Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-19
SCIENTISTS EXPLAIN Them
Some Of the Qualities That Give Amer
leans Superiority In Air Over
Their Hun opponents-Tem-
permanent Is Important.

New York.-Considerable concern
has been expressed at the large mum
Der Of fatal accidents reported from
our American military and naval avia-
ton training camps. Considering the
risks the novice necessarily takes and
the very special physiological and psy-
| Geological factors hat enter into the
science of flying, these fatal accidents
are few In proportion to the number
Of men undergoing training, and they
/ are not more numerous than those on
the training fields of Great Britain,
France and Italy.
A perfect knowledge of all the rules
of the game of flying will not ave a
man who lacks confidence in himself
and is inclined to hesitate. A half
second of indecision may be fatal. In
~itiative, the sporting instinct and a
certain responsibility, qualities In
herent In American youth, have been
found of far greater value in the air
than the logical, scientific, severely
disciplined character of the Germans,
and account for the superiority of the
dLfCu dNldLOAS IA BChCAa1
The most eminent Of British scien-
lists have devoted special study to the
psychological and physiological as
poets of flying.
One authority says that good eye
sight, normal hearing, good muscle
sense" and e~quilibration are indispen-
sable qualifications. But most impor-
tant of all is the right temperament
not an easy thing for a medical board
to examine. OF the types-the imagi-
native and the unlmaginative-the
imaginative youth is said to make the
better pilot If he can keep his imagi-
nation under control.
Surgical Operations No Bar.
In the British air service previous
history of wounds and disease is thor
oughly investigated. Persistent head.
aches, vertigo and easily induced IA
tigue are serious defects. But some
times even a serious surgical opera
ton Is not regarded as important.
Thus a doctor recently passed as ft
for flying a man who had quite a large
piece missing from the frontal region
Of the skull. 1t is much more impor-
tant that a man should have both
arms intact than both legs. A clever
pilot who was killed on the western
front was Lord Lucas, who had an
artificial leg.
Considerable Importance is attached
to the respiratory system. In addition
TO good, healthy lungs and vital capac'
lty, the would-be pilot must pass @
|; breath-holding test. This gives an In
dication of his capacity to stand the
strain Of flying at high attitudes
where the air IL rareaed and breath
ing is difficult. No man with a weak
heart can hope to pass the tests.
! Self-balancing is another test. The
candidate has to stand on n leg with
J his eyes shut and his hands on his
hips. There Is also the old test fol
: sobriety-walking a straight line hee
! to toe with eyes open and then turn
ing round and walking back without
losing balance. The importance OF
1 this test can be understood, seeing
) that an aviator flying in a dark cloud
or in a fog becomes unconscious Of bis
, position and sometimes the machine
, is actually upside down. 1t is essen
tial that he should not lose a second
! in recovering his balance.
: The throat, nose and a are care
> fully examined, for any defects nigh
seriously handicap a man during thu
great strain that all flying imposes
With regard to the eyes. It is consid
; cred that pilots should have perfec
I color vision, inSorder to pick out thu
a color or marking Of hostile machines
: and In recognizing signal lights and II
! judging the nature Of landing grounds
: Air sickness Rare.
A candidate who suffers from sea
n sickness or train sickness would no
. be rejected on those grounds alone
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