Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-07-20
WANT ATHLETES
FOR A|RMEN
Young Men Proficient in Sports
Usually Make the Best
AViatorS

letes, including such men as have
played games such as tennis, basket
ball. football and baseball. are among
the very best material from which to
pick the men who will make up the
personnel of the American flying
squadrons according TO b. NJ. Woods,
dean OF the school of military aeronau-
tics at the university of California
They possess the essential qualifica-
tiCn of highly developed muscular
coordination and quick judgment. In
speaking of the estimate of the re-
quirements for acceptance of man
in the aviation section of the United
States army, Dean Woods said:
when Colonel l.. w. b. Rees,
one of the men who has helped to
make the Royal Flying Corps unit
the wonderfully effective branch of
the British army it now is, was
! flying over the German lines with an
observer busily engaged in obtaining
important photographs, he was at
tackled by an enemy airplane. In
stead of Immediately attacking the op-
! posing plane as its pilot hoped that
! he would do, he continued his assign
| ed task until the required photographs
had been obtained, then turned upon
his pursucr with a burst of machine
| gun fire, disabled his machine, and
sent him down.
4.
showing the marvellous morale that
can be developed in a group of men
Of the proper caliber II is on ac-
count of the high personal require
ments of the kind indicated above
that the British have found it desir-
able TO permit no man to fly who does
not possess the qualifications of an
officer. The American air pilot is to
| fashioned after the British pilot in
this respect; in other words, every
American flyer will be an officer.
An officer is man who is ex-
pccted to obey orders and display
| judgment at the same time. His re-
spOnsibilities are great. For example,
/ il takes six months to properly train
| a flying officer" His training and
machine have cost the government
about $4,000 when he gets to the fir.
! ing line. Hence. n single error of
! judgment can cost his country the
whole amount invested, in addition to
his life and his value to the army to
which he belongs.
The 200 men now iI al important
school of military aerOnautiCs in the
United States have thus minimum
destructive power of five millions oi
dollars. Lord Kitchener said that one
good air pilot is the equivalent of n
army corps for effectiveness in the
field.
While this is perhaps not strictly
true at the present time, the lacl
of judgment and character in the
makeup of the pilots of field arm!
may render its work useiesse Whel
q the word of a man in the air can dj
vert the fire of mans guns from as
-, signed tasks of target he consider
sufficiently important, II Is obviou
that his judgment must be reliable
he is TO hold his job
I'm choosing a candidate for tn
air service. one Is constantly face
face with the problem OF decidin
whether the applicant has the poss
bilitics of an officer, whether he wi
develop into man who will turn
his country's account every blunder I
- the enemy with that rare judgment I
toe American man of business or eng
nCer. The man who possesses thcS
characteristics will usually be one WI
has given evidence OF brain powe
> Consequently. an applicant for tn
service may expect to have his educ
% tlonal qualifications investigated.
.' Normally. one between the ag'
= of 10 and 25 who has not complete
high school will not possess the r
" uuisites of an officer. Consequent
!" selections are usually made fro
3 those who have completed high scho
- and preferably some college wor
- Proper equivalents are accepted wh'
" they seem TO indicate capacity on Il
- party of the man
Physically cycsight, hearing. lune
81 heart and nerves are essential II
:" particularly necessary that muscul
!" co.ordinanco be exhibited. On this u
'u count. men who have played gam
81 such rs tennis, basketball, football al
u baseball which require highly dew
j" oped muscular coordination and qui
w. Judgment are peculiarly adapted to u
dertaltIng the work of the aviation 81
tion.
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