Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-28
AIRMEN FLY TO
OKLAHOMA CITY
Cross-Country Flights Will Be
Part of instruction Course
at Fort Sill.
(By staff Correspondent)


CAMP DONIPHAN, Fort sill, Sept
27.-Aeroplane flights from Post
Field. Fort Sill, to oklahoma py
will be n part of the course of tnstruc-
t!on at the aero Observers school ac-
cording to Mai. II, j. Wier, who i1-
turned today from an overland trip IN
search OF a suitable landing field for
country flights. The site is north
west OF oklahoma city on the edge
OF town. According to authorities at
the school. several flights will be made
each week.
The purpose OF the cross-country
flights IL to familiarize the aV;a;ors
with formation flightS Flying in
formation Is extremely difficult for
tho reason that the machines must
maintain uniform speed and n GER
| tain altitude. N-shaped formation Is
| the most convenient. The different
| attitudes. with the reading machhne
flying low and each following sec
| tlon 500 feet higher enables every pl-
| lot TO see the leader
| Seven Byplancs Participate.
Seven Of the big bipanes will leave
| the field here at s o'clock Saturday
| morning A distance OF 500 yards will
be kept between the leader and each
succeeding line Of planes in V This
will make the procession a length or
nearly mile but. unlike circus pa
rade. II will not take II long to pass
n given point A speed of ninety 'mIts
an hour VIII be maintained, provided
tho air currents are favorable ana
| the machines do not have to n".u
their noses to the wind At this rate
the distance TO Oklahoma City will
be covered in about an hour.
Provisions had not been made today
for the procedure in case any OF the
machines have to land. In the event
y a forced landing is necessary the speed
|. will probably be lessened until It Is
Il apparent that the crippled machine
=, has landed safely. In the event the
. landing plane lands, the others will
- probably land also.
A landing will he made at the ~
. lected field southwest of Oklahomr
,, CITY sometime between Q and II
% o'clock, according to present pans
= After overhauhng the engines anc
u replcnishng the gas tanks, the re
turn journey will begin.
n Work Ceases.
q For n while this afternoon the tap
Ia ping Of the hammers, the groaning %
d saws and the thud Of picks stoppe'
i entirely at the aviation field TIL
Is workmen waged a temporary strike
not for higher wages and shorte
hours. but for an opportunity to sc
the ascension of the big gas bag o
4, the balloon company attached to IN
-, observers school The-estimated ios
20 to the seldom Breck Construction con
- pany. in charge OF the work, is $i,OUt
each of the 1000 workmen wasted o
=. least an hour watching the operuio'
about the big tent hangar whir
houses the balloon While the work
u mcnt merely stalled with their woIr
IL the strike of the small boys who serV
= I.as water carriers was an open re
~ bellion.
Members of the balloon compan
u are unanimous In declaring Oklaht
ma sol to he the hardest experience
er Ordinarily II takes half day To So
nj up the hangar tent because of IN
e. compactnogs OF the sun baked. thirs,
of soil of Comanche county. two daN
T. were required for the work IN
- stakes refused to enter the Groun
and the men worked with sledges
relays. and in some instances pcs
hole diggers were necessary
Hot Air Squad.
The balloon company has bee
- dubbed the "hot air" squad. not fc
nv their tendencies to use camouflage, bI
ba from the general impression that a
nc balloon bags are filled with hot NJ
he However the war balloon is file
81 with hydrogen. the lightest know
ed gas. Eight trucks each carrying
,el tons OF the gas under n pressure
II $500 pounds, are required to fnl tr
to bag. No observers were in the bask
lst during the flight, which was mere
1t a iest of the air currents
o. The balloon is secured by "A cab
We which Is unwound as the ascensiL
Ia made The usual observation heigl
to OF the bag is between 1900 and 800
on feet. At height Of 1000 feet Il
ir. observer can see over n territory