The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-10-12
HOW UNCLE SAM
TRAINS FLYERS
~ 49, fvs RAJ
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.

learning how to jab bayonets through
German soldiers in 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-.
dates for commissions in the aviation
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 1t is forbidden
for details of the fighting instruction
for aviators to be made public. Here
however, is an Illustration of the dam
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 70
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, it 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 go 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
'sthe fun Of IT. 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.
ITO 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 Ig-
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 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 captain of In.
fantry in the regular army in 1902. He
is temporarily a sergeant In the corps
| of men slated to receive commissions
Recently he told how 1t feels when you
make your first flight in an airplane.
when Mr.. Holterman, who was
driving the machine, and myself were
gliding along about 1900 feet up, for
| some unaccountable reason I felt a
strong desire to leave my seat and
walk out on one of the wings to learn
how it felt out there. don't know
why it was, but I felt that desire so
strongly for about ten minutes that
almost had to go.
"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 un-
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 be among those
whose time to 60 to France is rapidly
approaching.
Captain Rice stands out as man
who took the hard road to a commits
sion, although he could have had one
without working for 1t. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that he could have become
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 captain in
the regular army, the Philippine cam,
paign In command of detachment Of
mounted scouts and service In China.
A number Of candidates here are
awaiting commissions, which have been
authorized, and will shortly leave for
France to go into the last stages OF
their training over there Addifinnall