Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1913-05-31
or AIRMEN
Dangers OF a Bird-Man Are Nu-
meFous.


h~~8
The apparently calm Etmoaphere
above abouads witn air pockets. ed
dies and trearhHrOus gusts ever ready
10 tess the unwaKy aarEnan and his
machine 70 earth
A. the cost Of many valuable Lives
a number OF these death traps set
By nature have been diseoTer'ed. but
although the experiences airuzn
knows they are there. ne h never real
~ certain OF emerging unsca1hed from
such enenunterE
One Of the best known and mcsT
dreaded air traps Is the air pocket OF
.remous. as Ii Is called In nying par
lance This is an air hole in the
mir Of Irregular shape. which readers
no support 20 the wings Of an aero
plane. neither can propeller blades
grip in those portions Of the NJ
mosphere
These pockets are uften 10 be found
over wooded country or In valleys sur
rounded by irregular ranges or hills
Gays \ London correspondent But
they are mainly formed oy the SUE
shining On daEap ground The
Of the solar rays draws the mOastaa
from the ground and dots the at
zOsphere around with patches OF vac
a1na This IL Why alFnen always
6gks shy CT dying in bright snE4ighl-
AirDen are always nervous Of n.y.
ing lUw over wooded country. although
n low altitude is often necessary. II
landmarks are 10 be picked ont and
the proper lging route taken For
trees bare a dAngerU1s knack Of
thrOwtng on rrezcherCns air currenss.
which may easily spell disaster 70 the
aErIan
A breeze near the ground. a. II
strikes the tree branches. IL directed
straight up through The air The Pir-
man flying fO~ over the tree catches
the upward current under enc Of his
wings. which Fushss the machine over
NJ 4 dangerous angle. and the ines-
liable side slip intervenes- The one
great pree2u1on against air currents
Of this description Ia high speed
which gives the aernpRzne sufficient
stability to withstand diverse Cur
rents Of this kind
For similar reasons. no aviator. un-
less forced IN do so. viii Ey low over n
ccngested city- The uprising smoke
from ehEmneys. especially tall fac
tory shafts. sends up powerful CHI
rents OF air. which are certain &c
wreck his machine shO1Ad they strike
il uzzEAreS
The skiIlfaI zirman can nCw ~ his
machine In high winds CT 80 70 40
miles an hour with amazing ease. b1s
the danger Of such Gy1ng Is That once
lea a strong wind get behind the aero
plane, then krcunEe IL pretty certain
10 come II requires zirmankhip OF
the highest merit TO turn an aerUpiz1e
when the wind is blowing hard In
its wake. for as the machine swings
around the wind catches il hrOadsiGe
on and rO5s it of the speed necessary
To stability
The aviator who Is caught by a
strong wind in this way il In n sorry
plight without big rzsk he caneot
land wifh the wind beRfnd him, ma the
speed nj which be would hit the
ground would probably cause the MA
chine 10 stand on liz head
The only thing TO do in such cir
c1nstanees Is 10 tzrn in . circle Of
several miles In circumference hy
slowly edg1ng the mAchine arUzDS E.a-
I'll IL can land in the ssefh Of the
gale
Even the Dcrs expert aviator has an
attack OF cold feet-1he name given
TO ne-TO1Anezs in Tying clrcles-when
zaAking sharp right-h2nd rurn in the
mir A machine. when farming 10 the
asft. travels with the whiriing blades
Of the propeller. but when swinging
around in tine opposite direction the
whole force Of the propeller blades are
I'D against ia The result is that the
TIN Of the machine drops in alarming
fashion. ard. unbesss the aeropIAne is
= fast one. 1t - likely 10 slide down
ward 10 earth tail irsx
On the other hand. IL the machine
il fast enc. a sharp rignt-hand turn
canses IL TO bank over nj so steep
an angle 70 the ground that directly
sudden wind gGst comes 2rOEnd IL 10
harsed Sideways through the air. Out
on an control Gf the unfortunate pilot
And this is a very likely happening.
lac@ed. for -sEdden gusts are one
OF the most trOuhAeSole tricks Of IA
ture that Rirnnen have 10 guard
against.
One OF she unwrirten laws Of the air
il that flyers should mot pass each
other nearer than 10 feet or 50 The
powerful draft Of ten-fOsOt propeller
rhE4xing thrUugh the air leaves q
vacuum behind An acceptance that
provides no Support for machine or
man NAV be following
Az reSnlk In the case OF machines
passing near to each other In the
air. the pi&r who catches the orhsr's
nuckwash is In for big trouble