The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-17

cellent landing fields, an ideal place for | such instruction. They were beautiful, | too. all covered with a white frost. I 1 made about three landings and was just | speeding up for the fourth when we went down into little ditch, which, being di- rectly in front of us was not visible. The propeller touched the ground couple of ,irros Spiirrtc-e5 and stucK III the | ground about a foot The engine being l unequally balanced nearly shook Us to pieces. I shut off the gas as quickly as possible and we got out to examine the damage. The engine was cracked be- yond repairs. Fortunately another ma chine landed nearby and took M. F. | back to the hangars In half an hour or so he had returned with another ma chine and we flew back home. In the afternoon the intensive training was con | tinued till it was quite dark. We re- turned to the landing field guided by the flare That day I had two hours flying
 and 39 landings and was all in by bed time.
 .'The next morning I went up to the 1 O. M. and told him that had to have either a coffin or Teddy Bear suit. | He was all out of collins and being reluctant to shoulder the responsibil- ! ity of a dead cadet, issued me T. l.. suit. It's a wonder. All lined with soft, black fur and as warm as a toast. I feel much more like an avia- l tor and much less like freezing to death.
 THE GREAT DAY
 s"Then the great day arrived, one of l the greatest in an aviators career. The day when he makes his first hop You are to get up in the air, 1 fly few hundred yards in straight line and land all by yourself, Sounds very simple when you've been doing the same and much more complicated things with your moniteur riding with you. But it is not.
 "You are given a different machine than the one to which you are ac- customed. You are given all kinds of explicit instructions. Told to fast en the belt securely. etc, and to be sure to turn off the gasoline when the machine capsizes. The engine is start
 ed. You are given a great deal of ur- gent friendly advice by your friends, WI ho you feel sure have already started
 wondering who will get your best
 sweater and muffler. Some of your friends insist on solemnly shaking your hand and assure you that you will make it all right Amid the noise and blast of the engine and propeller you climb aboard in the best non
 chalant manner you can muster. fasten
 the belt, adjust your goggles and look.
 at the moniteur. Monsieur signals
 'coupe.' The boys release the machine
 -'contact--you throw on the switch
 and you are off. Immediately that you
 are off the ground you have to think
 quickly about the landing which is
 the only hard part of the whole show.
 Well, I got by with it all right. by
 instinct more than by reason, there
 hardly being time for the latter, and
 there is reason to feel good about it
 when three out of our class of six
 smashed machines. No one was se-
 riously hurt, however but this combi-
 nation of aviation and mumble-peg
 is bad one and intend avoiding it.
 'Then followed several days of cold,
 windy days when 1t was impossible
 to fly, and oh how they do drag by.
 "On one of these days I borrowed
 a bicycle and with a friend went Cor
 long ride through this marvellous country. The roads are perfect and
 the scenery. the houses. cottages. and
 the trees, wdhoops la! la! Near the
 river in the face of cliff there were great many, most interesting caves
 built. Some were used as wine cellars with great rows of tremendous hogs
 heads running back on either side as far as you could see and from this main hall you could see the entrances to other halls. probably equally as large. Some are used for stables, for rabbit farms. and great many for living purposes. Above these in the field above you could see chimneys cropping out here and there with smoke flowing out There is one con vcnience l am sure they have to do without. and that is a back yard And Just think of it, they have to have their groceries delivered at their front door.
 After one hops, the next thing on the programme is the tour de piece. That is short tour in a machine by yourself You are up tor about 1G minutes and land on the same field from which you flew My getaway. my flying and my landing were all rected to land on by some few hun