Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-02-03
Of lST
AERO SQUADRON
GREAT SUCCESS
Machines Made $50 Mile Trip
in Texas Without Mishap
to Any of Flyers

! 4 remarkable achievement was the
moving OF the First Aero Squadron
of the United States army from Fort
Sill. Oklahoma, TO Fort Sam Houston,
! Tex, without a single mishap. The
distance travelled was $50 miles and
the men made the fight in five days,
stopping a number OF times.
The 450-mile flight was more sue
cessful than even the most optimistic
of the aviators had expected. None
of the pilots suffered any mishap, but
an electrician had a leg broken. while
travelling overland, and one Of the
| motor trucks was destroyed by fire
at Fort Worth.
Besides the six aviators who made
the. flight under command of Capt
B. d. Foulois, there were forty men
in the signal corps and six mechanics
The signal men made the trip to San
Antonio in eight heavy motor trucks
and the mechanics on motorcycles.
The squadron began the journey
from Fort Sill on Thursday. Nov. IS,
reaching San Antonio Nov. 90, in five
fights, the intermediate stops being
at Wichita Falls (TexD, Fort Worth,
part OF the journey the six airmen
few at height between 1000 and
5000 feet and averaged a mile min
ute. When flying from Wichita Falls
to Fort Worth good north wind ac.
celebrated their speed, and much of II
was at the rate of eighty miles an
hour.
Under Real War Conditions.
This was the first general fight OF
the squadron since it's organization
The army authorities arranged condi
lions as if in real warfare. Flights
began early in the morning and usual.
ly occupied but little more than one
hour for each leg. Thousands of Tex
ans waved greetings to the flyers
Officers preceded the flyers and Sc
lected landing sites, each of which
was marked by a large white letter
It. )" The squadron spent the night
at each stop, and city officials, Cham
bers of Commerce and other organi
cations banqueted them.
In the flight from Waco 70 Austin
on Tuesday four of the aviators be
came confused, two having landed al
Lampasas, fifty miles west of the
Waco-Austin air line. They had fol-.
lowed the Santa Fe tracks instead
of those of the M. K. and T. Rail-
road. Another landed at Kingsland
The six men did not gather at the
Austin field until late that afternoon
although they had begun the flight
at $3.50 that morning. A thfrty.fye.
mile wind and hazy atmosphere pre- \
vented them from seeing their way
clearly. 1t is ninety miles from Waco
to Austin. o.. ~. .:.t
Lieut. j. E., Carberry was first away
in each fight, while Capt. Foulois
always brought up the rear, the ma.
chimes leaving within two minutes OF
each other The other Ifiiers were
Lieut.. T. s. Bowen, Lieut.. C. G. Chap.
man, Lieut.. l. A. RAIDER and Lieut.. T.
D, Milling. All except Foulofs are
unmarried - ~" .@....
The six machines had to be gone
over carefully and adjusted before
each flight, maps and topography oil
the next leg carefully studied by all.
atmospheric cor ditions considered and
weather predictions obtained. One
OF the dangers of the trip was the
possibility Of collision Instead OF one
landing to be guarded there were six,
and, counting each stop, there were
thirty landings that had to be nego.
tiated, The aviator has much, more
dificulty In, making a safe landing
than a big liner has in entering port
in storm. Besides the aviators had
to keep in direct communication with
the motor squad every day anil wait
for Il to come up; so the trip did
not lack thrills.
Difficult All the Way.
The flight was difficult the entire
distance" said Capt. Foulois, "be. |
cause of the high winds during the
early stage Of the trip and the haze
during the last half. A gale sweep.
Ing thirty to thirty-fiVe miles an hour
tended to drive us from our course.
Passing over Fort Worth the wind
was exceedingly choppy. We found
the weather comfortable at 5000 and |
5000 feet, .. - ~, =. !
The Aero Squad will maintain per.
manent headquarters in San Antonio
and perhaps take part in border troop
movements, especially if there are
any more raids along the Rio Grande
These expert tliers could easily de.
tect any raiding parties in that fat
country. ~. 49,
The six machines, bi-planes, are of
the latest Curtiss type, built especial.
ly for military purposes. They are
equipped with eight cylinder motors
Of ninety horse power, and are capa.
BILE. of making ninety miles an hour |