The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-09-28
Student Aviators at Mineo|a
Field Learn to Worry
the Germans.
SOME TESTS OF SKILL SHOWN
Men Go Up About Half Mile, Then
"S'ide" Down at Sharp Angle
And, Say, This Is NO Job
for Nervous Man.

learning how to jab b~ayonets through
German soldiers in Il ~leisurely manner,
some Of The most promising embryo
officers Of the American forces are
here learning how to destroy Eoche
birdlnen. To judge by their training,
they will Go the job both efficiently and
quickly.
Under the direct supervision of Bert
Acosta, one of Americas most success
full civilian aviators, scores of canli-
dates for commissions in the aviation
section Of the Army Signal corps are
being taught to cNtricatc themselves
from tile most dangerous positions
imaginable While several thousand feet
from the ground.
For military reasons it is forbidden
for details Of the fighting instruction
for ariators to be made public. Here
however, is an illustration of the dan
gerous situations the ayiators 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 1t 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 60 upward again. Simple!
Another simple little test Of your
skill as IN 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 persons.
Notwithstanding the apparent reck-
lessness Of the flyers. each stunt" is
carried II in an absolutely scientific
manner, Instead Of counting danger for
1.-The 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 APP
pear silly and dangerous" Acosta said.
"As Il matter of fact, it 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-
nerance courts death. in a battle with
bayonets. In the aviation service *
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 q dozen wars on the American
continent and q former member Of the
general staffs Of three hrigadier gem
erals Of the American army.
Captain Rice. THE Cuban Million
aire.' made a fortune In Cuba follow
ing his resignation as q captain Of in
4 II lliS oihi army III 49, -
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 airnlane.
"When Mr.. Holterman. who was
driving the machine. and myself were
gliding along about 1000 feet up, for
some un~accOuntable reason l felt a
strong desire to leave my seat and
walk out on one Of the wings to learn
how 1t felt out there. I don't know
why 1t was, but l eelt that desire so
strongly for about ten minutes that I
almost had to so.
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, II 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 rs a man
who took the hard road to a commits
sion, although he could have had one
without working for 1t. E~otwithstand-
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
Ave months training period. His mill
tary record includes participation in
three Latin-American revolutions. the
Spanish-American war as q captain In
the regular army. the Philippine cam
paisn in command Of a detachment Of
mounted scouts and service in China.
A number of candidates here are
awaiting commissions, which have been
authorized, ard will shortly leave for
France to go into the last stages of
their training over there. Additional
candidates from the various ground
schools will rpnlaco them.