The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-14
NERVE NECESSARY
Airman Must Never Get Cold
Feet in Fight.
Neither VIII 1t Do to Be Reck-
less or FOoIhardy.
MUST KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
A Moment OFF Guard Might
Prove Fatal.
You Don't Have to Bother With
Your Own Machine.
AUST KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN
Copyright, 1918. by the United Press.

Copyright, 1918. by the United Press)
With the American Airmen in
France, July 10 (by maiD.-"How do
you feel up there in the air when
you're jockeying with a Hun for
chance to bring him down before he
gets you?" was the question put to
Eddie Rickenbacker. American ace
and former automobile racer. a-sf
Rickenbacker reflected a moment
and then said: you don't feel very
much, because you are too busy
watching the Heinie's machine. But
you think of it as a machine and not
as man I never think of the man
in the boche plane, but regard fight
as sport. in which we both take
chances and If he is better than 1 and
uses better judgment he will get me.
but If I am the better sportsman, I'll
get him first.
Fighting in the air, in the classy
work at any rate, is more a question
of keen thinking and good. Judgment
than anything else. You first try to
out-guess your opponent and then try
to get -position-onh him Attacking is a
question of knowing when to pfque on
him and when not to- -~-.
Must Keep Nerve.
"Of course, a good flyer has to have
his nerve with him and we all fear the
mistake of not attacking when we
should, more than we fear being shot
down. A mistake lke-that, of allow
ing your nerve to fail you just once,
would weaken a man and we know it.
However. we also know we cannot be
foolhardy and reckless Doug Camp
bell, our all-Amerfcan ace, has worked
out some unusual tactics regarding
fighting boches which have succeeded
remarkably.
He is of a studious tn of mind
and figures out what the methodieal
German mind would expect him to do
al a certain time or in certain situa-
ton. Then Doug does just the oppo-
site. s~. sa
Surprises the Bochcs.
For example he has piqued on
boches in certain positions which werA
thought to mean sure death. But he
did 1t suddenly and unexpectedly and
before the German mind had con-
ceived of the situation, Doug had let
him have it and dived out of position
again. He's landed several boches
that way.
You have to make some quick de-
cisions up in the blue sky sometimes
and they're pretty important for you.
too But that is the important part
of the game and fascinating part. II
has been one of the phases where the
American flyers hare been most sue
cessful. Their Judgment has been
made in a lightning way. But .most of
the boys are well educated men and
quick thinkers.
Have to Keep Your Eyes Open.
"After you fly awhile you get
sense of feeling that is new. You
sort of feel a boche ound and feel
the direction, too, since it is hard to
see him. OF course you are always
looking around. becsus a couple Of
minutes without care would enable
German to drop on you unexpectedly
and it light mean flowers.
Most people who have never
flown imagine running the plane is
a question of concentrated attention
on the mechanics of it. That is not
so. Once you get up, you can fly
along for a long time, without touch
ing a lever and without bothering
about the motor. You don't need to
stir because there is nothing to hit
and your only concern is not getting
too far into German. Since there are
no ruts in the air / or trees to hit and
since the air is big space, your d.
rection makes little difference. You
can't bump into anything.
1.-The thing you watch most Is the
huge space all around you and you
keep your eyes open for more planes.
Once you see one, you Immediately
whether 1t is friend or boche. Then
you act accordingly and it never takes
long to makeup your mind what to do.
Clouds Are Dangerous.
2s'Clouds are risky things. They
look brightest and neecy when you are
away from them. When you dive into
them you feel no sensation and hit
nothing. Everything seems like fog.
If they are large they are dangerous.
for you lose your sense of direction
among them. Sense of direction is
II ore important than a compass,
which often doesn't work when you
are diving around. Clouds can also
hide boches."
orna.,Drn noar oA.rD