The Washington herald., 1914-06-22
OUTLOOK Bright
FOR ARMY'FLYING
Hay Bill Holds Fate Of U. S..
Aviation in the Senate
Now.
FOR A BIGGER CORPS
Provides Increased Pay for Those Who
Risk Lives in Air-Prepares
Students.
FOR A BIGGER CORPS

Aviation is at last being recognized by
+, the United States Army, as the result Of
the Hay bill. which has already passed
the House OF Representatives and been
favorably reported to the Senate by the
( Committee on Military Affairs. This bill.
backed by a $4,000 appropriation. which
was made last month. gives the Army
Signal Corps. commanded by Brig. Gen.
| George p. Scriven, an opportunity to go
ahead with the work which has been
planned in the past
At the present time the army aviation
corps, which is under the direction Of
Col Samuel Reber. though a compact and
essentially efficient body and capable Of
! giving a maximum amount OF service with
a minimum Of equipment, is inhnitesimal
as compared with the like organizations
I Of other first-class powers. In fact II Is
/ only through the bill Of Congressman
James Hay. Of Virginia. that Il has been
given an official status in the aviation
section Of the Signal Corps II is safe 10
say that from this beginning there will
BE- results which Will show exceptional
efficiency for the money expended.
Has No DITIEIbIes.
! The United States has nothing in the
/ line Of fighting apparatus for use in the
air, with the exception Of aeroplanes;
not a single drigibIe balloon or other
D
work. Its feet OF aeroplanes. which is
divided into four sections, is located at
Galveston. Tex; San Diego Cal. and in
the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands, and
used solely for scouting. This, however,
is only the beginning and, as Col. Reber
expresses IL, Is like a baby taking its
/ FIRST exercise We must start by per-
fecting our scouting system. as a child
first learns to crawl he SAYS. After
that he may take up walking. and before
long will be fully prepared for running.
In this case running meaning that We
will have a full fleet Of offensive air
ships"
! The aeroplane work during the present
trouble with Mexico at Vera Cruz has
been handled entirely by the aerohydrO-
/ plane force of the navy and has been
aerOplanes. with the exception Of those
needed In Hawaii and the Philippines,
has been kept on the border between
Texas and Mexico, though mobiliZed and
! in such shape that on twenty minutes
notice they might be sent TO any point
at which their services would be needed.
viii Comprise sixty Officers.
Under the Hay bill the aviation sec
ton will consist OF not over sixty com
missiOned line officers. with rank below
that of captain. as well as 2s0 enlisted
men. These shall be detailed for periods
OF four years. The officers. who will first
go through a preparatory course as avia-
ton students. will he selected on the
recommendation Of the chief signal Off
Ger from amonE the unmarried Ieuten-
ants of the army who are not over
thirty years Of age, hut they shall not
ne assigned to such service against their
will.
II is further provided. on account Of the
extremely hazardous character of the
service. that each aviation student. when
he shall commence to make flights shall
receive increased pay. and there is in
creased pay for the enlisted men. too.
After the passage Of the Hay bill only
officers and men who have passed an
examination before a board composed of
three officers OF eNperienC" in aviation
and two medical officers may be admitted
TO the aviation corps.
At the present time the qualification for
positions military aviatOrS are severe,
as the applicant must not only be able
to handle an aeroplane under any and
all conditions, but must also have shown
himself as especially efficient as mill
tary observer.
Military knowledge n Necc.<ity.
knowledge Of the making and reading
of military maps. steering by the com
pass 0ldhl0E repairs 10 MS HFTNHldnt
and the general construction and thorough
Ia ndling Of gasoline motors is also re-
Tuired. as We'll as a special fund If in
formation n regard to meteorolOEy and
topography. in relation to aviation. In
short. every army aviator is required to
he an expert aviator and aviation ma
Chanic and also to he able to watch
from his machine and he able upon his
return from any flight to draw maps Of
the country over which he has Travelled
in such way as to set forth its avail
ability and difficulties in military opera
tions.
Only hiplanes are used in the United
States army and the machines Of the
tractor" type that is with the engine
in the front Of the planes. are used eN-
Clusively. The machines now in use are
able to make single flights of 24O miles.
and carry enough oil and gasoline for q
flight Of four hours. They carry the
pilot and an observer as well as their
instruments.
The medical examination is extremely
severe The condition of the heart when
subjected to unusual attitudes is sX-
amined. and the seyerest tests of vision
and hearing as well as sense of balance
are imposed by the army medical officers
who examine them. Even after they
have succeeded in passing all these tests
the actual work is liable 10 develop nerv-
business which renders disqualification
necessary before the student stage is
passed.