Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-08-23
SEvEREST TESTS
IN AVIATION CORPS
Candidates For Airmen Must
Meet Rigid Requirements.
MANY ARE REFUSED DAILY

but Must Have Acute Eyesight and
BaIance-Sense of Touch Is Also
Carefully Examined by Physicians,
and Many Refused on These Grounds.
Perfect physical condition is only one
of the requisites Of the aviator, and the
degree of perfection desired is far be-
yOnd that expected in any other branch
Of the government military service.
But to top this off, the finest organs,
perfect limbs and all around physical
proficiency count as nothing unless the
candidate for place In the aerial
corps can pass a series Of tests which
for ingenuity Of search are appalling to
the man under the probe.
Strong, vigorous youths who could fit
into any other branch Of the service are
daily refused in aviation because their
lack of balance, the sixth sense, which
few knew any possessed, would con-
denim them to speedy death, or because
Of their inability to distinguish browns
from green's at great heights would
cause them to drop into treetops In
stead Of plowed fields.
Whispering Test Next.
The candidate must fall within the
weights Of 12O pounds as a minimum
and 100 pounds as maximum. After
each man is credited with his mark for
physical fitness and soundness Of the
organs his hearing is examined by the
whispering test at distances Of twenty
feet.
All possible diseases are then inves
tigated. Each man is sounded and ex-
amined from the top Of the head to the
soles of his feet If any has skin dis
ease, varicose veins or other complaints
of similar nature he is counted out
until cured. Flat feet, unless they are
of very serious nature, are not bar
to the aviator, as he is not compelled tI
march.
The dynamic test follows This is
the first deviation from general physi- |
cal examination. Each candidate Is
compelled to stand in corner Of the
room and walk diagonally forward
with eyes shut and then walk back
ward to the point from which he start |
ed. This tests his sense of direction. |
The Vital Sixth Sense.
The most interesting part remains.
That is to discover how well developed
In each man Is the vital sixth sense
the principle Of equilibration. An eze
pert on this subject explains it as fol-
lows: ',,s |
In each ear are three tiny canals
filed with lymph. These really are the
spirit levels of the body. Movement In
any direction is communicated through
the flow of the fluid in these tiny ca .
nails to sensitive nerves, which carry
the impression to the brain. This Or
gan in turn sets about correcting the
balance in the normal method"
Then begins the test of balance. The
candidate is seated in an armchair
working upon pivot, with head
rest for security and tall handle pro-
jecting above, by which the chair can
be turned. The youth is told to fasten
his eye upon an object and then close
his eyes.
The chair is then spun rapidly to the
right, ten revolutions in twenty Sec
onds. AS it is stopped suddenly facing
the stationary object the candidate
opens his eyes and endeavors to focus
them upon the object. The dizzy mo-
ton causes the eyes to jerk rapidly
from side to side until they regain
their natural control. Twenty-six Sec
onds are allowed for the nerves to re-
gain control. Then the same test Ii
iD<p 20 thA
left This test shows the rapidity with
which the candidate regains control Of
his balance after being violently twist
ed and turned.
Testing Sense Touch.
The spontaneous touch test next is
In order. The candidate closes his
eyes. The physician standing before
him at arms length holds his index
finger so that the youths finger rests
upon it. He Is then ordered to raise
his arm and allow it to descend grad
ually to see whether 1t will come back
to the same point Of contact
This was no very severe task, but
that which followed was one Of the
hardest Of the day. The man is spun
In the chair as fast as 1t can be turned
and then, when brought to standstill,
is compelled to raise and lower each
arm alternately three times in success"
sion in sixteen seconds to see how far
past the point Of touch his finger will
rest. When the spinning is to the
right the hand drifts In the opposite
direction, and vice versa. N,
The real test that shows the marvel
of the balance in the ear is disclosed
when the youth is forced to sit In the
chair, with fists upon knees and head
bent forward until the forehead touches
the hands. The chair is revolved slow
ly FIVE times, and the candidate Is or
dered to sit erect without opening his
eyes, If he has natural balance as he
sits up he falls heavily to the side op-
pOsite to that toward which he was re-