Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-27
LIEUT.. POSTS
Death CAUSES
REFORM talk
CONTINUED from page one,

:
what they think about the too-frequent
accidents, but the statement OF one
officer is of interest, even though his
name can not be used. He says:
Ask Only Straight Flying.
Nine out OF 10 Of the officers who
enter aviation duty are men who have
natural aptitude for mechanics. Natu-
rally all Of them are educated men.
They are not supposed to do any fancy
flying. All the government asks OF
them is that they can make flights
that would be suitable for war opera
tions attaining speed and altitude
that would make them valuable for
scouting and other similar duty. When
"a military aviator goes up he is 1ot
supposed to know how to fly upside
down and hindside foremost. and play
tag with himself in the air. He flies
for a definite reason and is not sup
posed to be spectacular.
"war isn't spectacular any more.
and your military ayi1tor. in time Of
war, and all his present flying is
merely to train him for war duty, will
be the most non-spectaculer person
in the field. He wants TO efface him
self.
Says Machines Are Faulty.
I'VE have. therefore, class OF ed
ucated men under salury who are not
obliged to take undue risks TO win the
dollars OF crowds by doing daredevil
feats. Yet in one year we kill CT
seven of them while Tovices and
commercial aviators who perform
Embarrassing stunts to make living,
lose 10 men, when there are 100 ci-
william aViatOrs in the United States
to every military aviator and most
OF these civilian asiators do not have
the advantage Of long and careful pre-
urinary training before they take a
machine up, and some Of them are
men Of little education.
therefore, It is certain that tile
fault lies not with the men of the
Army aero squads, but with the ma
chimes they use. And seeing that the
United States has spent more than
$500. 900 for aviation In five years, II
ought to have decent machines to
show for the outlay.
Our Death Rate Highest.
Germany and France have killed
eff a lot Of their military aviators,
tut, in the proportion to the number
of men flying, they nave not done
away with as many as We have. But,
then, Germany and France are using
the very finest type Of aercplane ard
engines obtainable, and We seem to
be using types of machines no other
government cares TO have much to DO
with. It's pretty nearly time that
Congress either puts a luietus Oh
army aviation altogether Us else pro-
vides for it properly.
Officers have no criticism whatever
to make of the military aviators
themselves, or the civilians who are
employed to train such av.ators, be-
cause everybody Acknowledges that,
for the amount and character of
equipment, and the number OF men
engaged in actual aviation work, the
army men have accomplished Won
ders in making speed, duration and
altitude flights practically all that
military ayiator6 desire TO perfect
themselves in, saving possibly the us
ing of aerial explosives.
Urges Judicious Purchasing.
Eight of the machines used in the
military service are Wright machines
that are little thought of among milf
tary aviators abroad, two are Bur
CESS machines and five are Curtis
machines. II is stated that. so Tar as
the records show, major portion of
the accidentl have occurred with
Wright machines, while the best re-
cords for flights have been made with
Burgess and Curtis machines.
''The government should purchase e
nothing but the very best a6hines.
any country can produce said an.
officer yesterday, and re-enforceI
their machines with the best engines
made abroad. Either this should be
done or the government should cor
fess itself hopelessly out of the run
ming and drop military aviation, for
it is of no use to train military avf
ators only to kill them all in time q
Peace