The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-08-21
AIR STUDY ON GROUND
a4:HE Z - i H%'.F ME-, E'4ar ;. !; ~
New Type Of Flying School Is Is.
J., { tablished by Uncle Sam.
Future AvIators Spend Months Obtain
Ing Theoretic instruction Before,
: ;s4 - Operating Airpiane. - %.s

/ Maj. Hiram Bingham. Of the aviation
division Of the United States army, is
the father of the new type of ground
school for aviators which has been in
operation on college campuses through
out the country. At these schools EN-.
bFyo aviators spend several months on
the ground obtaining preliminary in.
structi0n before they take to the air
I The. course Of training adopted in
, these schools has the enthusiastic in.
dorsement Of experienced foreign avia.
tors who have seen the work. English
( and French fiers are thoroughly alive
to the importance of, theoretical in.
struction as the first step toward learn
ing. to fly: Many of the most serious
mistakes made by foreign flotillas at
the early part of the present war were
due to minimizing the Importance of
absolute technique in aerial fighting.
! AS the war, progressed, the art of
code signaling from the air was devel-
oped, with the same rapldity that was
required in every form of attack and
defense. So perfect became the COM
munication between, the aviators and
the batteries that fire control from the
air has now become an exact science.
Most Of the aerial observation in
modern battles is taken from a height
Of about 1000 feet, and the study Of
accuracy from this height comprises
one Of the most important-and GER
tainly one Of the most popular
courses given in our ground schools.
The idea is to give the student perched
ut the top Of ladder the picture of
the Belgian battle ground as it would
appear to ope., looking down from a
height of 1000 feet. The students
perch is 16 feet from the ground, and
the picture covers surface Of 16
squire feet and has been drawn from
aviation photography. The cadet
works with the key Of radio outfit,
which for convenience gives forth WIS.,
ible electric flashes governed by the
standard code. The instructor stands
at switchboard from which at will
he can flash little electric lights on
any part Of the map. Taking note Of
these imaginary explosions, the young
aviator ticks off instructions to the
batteries"
1t is the idea in modern, air fighting
that the aviator shall be something
far more useful than a mere flying
man. The ordinary aviator bears the
same relation to an air fighter that a
chauffeur bears to the driver of IN ar
mored motor car. Before he can even
think Of fighting the military aviator
must know his machine and be as IA
}1niliar with all the tricks of riding it as
the old-fashioned dispatch rider was
with his horse.
The up-to-date pilot must know how
to groom his, machine and to attend to
every detail of its inner workings. He
must be expert to the point where his
machine is only secondary and he can
give all his attention to his military
problem. In the experience Of Eng
land it has been found that former Of
,ficers of cavalry and, artillery often
make the best aviation officers, as an
able cavalryman is an expert at recon-
naissance and artillerymen are trained
In all the subtle tricks Of gunfire. !;