The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-28


yards. On this machine pupils learn
to leave the ground, to control their
motors, regulate the gas, ETC., and then
pass to a six-cylinder Bleriot, which
can rise II to 20 yards, on which they
practice landing. Landing is the most
difficult part OF the work, so that it is
during this stage that most wood Is
broken" as French fiiers say of smash
ing machines. - e
A 45-horsepower Bleriot, which
mounts to between $50 and 800 feet,
then enables the learner to make wi
RACES" (turns) to the right and left and
truce out figure-eights and circles.
He Is then promoted to 50-horse-
power Bleriot- 1000 to 800 feet alti-
tude), when he learns to shut of his
motor at the highest point and descend
to 400 feet and then to restart the
motor. He also learns to make quar-
ter spiral, a half spiral and full spiral
with his motor shut off.
|. He is then ready for his official tests
for his license. He has to make an
official spiral with Paragraph at
tached to his back to record his descent
from 1900 feet. The Paragraph will
show straight line for a perfect
spiral, but an irregular one for a bad
ly made descent, He then takes n
voyage machine, 60 horsepower, on
which he makes two trips, 60 miles
and 80 miles. Then on an 80horse-
power voyage machine he makes tri-
angular flight of $50 miles, during
which he has to land once to take on
q new supply Of gasoline. An 8O-horse-
power or parasol machine Is used for
two height tests above 5000 feet, with
Paragraph to register the altitude.
Having successfully negotiated these
tests, he is awarded his "breyet." or
pilots license, II he has put In at least
rs hours actual flying during his train
ing. III
diminishing or" Schools Also.
The newly licensed pilot is then sent
to the finishing of school at Pau. He
has now said good-by to slow machines
and will start to perfect his skill in
landing, probably on a. three-cylinder
Morane, as the Morane has the same
kind of landing fitments as the Nleu-
port and it Is much cheaper in case Of
"smashing wood" He Is promoted to
six-cylinder and ten-cylinder Moranes
until he has made ten perfect landings.
He then mounts 23-meter (75-foot
spread) Newport as passenger with a
monitor, who shows him what a Nieu-
port can do. Then he tackles this
Newport alone and when he has made
20 perfect landings on 1t he Is allowed
to mount a 6O-foot Newport, q smaller
but more powerful machine. On this
he makes spirals and a test altitude
flight Of 6OOO feet.
At this school at the present time
are about eighty graduates, almost all
officers, q few noncommissioned officers
and a few Americans, who are treated
by the army officials as If they were
officers, whatever rank they may have,
even If they are merely privates.
The pilot who has sufficient aptitude
then passes to the .'ecole de combat"
or fighting school. Others are sent in
to bombarding work or signaling. But
those fit to fly scout machines or
"avions de chasse'' (for hunting down
the enemy take the further course.
Here on fast Nieuports pupils learn
to maneuver In escadrille formation.
To become a perfect Newport flier
an aviator has to master many ma.
chimes, chiefly to acquire the art Of
landing at a speed of from 30 to 30
miles an hour. He will train with %
horsepower, 45-horsepower, 6O-horse-
power and 80 horsepower Bleriot mon
,oplanes, then with Moranes and then
with Nieuports Of decreasing size I'M
til he reaches the celebrated "Baby
Newport" only 80 feet spread, with
perhaps 11O-horsepower engine. "'