El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-30
FLYING IS JUST
PLAIN BUSINESS
Army Aviator Says Moth
ing Supernatural in It;
Watch for Shadows.
."Air holes are a myth.

AIT n0leS are n HlF lAA-
An aviator must have imagination
Curiosity is the predominant feel
in= on the first trip
~Airplanes of 1000 horse power are
not wild dream.
.Transoceanic and transcontinentsl
service will he a reality in 20 years
These were some OF the unusual
statements made by Capt T F. Dodd-
O.: the aero squadron stationed at Co
Iumbus. y NJ who paid Ell Paso
stort last SATURDAY,
Cant. Dodd is brisk young man
that knows his business and knows
how to make others know II. He pos
sesses the Imagination that he says IS
the requisite of an air man-or any
other engineer for that matter. because
he declares that aviation Is nothing Out
applied engineering
Nothing Supernatural.
a lot Of people still think that there
Is something supernatural about avn
alton said Capt. Dodd. II have had
men tell me that they were not sur
prised at airplane accidents. because
man is viola ting law of God-namely,
that ne shall walk-every time ne
flies
Vow IL is just as reasonable to say
that a man is violating a law of God
nv flvinr as il would be to say that If a
wheel or his buggy breaks while he is
on his way to church. he is being pun
ished for his temerity in using means
OF locomotion with which nature did
rot endow him"
There IS nothing thrilling or spec
tacular about flying. said the captain,
popular opinion TO the contrary not
withsJandinS-
Initial Curiosity.
when beginner goes up FOR the
first time. 7 think that his greatest |
feeling rs that Of curiosity" said the avi-
ator He is curious about objects be- /
low him. about how the machine is be
iuc steered and a about other details in
oidentaI to the ordinary air trip His !
heart may beat a little faster. too for !
somewhere in his subCOnsciousness
there will crop up all the things he |
has ever read or heard about alrplane /,
accidents"
capt Dodd says that he has been !
scared green" on several occasions.
Much Ground Work.
"Nlne-tenths of the aviation work IS 4
on the ground. and the public never |
hears a bout it," said the captain The |
novelty soon wears off. but there is = |
subconscious nervous strain that the J
pilot goes through the moment he |
leaves the ground. For this reason, two /
hours in the air is equal 10 an all days I
march. Aviators are constantly draw /
ing on their reserve of nervous energy |
II is fact that the men who first |
started flying are out Of the game now |
Perhaps they have had sense enough /
TO quit
As far as the much discussed air holes !
are concerned, the captain empha tically /
declares that there's no sech animal
No Air Pockets.
Every ordinary school boy who has l
studied physics ought to know that |
= lille air has weight. a vacuum in the |
IS q physical impossibility.'
he says What We really have TO con- !
tend with are the up and down air ,
currents. When the air is warm IL 1
naturally rises. and # the machine |
comes into sudden contact with such ar /
area. IL viii likely hs DETECTED consld- F!
era nlv out of It's course The reverse J
movement viii occur If the airplaue /
enCy viii he downward II the trends ]
are fast they may cause the machine /
TO lose its flying stability
The nearest thing 10 a vacuum is /
the air I'm the center of A Cyclonic I
where the centrifugal force /
causes the air 10 leave the nucleus"
Takes Strength.
steering one Of the larger machines 4
calls for ali the muscle the average !
man possesses It viii not be long be I
fore an auxiliary steering engine. such I
as they use on the big steamers. viii !.
be necessary. for the capacity OF the !
machines are rapidly increasing. Three /
years ago A 30 horse power machine I
10 find zoo horse power airplaues. This I
is due 10 the work Of the sirpIanes in
the foreicn war. IS well as TO the
curses Of aviation instruction that
have been installed IN some of the col
eSes. I'm fen years We shall have 4,
ct Of aironsutic engineers. and shall I
,roha blv deNelOp machines Of from 300
10 1000 horse power This Is not Wild
dream. Tor ~ is reported thar already
4 1900 horse pow er machine has been
manufactured. and ] know that 4 -
morse power machine Is being turned
out Some OF the big ones of course. /
have more than one motor.
In 20 years. / am convinced that big
air steamers will make transocesnic
and trauscontinental trips with mail on
board In some cases they VIII send out
smaller craft TO make the deliveries.
~ lille they circle slowly above, just IS
The leviathans send out their lighters /
to tie up n the wharf
Yes. this may sound like magma
tCOntinued on next pageD