The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-12-13

~.
lH6H2A mechanics are more neces-
lId{tSSsB sary TO the efficient working
lfZSt tSzd OF the air service battle
lSNSl sauadrons at the front than
are the pilots and observers
,bom.aIyes- This statement, While
perbsps Il little broad, is not at all
unrr-,e. Without efficient mechanics
the pilots wings would soon be clipped
and there would be few, if any, ships
available with which they could take
the air.
when this country entered the great
cor flict il is no eNag-eratiOn 10 say
that rhare were no more than one
IN, ,lsandth OF the mechanics needed 10
make the repairs necessary 10 Keep
--p,lt air aeet i'm the air. To take from
The airplane industries the few me-
chanicS who did know airplane work
woild have been simply case of rob
bin. Peter To pay Paul. inaSmuch aS
the mechanics in the factories are VI
tall. necessary for production. y ne"
industry hes therefore sprung up III
this cour-y. and that industry Is OF
game. under the name OF Air SerN'
ice Mechanics schools.
There are two such schools in oper-
atira. one ar ST. Paul, Mimi, and the
orh,r at Kelly Field. South san An
run,o. TEX. These schools are in el-
feet factories, the product being h'sh
gralle ai-plune mechanics and the raw
material from which they are made
garage nen. carpenters, blacksmltilS'
mctnI workers, tailOrS, etc. The two
school, are conducted on identcally
the sane basis and produce all the
| tradcSmen that are needed for the aero
! service squadrons. The trades taught
I nrc the following:
ArrpIaae mechani"ians. blackSmiths,
! cab.ner makers. carr enters, chauheurs'
| rnnnersu.irhS. plect'- clans, fabric work
| ers instrument re-3ir men, magnetic
repsir mpn. metal workers, motorcy-
cliSts. motor mcchanicians, propeller
makers. vulcanizcrs. welders.
First Tests
A srrlenrS life from the mOment
of entering the air service to the time
when ne finds himself Il competent air
/ plane mechanic in Il service squadron
| M the front is something like this: lie
| is first iuducted or drafted, assigned
{ to the air service, and ordered to one
/ of the mechanics schools. Upon his
| arrival he is trade-tested by technl-
cal board formed for that purpose and
classified as u possible motor mechani-
| clan, an airplane mechanician (alr-
plane mechanicianS do the rigging OF
| all airplanes), fabric worker, an cleo
! trician, or any one of the trades when
are required. The trade test board
uses ii mans past record as basis
for determining his probable ability
| II he has been Il garage man and mas
| Specialized on the upkeep of trucks,
| he will probably be trained as chau1-
feur. If he has specialized more or
| less on magnetic work, he will probably
be trained on ignition with particular
reference to that very delicate me-
! chanism. the Liberty ignition system.
The trade test finished, the man Is
| assigned 10 his squadron at the school
and TO his cot and is made thorough
Iy comfortable. The next day, in all
probability, his real work will begin
| when he is assigned to his class IN
whatever trade he is to be trained.
The largest number of mechanics re-
uuired in sQuadrons are riggers, so the
| typical case in mind will probably he
rlgger. This man has probably
never seen an airplane except at the
country circus, and then only at Il dis
tance. so he is in a new and strange
| world. The first day or tive he with
| the rest of his class will go over an
airplane minutely and learn the gen
cral makeup Of an airplane. Soon he
| will know the difference between a
wing and a fuselage and how the vari-
Gus wires are stretched when the ma
chine is in flight. Then he will learn
how to take the airplane apart and
how to reassemble and realign 1t, an0