Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-30
TEACHING A|RMEN
DANGEROUS WORK
Students Frequently Endanger
Instructors Lives During
First Practice Flights.
GET THOROUGH INSTRUCTION
Applicant Spends Nine Weeks in
Ground School Before Get
ting "Joy-Ride." 2
GET THOROUGH INSTRUCTION

NEW YORK. September EN-.
structing student aviators. and testing
new machines Is one of the most dan
gerous occupations OF any connected
with the Whipping into shape Of tho
great armies the United States is now
raising for service in France. I,ittI,
has been heard OF the courageous mon
who daily risk their lives in hirh-
sometimes badly frightened students
machines that have dual control.
which. however. tends - increase
rather than to decrease the LANCER.
AT Mineola. Long Island, not far
from New York City. is located ono
OF the largest OF the aviation camps
for the training of military aviators.
The men sent there for training have
passed the most rigid physical and
mental tests. Their nerves have beam
subjected to every test possible, but
still some OF the g.een ones ose their
courage when first taken to high altl.
tudes and told t. drive the controls
for the first time.
On arrival at the aviation training
camp tho newcomer Is first placed IA
the ground school" TINS means tina
ne does not leave tie ground for some
time. He il taught everything about
a machine hat a Eliot should know.
No effort is made to make an expert
mechanic OF him. for this would not
be possible without years Of instruc-
tton. and. besides there are expert mo.
chanics attached to the camp who know
all there is to know about motors and
the mechanical maxi. DIP Of the ma
chimes. Y -
After nine weeks instruction in aero
dynamics. etc, In the ground schooI-
the student Is given what the ,lying
men call a 10y eide" In. other words
the student is d guest OF uce OF this
instructors In a spin through the
clouds. He is KEEP: UP just long enough
to make him accustomed to being In
the air. II he conducts himself we'll
he Is allowed to place his n..nds on the
control on the next trip. That lstwhere
the danger for both student and In
structor begins.
INSTRUCTOR CONTROLS
MACHINE BEHIND STUDENT
When first allowed TO touch tho
control the student occupies the front
seat, the instructor being seated be-
hind. The student is told to make no
EFFORT to manipulate the controls, but
to merely allow his hands to move
with the controls as his set moves
under The manipulation Of tho in
s'ructor In the rear seat. Not long
hso an instructor nearly lost his life
when a frightened student "froze' the
controi. Becoming paraiy1ed with
rear the student seized a tight grip
on tho controls. The instructor tried
to shake him off. but the only re-
Spouse he got from the terror-stricken
man was an occasional snatch Of
prayer.
The machine began to wobble and
then to glide with increasing speed
towards the earth, 5000 feet below.
me aviator realized that somethine
would nave to be lone quickly II
their lives were to be saved. He
could not reach the student to strike
MIN unconscious. as 4 rescuer do.s
sometimes with a drowning man. so
ne leaned forward in his seat ana
shouted as nearly into tho student.
ear as possible:
iou VIII notice that we ara rIid.
ing towards he earth. We are roinr
faster every second. Another minut.
ana ! won't be able to stop the ma.
chine at all. If you don't want 70
o'e' take your hands OF that contrn,
oamned quick!'
u words penetrated the frirht.
ehed brain of the student and ~
opeyed. with the result, that the IN.
s.ructor was able to right the aero.
piahe and volplane to earth tn.
s'uoent was not dismissed becau.. =,
~ one mistake. The Instructor aa-
eiiheu 10 ride with him any longer
oul SAID that IL he wished he ,i-ht
80 up alone. The student did. MAJ.
sooo ana afterwards was ssnt -
France. 'eh' 10
'ihftilNG LANDING
nlFFlCULT PARTS OF CAME
Hater the student is permitted ~
-. n machine himself, this time
80" ~ instructor riding In the from,
80" Il ne does this successfully he
'neh taught to land and to leave
!" srouha, Two OF tho most difficult
parts OF the nying game. Once n.
has mastered these two es,entiat.ph ~
Is allowed to fly alone. being rol,ow.a
closely by officers on the ground WIN
held glasses. When he has passed al
tests he Is known as n resery. MIL
AIRY aviator and Is certified 70 tho WAY
'en'rtment for n commission.
bertrand Acost,. a California bov.
VINO has been dying since he was NJ
Teen years old. Is head tester and In.
spector for .he United states govern.
ment at the Mineola camp. He Is also
chief instructor. Assistant Chief In.
structor and Tester Holderman Is ono
NJ the most popular mon in the United
states aviation service. Both men are
thoroughly experienced Myers and ex.
pert mechanics. they are scientihe
students Of aviation. Aeosta Is said
to BIS the greatest flyer In America.
Aviator Fleer Is another Of the expert
flyers at Mineola. Captain Rice Is n
son OF The foi mer Cover. Tor , OF Min
nesota. Rice is known as the Cuban
Millionaire" having made q fortune IN
the island republic followinl the. Span.