The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-01
SIDELlGHTS ON THE TRAINING OF
ARMY AVAT0RS AT FRENCH FRONT

OF the air such as sharp turns. and AT
the end Of about four months after. his
entry into the school he lilies 90 miles
for his diploma.
He is done with tho El"rot then and
begins work at n speciality school with
. n Nleupnr, which is the hattie type or
plano. He is supposed TO pick TINS up
! rapidly. and only Il few weeks are al
lowed in which tn learn the scrpentlne.
the spiral the hairpin tn" half loop and
other lodges OF the afr upnn which his
life may depend when he comes 10 fight
the Bochs.
t'por the completion Of this course
; In. aviator R""S 10 The front anu
watches little while before no goes
: i,;tn battle. work rh. tricks of OF
fenSiv. warfare In tho clouds h" must
pick up largely for himself. These can
not b. taught In any school.
Indeed. the French simplify aviation
tr lining far more than tho Americans
Tho training school for our fIi"rs will
lnciud. much moro theory and much
more engine study. Some of the hcsk
"rnnch pilots know next to nothing
about .;hoir machines. Only repairs NJ
tho most minor nature can be made In
:hr air and the care Of the machine Is
, l.tt almost entirely to the mechanic!an.
or rather tho mcchanIclhns. FOR from
! three Ia five men are NEEDED on tho
ground 10 keep single machine Abort
Gene " these groundlinES arc women
who stitch the wings. and others ar"
Chinese who attend to the delicate chr
pcntry Of repairing proprll"rS and sumo
of thu. moro ,nnute and Yet wholly me-
! rhanlCal work OF engine requiring. tn"
Chinese can learn 70 do only q rev
things. hut thss" he Will do win IN
finite skill and inexhaustihle patience
The French nier is essentially an in
ciridualist. He finds it hard IN adapt
iri,l>-1r to the practices OF squadron
firing for all III" early practice or the
w1r was 10 allow tn. aviator almost
complete liberty. He flew when me-
liked and generally ne chose the latter
rart OF the day. which combined the ad-
vantage Of giving him NOR" sleep and
putting tho sun at his back.
IF an aviator felt eyer so slightly on
crlor on any day. II he even felt un-
lucky. he remained IN tb" ground. He
few only when tho spirit moved him
hat In tho early days Of tho war these
;rere knights of the air. and th"y vel
coined n chance for hEht az much ms
| any man in armor To-day when -FOUR
| planes will pounre upon ono. "hivalry *
!
ship has become something Of re-
, prnHch.
The Fl crrh insist that III" English
! stall have II, hut there Is no making an
enact estimate If the relative daring or
| the airm"n OF these two allies. Ask an
I r;ucli Shmnn md he will shy that his
! rourtrymrn hy better and accomplish
NOR" but that for sheer daring he Is
, obliged u admit tn" mastery OF tho
! Frc.lch on tn. other hnnh | rut tho
| uueartOn 70 I FrcnchnI;tn and Ito replied:
! "Oh. our mon hy mtt"r In thr sens"
! that the* conserve their resources bet
, trr 1rh lose fewer planes. hu' the FL n
! tishncR TAX" tho crazy chances. Why.
heard ~ ono who made Il landing IN
, fhr middle rf German aviation fold
| the other day. turned his machine gun
or tho hangers and th"n flew away. No
| Frenchman would 10 = fool stunt liks
! that. Thna" English will s"nd single
. planes up against German Squahrnns OF
. 90. That happened in tn" last rad on
| london. We'"c got more ~ ms" thnut
things. We wait until the fight Is some
thing like even
And when is it cven?" asked.
when there are four Boche planes