The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-10
MIRACULOUS BUT COMMONP[ ID
 FLYING FIGHTERS
British Military Expert From the Front Writes of Air Service Stand
 ard of Values

London. May 20.-(Correspondence of the Associated Press)-"In a service like the flying corps the standard of values Is on very different plane from that of average lay minds,'' writes a British military expert from the front. What is little short of miraculous to the uninit- lated is but a commonplace to the air man. and pilots achievement must be very fine indeed before it is regarded with undue interest by his fellows, far less by himself
 This enlarged perspective has extend ed, though to less degree, to the soldiers in the trenches, to whom the antics of an airplane, or squadron of airplanes, have long since ceased to be novelty. But sometimes undefinable touch of class about the manner in which a pilot handles his machine immediately attracts the attention of the men below, and the whole trench here will be filled with eager and observant spectators watching his every maneuver.
 Every plane coming up from the rear is earnestly scanned until it's identity Is established, and once it is known that he is coming, the soldiers lean back on the fre-step, and wonder what new
 stunt will be introduced for their delec- tation. The pilot in turn seems conscious
 
 cheerfully takes his risks among the
 Archies' because it provides the tired trench-dweller with little mild amuse- ment.
 One such pilot existed just at the time when the Germans introduced their much overrated Fokker. This type of machine and the tactics evolved with 1t, certainly scored an initial success against some British airmen. But improved planes are constantly being brought out and each side has always in use a certain number of machines inferior to the later enemy planes. When the two types come into conflict the odds naturally in favor Of the better machine. Supremacy in the air. however, depends more on the skill and resourcefulness of the pilot than on the quality of the airplane he flies, and It IS to such resourceful men that the British owe their undeniable supremacy of. the air, supremacy often challenged but never broken, even when for the time the Germans have had the better type of machine.
 "The fame of the pilot mentioned was not confined to any particular sector. The whole line knew of his exploits. His name was never mentioned in print at home, but out in France in every rest camp, village and town, men chuckled hugely over his doings and were greatly 1 cheered thereby. Here is one of them: "A British machine was engaged on a reconnaissance over the German lines, when it was attacked by two Fokkers 1 The observer saw the first Fokker com ing. and used his gun so well that the German fluttered down to earth sorely damaged. The second Fokker. however, dived right behind the British machine and so deluged it with machine gun fire that the pilot had no course left but to attempt forced landing. The German quickly recovered from his dive and was coming back to finish off his adversary wher our pilot dived from behind the clouds. The German saw him coming. banked sharply and started to climb. The Briton stalled his machine and managed to put several shots into the enemy from beneath One shot killed the observer, another put the engine out Of commission and the Fokker, mortally hit, nose-oived steeply, throwing the dead op- server out into mid-aid The pilot man. aged to regain control before his machine crashed and contrived to effect land Ing of some sort But our pilot was not finished with him. He circled overhead until the German had got clear of his machine and then descended further and sprayed thel Fokker with machine gun fire until it burst into flames. He then started to climb
 Clouds of German anti-aircraft shells pursued him, but he managed to get right over the German firing line before a shell burst near enough to injure him. His machine stopped in it's course, its nose fell and down 1t went, diving steeply to earth A thousand feet, 5O0, 200! Everyones heart jumped in expec- tation of the crash. Then the plane lighted Along the German line it sped, faster than a swallow, and its machine gun spat venomously into the crowded trenches. It was only ruse, just an other flight of the genius which marked the pilot from the ordinary, and as he mounted heavenwards and flew towards the safety of his own lines. he leaned over from his seat and gaily waved his hand to the baffled foe"