The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-22
.SX AMERICANS
| FLYING FOR FRANCE
NAV at Lunevillc and COwdin
and Prince North of
ArraS.
MRTIS SLIGHTLY ILL
s,.ciai Correspondence to THE suS.

6peci1' Correspondence 10 The SUS.
p,ris. July 3i.-The presence in Paris
=, ave out Of the six American avia-
a., in the French army has given the
Correspondent Of THE SrN an oppor-
,r,ity Of investigating what they have
h.s, doing at h front.
me names Of the six American avia-
..s are William Thaw. Second Lieu
,.,,r,. Norman Prince and Elliot
coudin, corporals J. J. Bach and w.
. Hall. first class soldiers. and Frazier
evils. second class soldier. Ruel. the
e.;saro aviator. is of French p%arentage
"a was mobilized. though he was born
=. the United States. All the Ameri-
,,,s accepted for aviation had previous
.,rarlence, although some OF them were
~, more than pupils without a pilots
s.t,se In any country. Prince, Cow
A. and Curtis Joined the service di-
..r,,v BY enlistment Mt Paris early In
v,rrh. Thaw, Bach and Hall enlisted
=, the Foreign Legion early last au-
tnmn and passed the winter in the
,-enrhes near Craonue with the Second
psgment. in which thirty-two Ameri-
ans are still serving. At present Thaw
1. Aying from Luueville. where he was
.sr, In March. His work Is the regu-
a on OF artillery fire. reconnaissance OF
artillery positions n general move
IS of large bodies of troops. Cow
a, and Prince are stationed at Bruay,
,o-,h OF Arras, where they went on
jsne IS. Hall and Bach will be sent
"a the front in about "A month. Curtis
= slightly III and Is resting up.
Thaw has been flying an so horse
eover Caudron biplane. He will soon
~, a new double motor l60 horsepower
r,udron biplano of 33 meters wilma
s,read. His old machine had beer
shot to ribbons around Lunevliie and
,ls authorities are replacing the small
nv the large Caudrons as fast as the
,nsmy's fire wears out material. Cow
hSn and Prince are flying 100 horse
nover Samson Noisin biplanes.
Hall and Bach are training Mt lie
ponrret on so horsepower Newport hi
| ,lanes. the smallest and fastest ma
| sbines used in the French army. Cur
t,s last machine for training at the
r,mp dAvord was of the same model
q, the six men Thaw has flown most
4, the front. He was the first to be dec
grated as a result OF citations in tne
order OF the day and the first to receive
. commission. Prince and Cowdin arr
hoth experienced flyers. Bach Is an en-
eneer who studied at Paris after hnish'
irr in America. He has lived in France
N, several wears. Immediately before
N. war he did a considerable amount
o, work for the French firm or en-
rneers with which he is associated ~
Connection with the m~anufacture 81
,srcplanes. lie had flown comparatively
lrtle. however. Hall had flown con
,derably in America. He Is an en-
rneer also. Curtis had flown FOR sew
,al years Bach speaks French ex'
ollently and Thaw pretty well.
The only indispensable requirement
hr applicants who desire to enter the
French Flying Corps is real aviatior
,nerierce, The chance OF the promo
Nan of mechanics to pilots Is small. II
/. doubtful that the army will use uI
III IFS experienced pilots before the enc
.! the war.
THE aviator's pay as a second cias:
AZ first class soldier is h egula
centime a day. plus . francs t4o cents)
a day for flying service. Most or th'
French aviators are rich young 1elio"'
who h,v their own expensive uniforms
A corporal aviator gets 4 centimes I
tay plus 2 francs, a sergeant 10 cent
day plus . francs and an adJutan
ll,,le more. A second lieutenant re
olives coo francs S12O) down n
salary OF s57.75 francs a monti
NlSi55), food and lodging found
Even a crack airman has TO u OF
TX or eight months of active service
exclusive of school service. before NJ
car get a commission
The work takes about ten u 8
tsy, four in training and perhaps nV'
or six on the front. The aviator n.e'
oil Of the time, in any weather ms
number Of ordinary aviation accideh'
has been very small and the numoe
~ men brought down by shell fire MAJ
not been very large.