The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-30
ZEPPELIN PILOTS GO
TO AIR SCHOOL FIRST
Must Complete Four Months
Course Before Making
First Flight.
BOMB DROPPING AN ART
Special Correspondence to Tn nm

i|oNppN' april In the foilcvins
article a Daily Man correspondent rv..
a description Of the training Of a z.r.
pelln pilot
Along the shores Of Lake cons.an,.
on the German side. there are numero,.
small islands. all Of them Of a rems,,
able similarity in shape. They are hoss
noating rafts, each OF which carries
Zeppelin shed.
Here. far out from the shcr> .,a
away from pryinE eyes. dwelis q busy
colony OF human beings. These sr~ N.
pilots and the crews Of the Zeppel,ne-
skilled mechanics. whose duty 4. IA "a
overhaul tho huge craft and to k..n
them airworthy. There are also a nun.
dred-odd housewives whose nimbis An.
gers husfly stitch at and fashion The
envelopes night and day they ply their
needles In order that their beloved
fatherland may not lack the necessary
material, Lastly. there are ohc youths
who are being instructed In 0s sen.l.
art Of flying.
These latter are for the most part
the eldest sons Of the noblest German
families, their ages ranging from ~ 70
81 years. To be related TO an oficer IN
the air service is considered a very
great honor in Germany. Tho air e--
vice Ia even thought more Desirable than
the crack regiments. such as the Deaths
Head Hussars or the Prussian Guards,
the kaiser's bod guard.
where rIicrs Are rraineA.
AT MISUNDERSTANDING tho air sn.
ton is named after the nearest larrs
Town on land-the would-be airrar
must undergo a course Of long ana Dc.
tailed instruction. II matters not Whether
he be intended for the navy or the army
wing. Fr!edrichshafen Ia the central
training school for both. The nava wing
In by far the larger and sees far more
active service than does that OF the
army.
After completing his training cou-.
AZ Friedrichshafen the young pilot a
sent TO Helgoland. Tondern. Borku-.
I.eipsic. Brussels, or one NJ the o,hn-
large Zeppelin centres, there 20 carry
on his profession Of death and dos'ruc.
ton. From three to four months Is tho
time allowed TO train an efficient zer.
pe,in pilot. During that period no IS sun.
posed 10 have gained n thorough know.
edge Of the handling ~ tho craft. ~ tho
worl,!ng Of the engine, Of tho mair rr.r.
ciples OF aerostatiCs, wireless, CII''fv
and the theory Of flight.
For the first three weeks he attends
n series Of lectures there are NC "-'.
struction. the assembling. fahrt. NAV.
uldCluTlVE. HdNlChlhl ana Il'l''l'
cal classes. He must personally make
M a portion ~ fabric. tal;o 20 pcros owl
reassemble an engine, hoN' and s''c-
a course ny compass. A. tho "1' .
each month an eXa;niuatjon II ht<d, vi
at the end ~ the course connos . ga!
examination. in which tho cani'la''
must secure 20 per cent Of the tctli
I number OF marks allowed or 10 viii 10
asked TO resign, Needless to state. me
average German youth 10 too keen on HE
subject 20 submit to this indlgnitv.
Having passed this final eNamina''o'
the suO-lieutenant IL permitted. U.tr
grea- rejoicing IN his heart. to take part
in his first fight. Several of the older
I types Of Zeppelin are reserved for This
purpose. The 'quirks.' as they would he
called IN our own air service. are .aten
up in patches Of FIVE under the ~v!Eilan;
eye Of an experienced pilot, usually an
officer who has seen a great deal o, ac-
tive service and has taken part N one
OF the raids on Great Britain. lie 81
plains to them the uses of tho var!og.
parts. such az the rudder. propellers,
a~ilerons and elevators. He shows them
the best methods TO be employed wher
rising and descending, and gives thru a
sound general idea OF aerial navig t'!on
q their second trip alort the hatch
OF 'qu!rks' are allowed 10 fy the SIP
themselves. On the third trip they az
eent up SlnRlN WIN an l1SIEuClA- am
Hy unaided for the space Of orc NJ 'w'
hours. The first three trips having been
passed satisfactorily. the great dav A.
rives when the new hand il sen. Up n
command. He IL given strict orders 80
10 stray too far aheld and always %
keep within sight Of the sheds.
Quite recently an unfortunate SIR
lieutenant went up over the lake on s'
first trip in command. A storm sudden,
sprang up he descended hurriedly -
the nearest land, which happened - >"
an island In the middle of Lake cen
stance. and was forced TO remain H.re
for the night.
During that time tho torn grew n
fury. The wind blew M n sale, ard ia
spite the combined efforts Of thu crew
the huge ship broke loose. and when ne
morning dawned she was a total wr"'S,
Her back broken. she was lying ma, IN
the shore and half submerged "a ~"
waters Of the lake. This unfor.Ira'"
accident ended the pilots career. f1r =
court-martial found him inrompcteH' ara
he was dismissed from the air sery''e
Practice at Bomb Dropping,
"a very considerable portion % 'hs
time spent IN training ia devoted - 'N-
art Of dropping bombs. To do 'N's ~
cessfully the young pill. Is taug-' a.
ways to have the wind AZ his ha"N a''
the bows Of his craft pointing dir"''.} ~
the object to be bombed. For tins ~
pose he IL provided wiz a formula
infinitely worked out which allow ~
both the speed OF the ship ard = GIN"
direction OF the prevailing win -"
factors which influence accuracv ~ N"'1
dropping to a very great extent rF''
In aiming Is obtained by floating 'afE'
portions OF tiinbe constructed - ="
semble miniature warsh!ps ur"' 80
surface Of the lake and 10y aTpro"'r'g
them AT varying degrees OF spec an.
tude and direction of wird.
when sufficient experience EoS NseH
obtained In bomb dropping tho ~; -
sent on long trips across the COW. re e.
learn the secrets Of air nayirl'''t
principal route chosen - :row Pee
richshafen to Berlin and back, o." ~
Breslau or Hamburg. Then tlc"e ? '''
n short spell OF fylng across =" '.''
Then, and only then. IS the H''
pilot considered capable Of { "a ''.S'
raid across the seas"
NIFTY CUOpTAcC TN AVcT,IA.