The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-06-07

fore 1t is sent from the factory. Sti. they admit
that machine so damaged might possibly slip
through without discovery. But tfey do not be-
neve that. up 10 the present time any such
damaged machine has been sent to an American
flying field.
And for the possibility of a German agent
doing any monkey business" with an airplane
after it is received by flying field, they scof
without mercy at the suggestion. They do
not deny the possibility of spies being present on
any all the flying fields but they do not be-
lieve that the most astute and malignant German
agent could put anything over" In the hangers
which house their steeds of the air.
In charge of each hangar is an officer whose
duty it is to know all about each machine In 1t,
what happens to each one, where 1t Is at any mo-
ment, and what Its condition Is whenever it is
in the hangar. Three mechanics are detailed to
each machine to keep 1t in order and groomed
for whenever it may be needed. The flying
confident that sabotage could be sue
cessfully attempted under these conditions except
by means Of organization SO large and SO
unlikely in flying field forces that Its possibility
is not worth considering In addition, no man
takes plane up from flying field without
himself first carefully inspecting its machinery.
The avators confident that the fault does
not lie In the planes that when they are discuss
Ing the cause Of accidents they do not even men
ton the planes their machinery, unless they
questioned by an outsider. They contne
their discussions the human factor involved
his heart or his brain. failed him at some crucial
moment.
The percentage of losses among student avta-
tors is much larger Canadian than at the
American trimming schools while the number Of
fatal accidents at the Canadian field at Fort
Worth, Tex. is appalling. That field has suf-
fered casualties than all the other fields to-
gether in Texas. The aviators of the American
fields are all of the opinion that the fatalities
there are mainly due TO haste and carelessness In
training
At the American fields man must have had
from four to nine hours of training In the air
with an instructor, the time depending on his
auickness In learning control before he is allowed
to take up a machine by himself.
A tail spin" one of the causes of accidents
most commonly cited. is acrobatic stunt which
an aviator must know how to execute with skill
and ease In It he noses his machine downward
with its tail whirling in circle above him, while
Its nose whirls in similar but smaller circle
beneath him. and he, in the pilots seat is the
pivot of the two gyratons To the landsman 1t
sounds n heady sort of combination, and IT Is
likely to prove to the airrnan unless he has the
knowledge and the skill with which TO manage It,
To throw his machine in and out of tall spins Is
part of his daily practice after he begins the
acrobatc training, and in a very little while ne
acquires sufficient knowledge Of what to do and
instructive control of the machinery to execute
tail spins as easily and safely as he could tw1ri
on his toes or turn his heel II his feet we're on
solid ground.
But he may get into tail spin accidentally In
his early flights alone and. although he may
know what is the right thing to do to take the
machine out of it, he may lose his head at the
crucial moment and fail to do what he ought
Every man. woman child who has learned to
ride a bicycle drive automobile is familiar
with that unconscious influence of the mind over
the muscles which causes one who has not yer
acquired complete command OF machine 10
drive straight at the object which he wishes and
ia doing his best to avoid. The aviator has brief
time in his training when he suffers from that
same difficulty and at important moments is
prone to give the wrong pressure upon MS con-
troll stick or his elevator. If he does this when
his machine goes into a tail spin and his mind
does not work quickly enough to recognize his
difficulty and do the right thing, fatal accident
is very likely to result.
Dizziness sudden panic, failure to think quick
ly. unconscious movement, ignorance Of what to
40. may q ase Q fatal accident when . learner