry
plight. Without big risk he cannot
land with the wind behind him, as the
speed at which he would hit the
ground would probably cause the ma
chine to stand on its head.
The only thing to do in such cir
cumstances is to turn in a circle of
several miles in circumference by
slowly edging the machine around un-
til it can land in the teeth of the
gale.
Even the most expert aviator has an
attack of cold feet"-the name given
to nervousness In flying circles-when
making a sharp right-hand turn in the
air A machine, when turning to the
left, travels with the whirling blades
of the propeller, but when swinging
around in the opposite direction the
whole force of the propeller blades are
up against 1t. The result is that the
tail of the machine drops In alarming
fashion, and, unless the aeroplane is
a fast one, 1t is likely to slide down
ward to earth tail first
On the other hand, II the machine
is fast one. sharp right-hand turn
causes 1t TO bank over at so steep
an angle to the ground that directly a
sudden wind gust comes around 1t Is
hurled sideways through the air. out
OF all control Of the unfortunate pilot.
And this is a very likely happening.
indeed. for sudden gusts" are one
OF the most troublesome tricks OF ma
ture that airmen have to guard
against
One Of the unwritten laws OF the air
is that flyers should not pass each
other nearer than 20 feet OF 80. The
powerful draft of ten-foot propeller
whizzing through the air leaves a
vacuum behind an aeroplane that
provides no support for machine or
man may be following.
AS result In the case of machines
passing near to each other in the
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