Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-06-14

gets into a tail snin accidentally. Or he may
Intentionally take his machine into one before
he has had the usual instruction. out of the spirit
of adventure, the kiddish desire to con-
vince himself OF his daring exhibit it 10 his
fellow students. But whatever the cause, it is
the opinion of flying field ayiators that getting
into tail spin, purposely or accidentally, without
being able to manage it properly. Is the cause OF
a large proportion of fatal accidents at the fly
ing fields.
The perverse. unconscious influence Of
the mind over the muscles which forces the
bicycle learner straight toward the object he is
trying TO avoid is responsible for many Of the
fatal ccdents due to collisions. Even the most
expert of flyers may be unable 10 avert a serious
accident when he sees approaching him a plane
driven by cadet who is doing his level best TO
keep his machine out of the others way. How
serious and present is this danger In flying
fields is proved by Capt Vernon Castles death
In flying there are certain blind angles in
which collisions possible through no fault OF
the driver OF either plane. The sections Of space
covered by the wings of his ship are invisible 10
the pilot. and if such section comedies with
the space concealed from the eyes Of another
pilot approaching from below or at one side.
sudden crash is likely to be the first that either
knows OF the other plane This blind angle"
may be the cause of an occasional serious acct
dent but aviators do not think that such collisions
are of frequent occurrence.
Engine trouble causes many unimportant aeci-
dents, but. ayiatOrs say, should never offer any
serious difficulty to man who has learned how
10 manage his plane. if he is in a region where
it is possible for him TO come down safely. And
for engine trouble there as many possible and
legitimate causes there are reasons for an
automobile TO balk
In few cases a broken propeller has caused
a pilot to make forced landing. with injury 10
his plane. But, up TO the present time, never with
serious result TO himself The accompanying p<c-
ture shows what happened TO pilot when his
propeller weakened cracked and broke over the
grounds of a high school in the environs Of Hous-
ton, Tex He brought his ship down with some
damage to it, but none TO himself. and greatly TO
the delight of the inhabitants of the region
Various causes may result in the breaking OF
the propeller. II may have been injured in some
previous nose dive TO the ground; bird may
have got entangled in its blades. Cadets are for
hidden to chase birds because of the possibility
of such a result and the sure smashing Of the
propeller. Nevertheless. they do il sometimes.
when the instinct of the chase is strong in their
blood. And it would be quite possible for bird
to fly against his propeller TO. the undong of both
bird and propeller. and the pilot TO be ignorant
of what had happened.
The men who oy hard work and steady prac-
tice have earned the right TO the title Of bird
men" believe that with both students and skilled
aviators cause of fatal accidents is the fail
ure of the nervous system to respond Immediately
Anything which causes nervous fatigue may bring
about that physical state-dissipatlon. nerve
strain. physical WEAKNESS. lack OF sleep. The
flyer must be alert. his grasp upon every Situ-
alton which may confront him so instant. and his
action 10 meet and control II 81 prompt that the
fraction of second in the movement OF his hand
upon the controls OF his machine may mean the
difference between life and death.
And anything which slows by ever 50 little the
action of the brain in an emergency. or the fash
Ing of Its commands aiong the nerves. or the in
slant obedience OF the motor nerves may send
him crashing TO the earth. The cadets before
they have become what they call Instructive
flyers" are especially liable 10 this danger. al
though even those who skilled In the air are
not free from its menace Birdmen who
skilled In one. or another or several forms Of
athletics say that In nothing else have they felt
20 much the necessity Of this instant and COM
,lete response OF the nerves to the demand upon
hem
The cadets quickly discover. SO they say. that
sck OF plenty of sleep results in s physical