New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-28
By Haywood Broun

by T1cyWOOQ DIOuu
( Accredited 10 the Pcrsh,ro Army IN Franc,
for The Nep York Tribune and symdioatc
Copyright. 1917. BY tho Tribune Asscciatlcnl
THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARi
ARMY, Sept. 6.-"Remcmbcr you are
member Of the most elite branch OF
the French army" says notice Ia
young aviators posted in one Of the
principal French flying schools. To
emphasize the distinctive quality OF
the aviation service each fier receives
a bonus of franc a day in addition OF
his regular army pay OF six sous.
However, the aviator is never in ser
vice long before he realizes that his is
tho banner branch of the game. He
battles with the Boche, but not with
the mud. He fires at man and not a
trench, and when the last fight comes
armies see him fall.
And yet the aviator begins as the
most ridiculous rookie of them all.
His grounding days try his dignity, for
the aviator must hop before he can fly.
Even hop" is too dignified term.
In the French schools the new pupil
begins on tiny Bleriot called pen
gum. This is a clipped wing contriv-
ancc. II scurries over the ground ut
twenty or perhaps thirty miles an
hour, and only an expert can keep 1T
in a straight course. II the penguin
ever succeeds in getting out OF control
it whirls around in short circle and
collapses on its side.
When the novice has learned to
crawl straight he is allowed to run .
machine which leaps in the air every
little while. only to flop again to earth.
Then he is ready TO fly a Bleriot,
though, Of course, his first trips are
made as "A passenger. The Bleriot is a
monoplsnc. and it is almost never used
at the front now. Also it is the most
ticklish contrivance of them all. The
Bleriot seems TO be used for instruc-
ton on the same principle that batter
swings three bats before he steps to
the plate. II makes what follows seem
easy.
Very little time is spent in flying.
Staying up in the air is no great trick.
Coming down creates most the trouble,
so students are drilled persistently in
ldUulUE. II II necessary W Turn lHc
nose of Bleriot sharply before COM
ing down; and very slight miscslcula-
ton will wreck n machine. According
ly many machines are wrecked and
some fiers are killed. Probably a big
flying school would average about three
deaths a month.
There are few half measures in avia-
ton. The flier is killed or he is only
shaken up. II he is simply Jared the
French believe in shaking the effects
Of the fall out of him at once. The
wrecked machine is hauled away and
the damaged aviator is helped into an
other plane and told to try it again.
"They had me started again before
my nose stopped bleeding" said the
victim of one accident. 81 suppose il
might have been worse if I'd gone 10
bed and thought about .he smash-up
all night, but it was no fun as il was.
Usually you have sense Of absolute
security up in the air. It's only when
you begin TO come down that you get
nervous. This time | couldn't keep my
eyes off the ground As soon as | was
900 feet up | had sort of feeling
that the whole thing was irrational.
kept saying over and over 10 myself:
You don't belong up here. There's the
ground down there that's where you
belong Coming down was fierce, but
made the best landing ! ever made in
my life, and I've never had that scared
feeling since
After the aviator has learned TO land