The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-09-29
HOW UNCLE SAM
TRAINS FLYERS
Student Aviators at Mineola
Field Learn to Worry
the Germans.
SOME, TESTS OF SKILL SHOWN
Men Go Up About Half Mile, Then
"Slide" Down at Sharp Angle
And, Say, This Is No Job
for Nervous Man.

Mineola, l.. I.-Whife hundreds of
thousands of men in America are
learning how to jab bayonets through
German soldiers in a leisurely manner.
some of the most promising embryo
officers of the American forces are
here learning how to destroy Boche
birdmen. To judge by their training,
they will do the job both efficiently and
quickly.
Under the direct supervision of Bert
AcOsta, one of Americas most success
full civilian aviatOrs, scores of candi-
section of the Army Signal corps are
being taught to extricate themselves
from the most dangerous positions
imaginable while several thousand feet
from the ground.
For military reasons it is forbidden
for details of the fighting instruction
for aviators to be made public. Here
however, is an illustration of the dan
gerous situations the aviators are be-
ing put through:
While about two thousand feet above
ground, with the machine going nearly
straight up. let her quietly slip back
ward and downward, tail first. for IS
or 100 feet. then get the machine I'M
der control again, go up still higher.
and try it once more.
It's quite easy-that is. 1t is easy
to watch Bert Acosta or Edward Hol-
terman, his first assistant, pull it off.
All you have TO do is to let the ma
chine drop backward and downward
until you feel that you have gone far
enough, then pick up speed and make
her 90 upward again. Simple.
Another simple little test of your
skill as an aviator is to ride up 1000
or 5000 feet. then come down in a
spiral. with the wings of the machine
almost vertical. AcOsta recommends
this for nervous persons.
Notwithstanding the apparent reck-
lessness of the flyers, each "stunt" Is
carried out in an absolutely scientific
manner. Instead Of counting danger for
''the fun of 1t" the aerial movements
are carefully planned with the factor
of safety always being among the first
things considered. Nothing Is under
taken for exhibition purposes except to
demonstrate how to escape death over
the battlefield.
"TO fly around putting the machine
at all kinds Of angles and going
through all the manipulations may ap-
pear silly and dangerous, Acosta said.
AS matter of fact, 1t is the only safe
thing TO do when you are above an
enemy's battlefield.
Infantry 'officers in our training
camps are telling their men that Tg-
norance courts death. in battle with
bayonets. In the aviation service ig-
norance is certain death"
High in the ranks of the men seek
ing commissions in the aviation corps
stands Capt. Cushman A. Rice. veteran
of half a dozen wars on the American
continent and former member Of the
general STATS of three brigadier gen
erals of the American army.
Captain Rice. "The Cuban Million
aire." made fortune in Cuba follow
ing his resignation as a captain of in
fantry in the regular army in 1902. He
is temporarily sergeant in the corps
of men slated to receive commissions.
Recently he told how ii feels when you
make your first flight in an airplane.
"When Mr., Holterman. who was
driving the machine, and myself were
gliding along about 100 feet up, for
some unaccOuntable reason / felt a
strong desire TO leave my seat and
walk out on one of the wings to learn
how II felt out there. / don't know
why II was. but ! felt that desire so
strongly for about ten minutes that /
almost had to 20.
REALLY you feel quite safe and Sc
cure. no matter how high you go,
when You have confidence in the man
driving the airplane-Or when you are
driving it yourself, If you really I'M
derstand running it. Everything is so
new and different way up there that
you do not have time to think Of being
afraid"
Captain Rice will he among those
whose time to go to France is rapidly
approaching.
Captain Rice stands out as a man
who took the hard road to a commits
sion. although he could have had one
without working for Ii. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that he could have become
a lieutenant colonel of infantry. be-
cause of his military record. he chose
TO enlist in the aviation corps and
work for his commission. which he will
receive at the end of the regular
five months training period His mill
tary record includes participation in
three Latin-American revolutions. the
Spanish-American war as a captain in
the regular army the Philippine cam
paign in command of detachment of
scouts and service in China.
A number Of candidates here are
awaiting commissions. which have been
authorized, and will shortly leave t3f /,
France to go into the last stages of
their training over there. Additional
from the various ground
schools will replace them.
bat. then J; tsSmilton Lewis, Congress