New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-14
MEN NEEDED FOR
AVIATION CORPS
Washington Sends Out Appeal for
Mechanics for Service

lean air service has been and is today
| the securing Of the tens Of thousands
/ OF mechan1cians, chauf1eurs, and
other skilled workmen needed in the
great air dromes behind the front
lines in France. A force larger than
the whole American Army before the
war is needed for this work alone,
force Of skilled mechanics, rare
enough at best, but doubly so amidst
all the other war claims.
Popular Imagination has been so
conferred on the airman himself as al
most to exclude the other men in the
service. Little thought has been CIV
en- to the thousands of men on the
ground who keep the engines in good
order, the wires always taut, the ma
chine gun or camera ever ready.
Their work is perhaps less spectac-
ular, but it is the foundation stone
upon which all the rest is erected.
For if an aviator is allowed to go out
with an imperfect engine, a weak
ened wing, or an insufficient supply
of gasoline, as has not infrequently
happened, his mission is doomed to
failure.
Already mechanics have volun-
teered in thousands for this vital work
with such spontaneity, indeed. as to
make it possible to keep a steady
stream of squadrons flowing overseas.
For some time now they have been
busy on the other side building the
air dromes, establishing the repair
shops, and making ready to set up
the planes which will announce
Americas arrival over the German
trenches. Various trade interests and
employers organizations also have
co-operated with the governme nt in
the effort to comb out the large num-
Der Of experts needed in the short
time available, but, despite that still
more men are needed.
Only men especially trained are
accepted at the outset in order to
keep the standard as high as the ne
cessities of the Service require OBJ
viously, an unskilled man would be
more of hindrance than a help in
the highly specialized work to be
done, and might even bring about
fatal results. Even a skilled me-
chanfc himself must have special
training for airplane work, many
phases of which will be foreign to
him at first. The ground force, there
fore, must undergo instruction for the
air service, just as the aviators them,
S0lVOS, LHOuSu Naturally, Ln0 course IS
not so long nor so exact. The main
problem is to adapt a skilled mans
especial abilities to the specific prob
lens Of air.
Upon acceptance into the service the
men are sent at once to a large con-
centratiOn center. where they are
sorted out according to trades. De-
tachments of the various trades are
then sent at once to factories or fly
ing fields for two or three weeks in
tensive work. Many of the specialized
industries, such particularly as those
of propeller making. magnetos, ma
chine guns, and wings, have thrown
open their factories to the govern
ment for instruction of these men as
part Of their contribution to the win
ming of the war. Naturally, the men
are thus enabled, through practical
demonstration, to fit themselves very
rapidly and effectively for their new
work.
Upon completion of these courses
the men are graduated and returned
| to a center where overseas sQuadrons
are being formed. There, in the
right proportion, they are organized
into complete units-so many engi-
neers, so many tailors or cobblers for
the wings, so many cabinetmakers or
woodworkers for the fuselage, so many
carpenters or plumbers for the air
! dromes. Almost Immediately, in all
probability, the squadron will move
on to a port Of embarkation for trans
port overseas on the first available
| steamer.
These American mechanics will have
big part to play in the eventual al
lied air drive. They will be contin-
| 90.
| doing the most delicate kind of work,
mostly out Of doors, often with rough
and-ready TOOLS requiring much in
genuity, frequently in great haste.
With machines constantly coming and
! going to and from the air front, there
will never be a time of dullness or
lack of interest.
Every machine must be carefully
tuned and examined before it ventures
out on its important work. Mocha
nicians must go over the engine; ar
morers the machine guns; instrument
specialists the magnetos, altimeters,
sight instruments, air-speed indica-
tors etc. Fatal cases are on record
where air battles have been lost
through neglect before planes have
left the air drOmes.
1t is on the return, however, that
the principal activity is necessary.
Many planes come in badly wrecked
or injured, in SO serious condition,
indeed, that they would be no longer
> serviceable without expert repairmen
on hand. Outlines the wings are SO
perforated with machine-gun or anti
aircraft bullets that the most expert
sailmakers, cobblers, and tailors are
necessary. Or possibly the delicate
woodwork of the fuselage is SO dam
aged that only an expert cabinet or
, boat maker can restore it to useful
| ness.