The Washington times., 1917-03-12
Government Flying School
Head at Hampstead Plains,
IL, Backs Project.
LANDING PLACES NEEDED
Capt. ]. E. carberry at Work
in Behalf of Army and
Civilian Fliers.

Plans by which the United States
will be surveyed to establish airplane
routes and landing stations, both for
military and civilian aviators, are be-
ing worked out at the Government fy-
ing school in Hampstead Plains, La l.
I These plans have already progressed
so far that the officers of the school
and a committee of the resel Q aero
squadron have begun to arrange for
suitable landing stations at various
distances, even as far away as Phila-
delphIa, and to mark these stations in
such a way that they will be easiiy
distinguishable from the air.
The scheme as projected by Capt.
Joseph E Carberry, commandant of
the school. Is expected to enlist not
only the aid of al aero clubs and the
War Department, but the Coast and
Geodetic and the Geological Surveys.
Fields To Be Marked.
Captain Carberry and the fiiers OF
the school have carried on q number
of experiments, and as a result with
in a short time the big field at Mine
ola Is to be marked withsa big star
OF canvas, the points OF which will be
twenty-five feet In diameter. Other
fields at Oyster Bay. Port Washing
ton, and other points will be siml-
larly marked.
In addition, q symbol will be at
tached to each marker which will de-
note the character OF the field of land
ing, its proximity to repair stations,
and even to hospitals. By this means
an aviator, looking for a place to land,
can pick out a field which suits his
needs.
1t has been found that tie tent han
gars of the field at Fort Sill, Okla ;,
are visible eighteen miles away at a
height of 5000 feet
In addition to charting the coun-
tryside, the reserve hiers of the
Hampstead Plains school are plan
ming a course Of work under condi4
tions closely Stimulating actual war
fare. Maps OF the countryside are
being made from airplanes. and more
than 200 topographic photographs
have been filed away this year. These
Photographic maps have a great ad-
vantage over the ordinary scale
maps in that they show detailed con-
ditions OF the terrain below and the
exact location OF even the smallest
buildings and landmarks.
"shoot" With Camera.
r The camera Is to take another i'm
portant part in training the civilian
aviators. 1t Is to be used In target
practice. With a camera mounted on
his machine instead OF a machine
gun, but operated by regular gun
sights and trigger pull, the student
aviator will soon be sent up with
orders to bring down" a, certain ma
chine designated as the enemy. The
scheme works on the natural pre-
sumption that IL a fiier can aim well
enough to get a bulrs-eye through his
camera he could do Il with a rapid
fire gun.
For next Saturday a reconnaissance
problem has been worked out. Three
machines are to be sent out under
secret orders to land at scattered
spots along the countryside and to
hide, as though they were disabled
enemy planes. The rest Of the men
will be required to find these ma
chimes and theoretically destroy
them.
Another problem will be to es
tablish a Gordon OF planes over the
island, while a single motor truck.
representing the head OF a hostile
tries to eVade the recon
naissance.
These tests are intended not only |
to develop the ability of the men, |
but also to fix the possibilities of air |
in defense from actual in |
vasion.
In addition to the thirty-five ma
chimes now at the Government hang
ars. which are for lraInIng purposes, |
a number OF fast pursuit machines |
have been ordered for advanced work |
The latest order placed of this nature |
is one for twelve new Curtiss tri- /
planes, single seaters, modnted WITH /
] motors and with an
estimated speed OF 110 miles an hour. /
Each of these machines will be fitted
with two machine guns on he>upper
plane. The twelve will be turned
over to the Government about the
last OF next May.