Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-06-18
MANY AMERICANS
IN AERIAL CORPS
Of FRENCH ARMY

All Who Have Been Put tt
Test Have made Good"
and Are Hailed at Heroes.
! Headquarters Of Franco-Americad
Flying Corps, French Front, May Il
| Correspondence of the Associated
! Press). aviators in the
service of France, now stationed here
are subject to the same discipline as
the French soldier and the same pro-
motions and recompenses are open to
them, while their duties are in every
way as onerous and hazardous. The
only difference in their treatment is
an obvious Difference that originates
| in French courteous hospitality. They
! are at home everywhere.
When they are in Paris they have
comfortable accommodations at Is
avenue des Champs Elysees, the head
quarters of the Franco-American fly
ing flotilla, and are entertained by
friends as much as they can stand.
When they were training at Pau they
were housed like good paying tourists
and Toasted as much as was good for
them. In their new training camp at
Avord, near Bourges, there is more
business than feasting, but they are
unite content with the bungalow life
such as appeals to adventurous spir-
it's.
Here in the field, at point thai
must remain anonymous, they have a
post of honor; that is to say, a, post
where dangers are thick-but where,
between fights, they enjoy the com
forts of home with the luxury of hot
spring baths to which the cohorts OF
Caesar gave the first publicity.
Enjoy Special Privileges.
Little advantages of this sort that
the Americans enjoy are typical of the
present feeling of cordially toward
the United States in France. Their
admission to the flying corps was it.
self an exception. France has no
need of foreign aviators and the first
offers from abroad were refused.
Americans are accepted, therefore,
purely as courteous exception to the
rule, taking the places of just so many
disappointd French applicants.
Another important discrimination in
favor of the American volunteer is
that, if he is found inapt for service
in the flying corps, his enlistment is
cancelled.
The waiting period for the Ameri-
can volunteer is not long, for he is
an apt pupil and gets through the
eight different classes of instruction
in months time.
He begins training on 25-horse
power machine with shortened wings
and which cannot rise. from the
ground; he learns the use of the
motor, control Of the levers, ETC., as
one learns to drive a motor car. Then
chine before trying a straight-aWay
flight in machine that is just able
to lift itself from the earth. Next
the pupil begins more serious work
with straight flights in a. high-poWer
six-cylinder machine that can rise a
hundred feet Then come circular
flights around the aerodrome itself.
Men Carefully Trained.
The pupil begins to take greater
heights and enlarges his circuits on a
5O-horse power machine, in the sixth
class, and in the seventh he takes
cross-country flights with an so
horse power motor and at a height
of 500 yards.
The eighth class is really what may
be called the pupils graduating ex-
animation. An hours flight at 1000
yards, cross-country triangular
flight with two landings at different
points, returning to the aerodrome
within 4S hours, then three direct
flights to different points and return.
1t is only at the front, in actual
warfare, however, that the airman
can give the finishing touches to his
preparation and show whether he is
equal to the supreme test. Here the
flights may be pre-arranged but cam
not always be carried out according
to schedule. The pilot must be ready
to meet the unexpected and accom-
plish tasks with known and unknown
dangers always awaiting him, and
here is where the American ready
initiative and ceolheadedness comes
out strong.
None of the Americans has account
ed for as many adversaries as Garros,
Gilbert, Pegoud, Gunamer or Navarro,
but their services are none the less
appreciate. Their reccmpense and
citations in the orders of the day are
not for spectacular performances but
for courage" GOODNESS" "audacity,"
presence of mind and generally EEK
cellent qualities as pilots" and eff
cient regular work in bombarding ex-
petitions.
Americans Gain Honor.
Liutenant William Thaw, of Pitts
burgh, earned his stripes by particu-
larly good observation work, while
the efficiency of Elliott Cowdin Of
New York, has been shown in bonn
harding expeditions in the course of
which he has accounted for two Ger
man machines, earning two citations
in the orders of the army and two
palms on the ribbon of his war cross.
Sergeant Norman Prince of Prides
Crossing, Mass, also earned citation
for carrying out bombarding missions
with stubborn disregard for German
shrapnel. Corporal Victor Chapman
of New York. Corporal ]. NJ. McCon-
nell Of Carthage, N. c.. and Sergeant