The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-06
EXAMINATION FOR A|RPLANE SERVICE
 VERY SEVERE TEST
Men to Pass Must Show an Even Temperament and Steady Nerve and Sense
 of Equilibrium
Ky HUGH w. ROBERTS

Washington, July 5.-tSpeciaL) Young men with ambition to fly over the German lines must subject thein- selves to rigid examinations. They must be more than physically perfect They must have an even temperament, an exceedingly steady nerve and highly developed sense of equilibrium
 Robert G. Thach of Birmingham, as previously reported, successfully passed this examination. He did not relate his experiences, however From another source some of the difficulties under which one must go have been explained
 In the first place the physical eX- animation is identical with the phys ical examination required for admis- sion into any other branch of the service And then the tests peculiar to the flying squad are produced.
 First, an instrument indicating blood pressure is attached to the arm of the applicant. This instrument registers the beating of the pulse and the re- sistance of the blood. If the applicant is below par even to the most trifling degree he is rejected.
 TEMPERAMENT
 Evenness of temper, or the presence or lack of temperament, is ascertained in part by alternately pouring into the cavities of the ears cold water and hot water Instruments attached to tha head, chest, arms and legs denote the impression made by this test on the AL.
 And then they play on ones nerves The applicant is carefully blindfolded. Seating with all light cut off, he is cooly informed that at an indefinite moment a pistol will be discharged behind his back He is informed that if instruments prove that the effect was too startling on his nervous sys- tenn he will be rejected. The applicant throughout this chatter is expecting the explosion of the pistol. He, per haps, gets little fldgety because of what seems to be unnecessary delay And then the explosion is heard, start lingly clear and uncomfortably close to the head. The examiners then rush to the patient, as if he had received wound, remove the cloth from around the eyes, examine the figures on the delicate instruments and announce that all IS now prepared TOT the ulldi lcoe
 UNIQUE EXAMINATION
 One of the applicants told the re- mainder of the story in this fashion:
 q was informed" said he, that | would be seated in an ordinary bar Der chair; that the chair would be slowly whirled in one direction for three minutes and very rapidly whirled in the opposite direction for another three minutes. I was instructed that it would be my duty, when the chair was finally brought to a stop, to point toward the hand of the examining or ficer, the hand to be held stationary and directly in front of me.
 The whirling, very slow whirling began. Just as I was getting affected by kind of nal de mer, the chair was whirled very rapidly in the opposite direction. I knew that very soon would be required to point at the of ficer's hand. 1 steeled myself. I didn't see how 1 could possibly do so, but intended trying.
 And then of a sudden the whirling of the chair was brought to a stop I saw the officer raise his hand. Si- multaneously, l directed by index fin ger at that hand. I thought I had sue ceeded when some force. outward or inward or both, seemed to grasp me. A kind of cloud passed over my eyes and before I knew it my finger, fol- lowed by my entire body, lunged to the side in the direction the chair was just previously whirled"
 The young man. much chagrined, thought he had failed in the test. He grew trifle irascible when the of ficer smiled. But the officer only smiled the more. And then it was said that the test had been successfully met
 Had you been able to point to my hand" said the officer. you could not have entered the service. That lunge to the side indicated that your sense of equilibrium Is adequately de- veloped.''