The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-06-06

fore 1t is sent from the factory. Still they admit
that machine so damaged might possibly slip
through without discovery. But they do not be-
Heve that up 10 the present time any such
damaged machine has been sent to an American
flying field.
And for the possibility of German agent
doing any monkey business" with an airplane
after it is received by flying field, they scott
without mercy at the mere suggestion. They do
not deny the possibility of spies being present on
any or all the flying fields but they do not be-
ieve 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 it,
what happens to each one, where it 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 use whenever it may be needed The flying
men are confident that sabotage could be
cessfully attempted under these conditions except
by of an organization so large and so
unlikely in flying field forces that its possibility
is not worth considering. In addition man
takes plane up from flying field without
himself first carefully inspecting its machinery.
The aviators are so confident that the fault does
not lie in the planes that when they discuss
Eng the cause of accidents they do not men
ton the planes or their machinery, unless they
are questioned by outsider. They conine
their discussions to the human factor involved
and speculate upon why his nerves or his muscle,
his heart or his brain, failed him at some crucial
moment
The percentage of losses among student avia-
tors is much larger at Canadian than at the
American training schools, while the number of
fatal accidents at the Canadian field ut Fort
Worth Tex. is appalling That field has suf-
fered more casualties than all the other fields to-
gether in Texas. The avators of the American
Aoldc oil ~ flna OTipf hat fha fot fiaG
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
quickness in learning control. before he is allowed
TO take up a machine by himself.
A stall spin," one of the causes of accidents
most commonly cited, is an acrobatic stunt which
an aviator must know how to execute with skill
and ease. In 1t he noses his machine downward
with it's tail whirling in circle above him, while
its nose whrls in Il similar but smaller circle
beneath him. and he, in the pilots seat, Is the
pivot of the two gyratlons. To the landsman it
sounds heady sort of a combination, and 1t Is
likely to prove so to the airman unless he has the
knowledge and the skill with which to manage It,
To throw his machine in and out of tail spins Is
a part of his daily practice after he begins the
acrobatc training, and in very little while he
ACQUIRES sufficient knowledge of what to do and
rail spins as easily and safely he could twill
on his toes or turn his heel if his feet were 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 bicycle or drive an automobile is familiar
with that unconscious influence of the mind over
the muscles which causes who has not yet
acquired complete command Of a machine 10
drive straight at the object which he wishes and
is 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 his 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
dialcuIty and do the right thing fatal accident
is very likely TO result.
Dizziness sudden panic. failure to think quick
~ unconscious movement, ignorance of what TO
do may cause a fatal accident when learner