Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-12
FLYING FATALITIES
PART OF TRAINING
Eighty-Six Deaths in Texas Up
to Middle of Last
Month.
NO BRAKES ON AIRPLANEs
Machines Passing Each Other in
Air Should Leave Plenty
of Space.
IRv Associated prcss.l


reason for every aviation accident.
Sometimes it is an obvious one. but
TOO often only the de- d flyer ever knew
just what sent his machine crashing
to the ground.
Up to the middle of April there had
been cighty-siN fatalities In the six
Texas aviation camps. and in many OF
the accidents that caused them. no one
knew just what unexpected condition,
Just what weakness in man or material
had developed high in the air. Fort
Worth, With it's three aviation fields
and its preponderancc OF flyers train
ing under the British officers in the
Royal Flying Corps. had forty-nins
deaths up to April II; Houston was
next with sixteen.
Crashes may be due to misa pplica-
ton of rules, unfamiliarity with pecu-
liar aerial conditions. faulty material
In the airplanc. sudden fright Selling
the aviator or mere recklessness.
In flying there are no brakes to APP
ply. The pilot must be alert and ready
for any emergency. a plane Just leay.
ing the field has the advantage over
plane about to land in an impending
disaster. The landing plane is going
much faster than the one Just "rcyyed
up" The pilot just starting up must
be careful not to misjudse his start,
and thus be ovcrtaken by plane that
is powerless to avoid the crash.
Machines passing in the same direc-
ton should have an interval of at
least 200 yards to insure safety against
collisions. When they arc passing over
and under, they must pass at dis
lance OF at least fifty yards. and those
approaching head OH pass must have
at least $50 yards between them.
Ono OF the most common reasons for
accidents, as given by instructors. Is
disobedicncc of orders At a certain
height and going at certain we'll
dehned speed, SO many loops or dives
or Whatever maneuver is 10 be adopted
may be made with safety. If the
aviator disreGards the laws OF maths.
MATES in which he has been drilled
and undertakes ono more loop, the
consequences may prove fatal
Landing in n cross wind is highly
dangerous. 1t frequently causes the
plane to turn completely over and
pins the pilot underneath the heavy
engine.
There have been numerous deaths.
slight commanders say, from pilots
losing their nerve. The driver finds
he has los: control of his engine.
makes a frantic effort to right the
plane falls the first time, lapscs into
Inconsistencies. and the plane falls
to earth at such terrific speed that the
aviator Is dead before no reaches .he
ground.
CADETS GIVEN STRICT COURSE
TO FOLLOW IN THE AIR
During their periods OF Instruction
cadets about to fly are given a stric;
course to How in the air. The loca-
Ton In which some airplanes have
!alIen indicated that the cadets once
up IN the air. disregnrded their in
struct'ons and followed their own
sweet VIII. According to the rules
IN" air. If each plane has kept its
course under normal conditions .ol
iSion with another plane is not .poh
siblc
Lieutenant G. s. Chase, Of Ellington
"'eid' Houston, recently described
some OF the hazards and duties of AIN
"Thian. Immediately following the
hrst exercises in which the students
develop their sense OF balance and
stability. they are drilled in aerial
uynamics
Lieutenant Chase declared that air
pockets arc not pockets" at all. but
are ascending and descending currents
caused by hot and cold waves in the
Sir. plano asccnds In warm cur
,sn'S ana rails In cold currents.
Forests and wet grass and trees make
cool air. level stretches where The
sun shines contain warm air.
An aviator must understand me-
'eoroioSy, photography, wireless telec.
t"p"E ana De a master of machine.gun
nre' Lieutenant Chase added When he
becomes flying cadet and wears 4
white hat band, he gets his first ride
atot'' After few trips he does solo"
mat Is, goes up alone. the most. I'M,
PoTtant part of his training. Next no
Mes IN formation and then on cross.
country trips. where he is co,npelIed
10 land guided only by maps and in
struInents Then comes his highor dc.
Vclopment with machine gun fire and
other special training, which increases
MS usefulness as one of tho eyes of
the army.'
ofiicers commanding the Texas
camps while deploring the fatalities
that have accompanied the training OF
Uncle Sans hycre say that, In com
parison With the number Of men who
nave been trained and become exper,
the total is surprisingly small