The sun., 1918-07-14
FONCK, FRENCH
ACE, NERVELESS
Great Filler Lacks Even the
Usual Superstition About
Planes.
GIVES HIS TO BEGINNERS
Unlike Guynemer, He Seldom
Works, and Then Only
When He Feels Fit.
GIVES HIS TO BEGINNERS
Special Correspondence to TUE suS.

SPECIAL Correspondence TO Tue Sun.
PARIS, June 2s.--Rene Fonck, the
young ace Of aces who recently won his
forty-ninth officially recorded victory.
may best be described as the man with
perfect nerve. but no trace OF nerves.
Those who have had the opportunity to
study him closely believe this superb
ooise Is the secret OF his success.
To show how free he is from foibles ::
Most famous aviators become attached
TO favorite machine. When they have
won few victories in II they regard It
with affection, even with superstition I:
It Is lucky. .....
by contrast. Fonck has a habit OF Civ
Ing his machine to any youngster who
has Just won his pilots commission and
who has caught the great aces fancy.
TRY this one, lad" he will say. TT
seems to be all right" and thus passes
title to a plane in which he has downed
two or three Germans
Then he takes the next machine sent
to the camp from the factory.
Bait Like q Boxer.
Fonck Is of medium height and
of skilful boxer. Men OF scientific
bent say his reflexes are perfect--in-
credibly swift and accurate. Besides
this he has extraordinary vision. 1t has
happened more than once when he has
led squadron that he has signalled to
the other pilots the approach of Ger
man plane, its exact location, the angle
from which 1t should be attacked and
its speed. all this before any OF the
others had seen it at all.
1t need hardly0be added that he IL a
remarkably accurate shot. another proof
of his superb vision and perfect nerve
control.
Like all the great fiers, he is a
fanatic on the subject. When he talks
1t is of nothing but motors. new models
OF planes. aerial tactics and machine
guns. But more often he sits through
dinner with his friends without uttering
a syllable.
Speaking OF tactics. he has none. or at
least no set method. He improvises as
he goes along. Like the other pupils OF
that great instructor OF fliers, Comman-
dant Brocard, he Is full OF ingenious sur
prises. Incidentally. Brocard believed in
him from the first A year ago Georges
Prade, a journalist OF note. was talking
to the master. expressing lis fears for
the future of the combat squadrons with
Dorme. Navarro, RoChefort. Lenoir gone.
and Guynemer and Nungesser fighting
on by sheer will power and determine
ton despite wounds which would have
crippled the ordinary man. Brocard
replied simply.
Had n Card Up His sleeve.
But We rave Fonck. Do you know
Fonck? He Is unique"
Fonck was all but unknown then.
But he could not remain long in OBJ
scurity-not a young man who kept put
ting down plane after plane (his score
now Is over sixty, eleven having fallen
out of sight OF official Observers and
always without a scratch to himself or
his machine. For Fonck never fas been
wounded. Many Of his victories were
won before the German adversary had a
chance to fire a SHOT Incidentally lie
Is said TO know more about German
aviation than any other man among the
Allies
Brocard taught him to fly anything
and everything. including the first ar
t!llery observation machine with two
motors. Fonck himself SAYS he liked
every machine he ever tried except the
one he attempted TO make out of his
mothers buffes when he was 10 years
old. He spoiled the buffet. he says. and
the results We're painfully unsatisfactory.
Finally, he is modest, he keeps saying
he Is lazy, and very likely he really
means IL. because he keeps comparing
himself to Guynemer. Guynemer was al
ways in the air; he was untring. at
work hour after hour. Fonck by COM
parison flies seldom. He never goes UP
unless he feels just like it. He cannot
conquer this reluctance to Systematic.
daily work, he says. Which seems to
show that. after 'all. he is human and
has falling.