Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-02
HOW UNCLE SAM
TRAINS FLYERS
Student AvlatOrs at Mlneola
Field Learn to Worry
the Germans.
SOME TESTS OF SKILL SHOWN
Men Go Up About Half Mile, Then
"Slide" Down at Sharp Angle
And, Say, This Is No Job
for Nervous Man.

thousands Of men In America are
learning how tn jab bayonets through
German soldiers iii leisurely manner.
some of the most promising emDry0
officers of the American forces are
mere learning how To destroy BOche
birdnen. To judge by their training
they will do the job both efficiently and
quickly.
/ Under the direct supervision of Bert
AcoSta. one Of Americas most success
ful civilian uviators, scores of candi-
dates for commissions in the aviation
section of the Army Signal corps are
from the most dangerous positions
imaginable while several thousand feet
from the ground.
For military reasons II Is forbidden
for details of the fighting instruction
for aviators 10 be made public. Here
however. Is an Illustration of the dan
gerous situations the aviators are be-
ing put through:
While about two thousand feet above
ground with the machine going nearly
straight up, lei her quietly slip back
ward and downward tail first, for 20
or 100 feet, then get the machine un-
der control again. go up still higher,
and try II once more.
It's quite easy-that is. ii is easy
to watch Bert Ac0sta or Edward Hol-
terman, his first assistant, pull it off.
All you have TO do is To let the ma
chine drop backward and downward
until you feel that you have gone far
enough, then pick up speed and make
her go upward again. Simple
Another simple little test of your
skill as an aviator Is to ride up 1000
or 5000 feet. then come down In Il
spiral. with the wings of the machine
almost vertical. Acosta recommends
this for nervous persons.
Notwithstanding the apparent reck-
lessness of the flyers, each "stunt" is
carried out in an absolutely scientific
manner. Instead Of counting danger for
1.-THE fun Of il" the aerial movements
are carefully planned with the factor
OF safety always being among the first
things considered. Nothing is under
taken for exhibition purposes except to
demonstrate how to escape death over
the battlefield
ITO fly around putting the machine
at all kinds Of angles and going
through all the inanipulations may APP
pear silly and dangerous" Acosta said.
AS a matter Of fact, it is the only safe
thing TO do when you are above an
eneiny's battlefield.
"Infantry officers in our training
camps are telling their men that Tg
norance courts death, in battle with
bayonets. In the aviation service tx.
norance Is certain death"
High in the ranks Of the men seek
Ing commissions In the aviation corps
stands Capt. Cushman A. Rice, veteran
Of half dozen wars on the American
continent and II former member Of the
general STATS of three brigader gen
erals Of the American army.
Captain Rice. "The Cuban Million.
ARE made II fortune in Cuba follow.
Ing his resignation rs II captain Of In.
fantry In the regular army In 1902. He
Is temporarily sergeant In the corps
nf 81 uf aA In,
Recently he told how It feels when you
make your first flight in an arplane.
when Mr., Hoterman, who was
driving the machine, and myself were
gliding along about 100 feet up, for
some unaccountable reason | felt n
strong desire to leave my seat and
walk out on one of the wings to learn
how 1t felt out there. don't know
why it was, but | felt that desire so
strongly for about ten minutes that !
almost had to go.
Really you feel quite safe and So
cure, no matter how high you go,
when you have confidence In the man
driving the airplane--or when you are
driving 1t Yourself, If you really un.
derstand running 1t. Everything Is so
new and different way up there that
you do not have time to think of being
afraid"
Captain Rice will be among those
whose time to go to France is rapidly
approaching.
Captain Rice stands out as man
who took the hard road to a commits
sion, although he could have had one
without working for It. NOtwithstand.
ing the fact that he could have become
lieutenant colonel Of infantry, be-
cause of his military record, he chose
to enlist In the aviation corps and
work for his commission. which he viii
receive at the end Of the regular
five months training period. His mill
tary record includes participation in
three Latin-American revolutions, the
Spanish-Amerlcan war az a captain In
the regular army, the Philippine cam
ra'gn In command Of detachment OF
mounted scouts and service In China.
A number OF candidates here are
awaiting commissions, which have been
authorized, and will shortly leave for
France to go into the last stages of
their training over there. Additional
candidates from the various ground
schools will replace them.
Here's 4 New Wage Term.