The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-18
Visits Aviation Camp Where
Flyers Give Wonderful Ex-
hibition of Skill
SQUAD AFTER SQUAD
PERFORM EVOLUTlONS
IN AERIAL WARFARE
Philadelphia Officer Shows
Special Feats; Receives Con-
eratulations--Cen. Pershina
Pleased With Troops

Aboard the Special Train of secre-
taFy or War Baker. At an Aviation
Center in Franch, March date delet-
ed IF said what / think about
what we have seen today II would
sound like boastinE," said General
Pershing after visiting the largest
aviation camp In France, where hum
dreds Of American boys are learning
to fly
What pleased me most was the
absolutely perfect order maintained
In the supply and repair shops" as
serted Secretary Baker, where you
see that you find q Wei ordered and
vel regulated camp throughout
am exceedingly pleased and delighted
ana want to congratulate the COM
handing officers warmly on the h!gh
standard Of efficiency apparent at this
post and on all sides. II is indeed
highly gratifying and encouraging"
More than hfty planes were already
in tbs air when Secretary Bakers sps-
c,al train approac hed the camp at an
early hour this morning AS soon As
one Of the machines caught sight Of
/ the distant train, it swooped dowa
and gave the signal to all the other
planes which promptly drew up In
formation, escorting the train to the
I special camp center There the band
crashed out a noisy welcome In which
, a number OF Russians working at the
camp Joined.
After visit TO headquarters tho
secretary and his party set off for
the flying feid where the machines
deep the loud humminR Of the motors
/ greeting Mr.. Baker. Fifteen planes
! darted up simultaneously, Aging in
close formation, and gradually the AZ
became filed with squad after squat
until more than 100 machines were ia
ha L. rt~ Is,- hatxf
flying so close that their wings al
most touched one another
Then there came buzzing that
was louder than that OF the average
machine 1t attracted Mr.. Bakers at
tention and he turned just in time to
see q Philadelphia officer. In charge
/ of the training. dart upward In
Moran one-seater. appearing TO rise
straight as bird. picking up 10
! height of half mile. where he looped
the loop and few upside down, while
reversing his course suddenly in mid
air. finally dropping In a spinning
nose dive Just as It appeared the
1 hier must crash to sarth- he suddenis
darted up again, Sed Nary Baker
| cougra tulated him on the teaL
| General Pershtng. expresA ng his Az
/ r1iration of the pilots nerNe. askea
! him II II was necessary to t,ke spa
risks. The aviator replied that 1t usa
part OF the training, He said the nu-5
dive was especially useful in escap-
ing an enemy as IL gave the impt ssslon
:, the machine had been shot down.
I Meanwhile a whole flock of planes
SKINNED about at a R3w altitude
grazing the tops dartlug over eaes
other and Swimming the barracks and
( hangers 1t was one of the finest es-
hihitious OF flying the visiting party
| had ever seen. despite the fact that
today we had the first cloudy weather
during the entire trip, Now and then
there was sprinkling rain,
The party then visited the Red
Cross barracks where the head nurse,
Miss Given Wilson, or New York, drew
up the nurses for inspection.
Secretary Baker and General Persh-s
ing chatted with them and sampled
the jam sandwiches the nurses were
making for the soldiers
Mr.. Baker talked personally with
many of the aviators, questioning
them about their work. He was es~
pecially impressed with their self
confidence and ability to learn auick-
~. The party had just left the field
when sad accident occurred, The
motor OF a machine plotted by youth
from Memphis started to slide, the
student tumbling TO earth Both less
were broken and ne sustained frac-
ture of the skull although the doctors
think he will live The machine was
badly smashed. None of Secretary
Bakers party witnessed the fan.
AS the party prepared to hoard tho
special train copies of plane News"
a local weekly published at the camp,
were presented to the members. They
contained the full news OF Secretary
Bakers visit.
That's what | cali quick Journalists
tic work" said Mr.. Baker compll-
menting the editors.
After luncheon, which was taken
aboard the train, the party spent the
afternoon at another large storage
center which has been entirely COM
pletcd for troop eantohments that arg
to arrive tomorrow.