The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-08
AMERICAN BOY IS
NATURAL AVIATOR
Have Been Watching Them
Training for Air
Clashes.
PLENTY OF APTITUDE
Americans Have Pep and Nerve
Necessary for the Flying
Game and VIII Win
Out.

|
American youth has natural aptl
tude for flying. 1t was revealed and
is being developed in seven aviation
training stations in Texas and, dur
ing the winter, flyers have been
turned out from them with pron-
cheney and in numbers that have
fully satisfied the American officers
and have proved almost startling to
instructors from the allied armies
who are here to give the Americans
the advantage Of thcir experience
and knowledge.
There are six American and one
British aviation stations In the state.
1.-THE American camps are at Fort
Worth, San Antonio, Houston, waco,
Dallas and Wichita Falls. At Fort
Worth, the Royal flying corps, a camp
of young Canadians trained by Brit
ish officers, are in daily competition
with the Americans in an adjoining
! camp. A goodly number of young
Americans also are enlisted with the
| Canadians and are receiving their
training under the directions of Brit
ish officers.
Number of Students Secret.
A regard for military secrecy pro-
hibits relating the total number of
students who have taken to the ar
here this winter. It reaches a figure
that gives great comfort to the mill
tary men who know, and compares!
with the total advancement made by
the men, the number of accidents re-
ported has been surprisingly small, 1t
is stated.
From all seven camps, total OF
thirty-eight men have been killed IN
airplane accidents UP to early IN
February. The British flyers at Fort
Worth have lost far more than any
of the American camps. The high
Fatality record among the British, it
lis said, is the direct result Of the
more strenuous system of practice
and drill which they use. Twenty
six deaths have occurred at the two
camps at Fort Worth, while Hous-
ton, next in the list, has had six.
Fort Worth Fatalities.
'They kill more at Forth Worth
because they fly more is the way
young aviation officer explained the
great difference in the mortality lists.
The British theory is that the men
should receive early instructions in
all the difficult work they will have
to do in actual service, while the
American trainers spend a larger
part of their time in drilling the fun
damentals of flying. The young
Canadians go into the air early for
flights that are forbidden In the
camps under United States control.
They are taught the spirals, the dives
and the loops that are part of actual
war flying and so it is that If their
mortality list seems out of proper
ton to those in other camps, the
British officers are not displeased
with the accomplishments of the men
under them.
The San Antonio station has had
three fatalities, Dallas, Waco and
Wichita Falls one each. Waco and
Wichita Falls had perfect records
until the week ending Feb. 2. when
at Waco pilot was killed in a col
lision with another machine in mid
air, and a cadet at Wichita Falls lost
his life when his machine fell
Several Civilians Killed.
Several of the killed have Leen
civilians or mechanics. In the early
days of the American camp at Fort
Worth, mechanic was struck by a
propeller when the engine back
fired. There was a similar accident
,
) examining an airplane which had
! landed on the campus Of the Texas
; Christian university, got too near the
.. propeller. He was struck on the
|. head and killed almost instantly. At
Denton, Texas, recently an aviator
from Fort Worth stopped in a flight
and was persuaded into taking a civil.
) Ian as a passenger. The airplane
had hardly cleared the ground when
:. trouble came. The plane crashed
killing the civilian and injuring the
aviator.
, An aviator from Ellington field
Houston recently ran out of gasoline
short distance from Bay City and
telephoned for fuel An automobile
mechanic who brought the gasoline
persuaded the pilot to take him for
a ride, and an accident resulted, the
plane falling when only a few hun
l dred feet in the air. The mechanic
was killed and the aviator injured.
: San Antonio Field Largest.
l The San Antonio field is said to
: observation is taught there in add,
ton to flying The students are
i,nostly men from the signal corps.
This city soon will have two fields
Love field. the camp now establish.
, ed, and a larger one already under
I construction at the state fair grounds
5 which have been loaned the govern,
2 ment for training purposes. This will
= be named Camp Dick in honor OF
t the first and only aviator killed al
Love field. 1t will be used chiefly as
a preparatory school for ground
Itraining.
e There Is a rigid ban against Visit
ltors at all camps. At Love field, q
! Visitor caught with a camera was
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