Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-10-17


do nose dives, side slips and other
thrilling and seemingly frivolous evo-
buttons. learn to accomplish these feats
In seven or eight hours. -or they never
learn them at all. For the mastery of
airplane acrobatics does not require
the time that is requisite to train
performer for a circus.
Cadet flyers receive this instruction,
which Is called the acrobatic stage, to-
ward the end of their training and aft
ser they have become masters of their
machines and possess absolute con-
troll. Otherwise they could not ac-
Quire the knack of throwing their ma
chimes in and out of these whirls and
loops. And, by the way, some of them
never do. Because cadet becomeA
master of his plane, it does not inev-
ttably follow that he can stunt He
may not be fitted for it temperament
ally; he may lack the head or the heart
or the stomach for it. If that be SO,
then he must abandon acrobatics. Those
who like it stick to 1T, and thus it hap
pens that frequently these stunt fly
ers become the aces in actual combat
in France, because fights in the air are
more or less games of tag; and the
more artful the dodger the greater are
his chances.
The course in acrobatics is not
chosen because 1T is SNOWY or spec
tacular, 1t is as much part of a
cadets training as pursuit work, re-
conhaisance or bombing. 1t is designed
to inspire the student with confidence
in his ship and in his ability; to teach
him the feel of dangerous positions in
the air; to actually get into them and
out Of them safely, and in general to
demonstrate to him how much may be
accomplished by the proper and skill
full handling of his plane.
The greatest care is taken in choos-
ing instructors for this work and in
selecting the ships or planes to be
used. Expert ringers are assigned to
check the alignment of the planes used
after each flight.
AT Kelly field, Texas, there is a
special stage for the instruction and
to insure safety for the cadets and
their instructors. Others not flying in
this stage of instruction are required
to keep entirely away from the terri
tory over Which the stunts are being
performed. A severe penalty is at
tached to the slightest infringement of
this regulation. No student or in
structor is allowed to stunt under 1000
feet, and practically all of the work
in the acrobatic line Is done between
1000 and 1000 feet.
When student reports to the stage
| for instruction, he is assigned to a
teacher who ut the first opportunity
takes him and performs the requisite
| evolutionS. The student, is then given
| the control and directed to repeat the
maneuver. After the third or fourth
trial he is usually able to perform in u
| creditable manner. However, in no
case does the. instructor allow stu
dent to fly alone unless he shows him
self well qualified.
| When Il student is sent into the air
| he is directed to follow a definite
course in gaining his altitude; to turn
over his sector and. If ut a sufficient
| altitude, to do his stunts. 1t may be
| that he will have been directed to do
a one-turn spin, a two-turn, spin, five
\ loops and three Immelmann turns.
Upon returning to the ground he re-
! ports to his instructor, who has care
4 fully watched the execution of the
StI ltfi1
cism and suggestions. This is repeated
several times, and before the student
| is transferred he again goes UP with
4 the instructor, who estimates whether
| the former is qualified to advance to
| the next stage.
Troops for the Slavic legion which
is to be part of the United States
army will soon be recruited under reg
ulations just promulgated by President
Wilson. The officers and enlisted men
in these regiments will he Jugo-Slavs
Czecho- Slavs and Rutllenians. Ii
! practicable, companies will be com
4 posed of members of the same race
and this plan of organization will be
lOllOWett us litI NHil Dc III lllS SSi
units-battalions and regiments.
Enlisted men for the Slavic legion
will be obtained by voluntary Undue.
ton from among the members of the
races mentioned. They must be resi-
dents but not citizens of the United
States and not subject to the draft
Enlistments in coal mining regions will
not be authorized. Volunteers for this
| legion will be forwarded by draft
boards to depots in the usual manner
and will be sent from there to Camp
Wadsworth, South Carolina
The weather bureau will publish iI
it's National Weather and Crop Bulle
tin series of charts showing for the
country east of the Rocky mountains
the southwark progression of the EARL
est killing-frost date line and the tota
area covered by killing frost to the
date of each issue. These charts are
expected to be of much interest ant
value, as they will Indicate the time Of
the ending Of the growing season fol
summer crops this year in the various
sections of the country.
Much loss is caused at times by
early frosts and interest is unusuall.
great this year because of the posi-
bility of frost damage affecting thu
food supply.
To test the present health of The