The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-19
UNCLE SAN HAS
LARGEST FLYING.
camp IN FRANCE.
Space Equal in Area to
American County for
Training Aviators

-
Al flying field Of So square miles,
the area of an American county,
with nine separate flying fields on
which American aviators advance to
the stage Of flight combatants. and
airplanes-Lberties Nfeuports, Cap
ronis and all the others with Of
ficers, instructors and newly equip
ped aviators swelling our squadrons
each month-these were some Of the
main features of this vast aviation
ground.
las the Associated Press cores
pondent entered one of the fields a
big gray machine rose from q near
by field with a loud droning noise.
There goes a Liberty airplane,"
said one OF the officers. It was one
Iof the fast-increasing number now
looming. and every flight was watch
led with keenest interest and grow
Ting enthusiasm by those who will
Eput 1t to the supreme test on the
lighting front. Only one opinion
twas heard among these men, that
lit was the biggest and fastest ma
schine Of them all. 1t was doing
wonders in quick ascent, and be-
sides straight-away flight it had
Ibeen put through all the intri-
lcacias of acrobatIc flight and had
Ebeen pronounced equal to the whole
frange.
Aviators 1.-the, stocky Men.
Groups of aviators were lined up
has. we arrived, preparatory to taking
F7he air. They were 1.-THE, stocky,
tyoung men. like two football elevens
Eabout to take the field. The flying
Egr6dnds stretched off for miles
Lnirle fields Of four square miles
Ieach-all clean-cut stubble fields on
(which the machines could light
without shock. About them cir
Ecled countless planes, stngly and in
IBquadrons drawn out like Wild geese
Hopping and driving and IN all the
Ievolutlons OF flight, with groups OF
laCrobratic planes over to the right
making headlong splrals, wing
tslips and reversements.
In the foreground rose a city Of
Barracks, one story pine ahacks 100
Meet long, not very highly Ornamen'
HaI but very practical. Fully thou
sand Of these barracks had risen on
this level plain to house the army
tof flying men on the way to the
lighting line.
twe went from field to field to
mote each stage in the development
Eof combat aviators. Generally speak
lfng. 1t was explained, there are three
distinct branches Of this aviation
for warfare: Chase and combat
work in which most Of the fighting
occurs, bombardment OF enemy
forces, camps and towns and scout
ing or reconnaissance work for pur-
poses of observation Of enemy
activities. 1t Is for combat and bonn
bardment that the training Is done
here. and Of those going forward
monthly about four hfths are COM
batants and one-fifth bombardment
pilots.
Grasshoppers, First Machine.
These are the 'grasshoppeTs',
said the captain as we came to field
No. /. where the initial ground work
and theory Of flight begins. The
yrasshoppers were diminutive ma
chimes with Just enough horse pow
er to jump over the ground, and oc-
Gasio"ally rise ten feet. The men
cali them taxis and roulers. They
were skipping about singly and in
squads. Two were having a race
across the plain, and one taking a
dive, buried its nose In the ground.
This was the circus part Of flying,
at the start, but there was plenty
Eof very practical work beside, with
motor instruction, gunnery, trap
shooting. rifle range and machine
gun firing. Small dummy enemy
airplanes dotted the field rs targets,
and the bounding grasshoppers took
their shots and were rated by the
watching instructors.
On the second field the aviators
had left their grasshoppers and
were in a double control machine
ACCOMPANIED by an instructor. They
were getting the feel" Of the ma
chine In actual flight, and II the
budder was not manipulated deftly
khe instructor was there to make the
correction. And 1t was necessary
here to learn how to come down as
twelT as to go up, and to come down
bat definite point Small numbered
mags marked the landing point of
leach machine, and the descent must
be made close up to this flag.
The captain of field No. was
about to step into the Flying
dragon" one Of the most curious
machines OF the fleet for besides,
being q, very fleet 15-meter car. it
was famous for it's dragon body,
with flaming scales and tentacles
and great red eyes. Here on this
field the awLators entered single
control machines, without an in
tstructor. and for the first time took
ftheir own risks.
On Field it began to develop
whether the aviator could qualify
as "a combat airman, or for bonn
bardment or scout observation. He
was now in a fast machine with
wing surface Of IS meters and was
beginning to make dips and high
air, maneuvering. He was being
accustomed to all types Of machines.
There was a fleet of one Of these
strange types drawn across the
plain Their chief novelty was in
having ball hearings on all their
mechanism, giving a hair-trigger
response to the slightest touch.
Mechanism Is Delicate.
IF you sneeze you loop the loop"
was the way the officer explained
the deIfcacy Of this mechanism.
Progress is rapid now that it Is
evident what a flyer can do. He
enters a very fast machine at No. s.
with 15-meter wings capable of
anaking 100 miles an hour. Some Of
the men drop out Of the training at
this point, as it has become evident
that they lack the deftness or get
faint at the height or the heat Of
where they begin pursuit work
and some of the early stages Of
ncrobatic nose dives and slips.
There is nothing freakish about
These acrobatics," said the officer.
lA'for they are one Of the most es
isentia1 parts of combat aviation
no be a chase and pursuit pilot one
lanust be able TO out-manauver the
enemy aviator: to make quick turns
under fire and get above your adj
vergary or on his tall, One or the
other will he out-maneuvered, and
the fastest man wins the game. The
enemy lis very skillful at acrobatics,
and he must be beaten at his own
game"