The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-21
sT|RR|hG DAY WITH
THE filters OVERSEE

AMERICAN SEAPLANE TRAIN
ING CAMP, Italy, June 20.-A flying
day on the beach here, with the roar
ing of the engines of dozens of sea-
planes overhead. on the water, starting
out or returning, with cries of COM
mand in two or three languages, pre-
sents a stirring picture.
Life and death hang in the balance
every instant. Those in command are
far more apprehensive than they care
to show. You can't make omelettes
without breaking eggs" they explain,
as they watch a machine beginning to
nose too soon preparatory to making
a landing.
Look at him; he's sure to cut in on
that fellow and bump him." one ex-
claims. To the uninitiated two avia-
tors who are trying to make a landing
near the home beach seem to have
hundreds OF yards of space in which
to manoeuvre, but the officers know
they have but little space. AS the
two machines are travelling at So or
80 miles an hour on their nose dive,
the matter of a possible collision is
soon settled, and favorably. Both hit
the water safely on their tails-the
proper way-and race across the lake
snorting like a thousand sea horses,
gradually turn, and come home.
So soon as the camp commander In
charge of the beach saw the two ma
chimes take the water safely, his mind
turned to other matters. There Is a
special instructor who sits with a chart
before him with the name of every
student flying this day upon it, and he
records merit or demerit marks there
for every good or bad move the fiers
Lo xr,ttJ -
the commander later ana proper obser-
vations made to the aviators.
You must be careful in this bust
ness not to discourage the fellows" ex-
planned one of the officers. Their
nerves are their courage, their flying
ability, and IF you take away their
courage. their confidence, you may
spoil a good aviator"
Look out there; you'ff break those
wings" called the American COM
mander as two seaplanes came shoot
ing up the beach, too close together
for comfort. : The helpers in the water
seized them and dragged them in to
a safe landing. That's one of the
troubles with having too many ma
chimes about" explained the command
er. When "a seaplane starts in for
the beach the aviator cuts off the
power ina Lnen ne can't steer 1t any
longer. When the wind is unfavorable
or the water is rough, they have to
make several trials sometimes before
they can get in head on
There are men here from Little
Rock, Ark. Chicago, Boston-every-
where. It's pretty dull here" said
one. When do you think they will
send us to the 'front.'"
"Have you heard if we are going To
the Italian or the French 'front.'" ask
ed another.
'T wish you'd tell the people at home
to write us often" put in a rosy
checked ensign of twenty. Somehow,
II seems to take a month and more
for us to get letters. Tell them, too,
we can't write much from here be-
cause our letters are censored and
we don't like to have somebody we
see every day censor our mail and
read our private letters.
Most OF them were eager to get on
real sport" explained one One man
has been los at this camp so far, but
his death hasn't frightened any of the
others. They figured out that perhaps
he cut off his power too soon before
nosing Anyway. they don't intend the
same accident shall happen to them
before the end Of the war.
Then" said one with a laugh, I'VE
are going to shake fighting and take
up the safe passenger-carrying end Of
the business"