Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-07-12


n II We wished. before going back I
v the squadron,
l soon found out that my squadro
was some hot squadron, our flyers b,
Ing almost always assigned TO specia
0 duty work, such as shooting n
3 trenches at a height OF fifty feet fror
0 the ground.
5 received my baptism into this kin,
D OF work the third time went out owe
! the lines, and l would recommend /
70 anyone who Is hankering for excite
ment. You are not only apt to be nj
tackled by hostile aircraft from above
bnt you are swept by machlne-gun FIR,
from below. have seen some OF oul
machines come back from this worl
sometimes so riddled with bullets that
l wondered how they ever held TO
gether. Before we started out ON one
OF these jobs.@e were mighty careful
TO see that our moters were In perfect
condition, because they told us the
war bread was bad In Germany"
One morning. shortly after I Joined
the squadron, three of US started over
the line Of our own accord. We soon
observed four enemy machines. two
seaters. coming toward US, This type
OF machine Is used by the Huns for
artillery work and bomb dropping, and
we knew they were on mischief bent.
Each machine had u machine gun In
front, worked by the pilot. and the OBJ.
server also had a gun with which he
could spray all around.
When we first noticed the Huns, our
machines were about six miles back
OF the German lines and we We're lying
high up In the sky. keeping the sun
behind US, 50 that the enemy could not
see US.
We picked out three of the machines
and dove down on them. went right
by the man | picked for myself and
his observer In the rear seat kept
pumping at me to beat the band. Not
one OF my shots took effect as went
right down under him. but turned
and gave him another burst of bullets,
and down he went In a spinning nose
dive, one of his wings going one way
and one another. As saw him crash
to the ground knew that had got my
first hostile aircraft. One Of my com
rades was equally successful, but the
other two German machines got away.
We chased them back until things got
too hot for us by reason OF the appear.
ance Of other German machines, and |
then We called it day.
This experience whetted my appetite !
for more OF the same kind. and I did |
not have long TO wait.
1t may be well to explain here Just |
what spinning nose bend Is. A few
years ago the spinning nose dive was
considered one Of the most dangerous
things pilot could attempt. and
many men were killed getting into this
spin and not knowing how to come
out OF 1t. In fact, lots Of pilots
thought that when once you got into
q spinning nose dive there was no
way of coming out of 1t. 1t Is now
used, however, In actual flying.
The machines that are used In
France are controlled In two ways,
both by hands and feet, the feet
the yoke or rudder bar
which controls the rudder; that steers
the machine. The lateral controls
fore and aft, which cause the ma
chine to rise or lower, are controlled
~ contrlvance called a "joy stick"
Il, when flying in the air, pilot
should release his hold on this stick,
I will gradually come toward the
blot.
In that position the machine will
Degin to climb. So II q pilot Is shot
md loses control of this "joy stick"
lis machine begins to ascend. and
limbs until the angle formed be-
ONES too great for 1t to continue or
he motor to pull the plane; for a
ractlon Of second 1t stops, and the
motor then being the heaviest, 1t
auSes the nose of the machine to fall
onward, pitching down at a terrific
ate Of speed and spinning at the
anne time. II the motor Is still run
ing, 1t naturally increases the speed
luch more than 1t would II the mo
or were shut off, and there is great
anger that the wings will double up,
ausing the machine to break apart
Though spins are made with the
rotor on, you are dropping like a bal
cling dropped out of the sky and fine
elocity Increases with the power OF
lie motor.
This spinning nose dive has been ..
'equently used in stunt flying In
ecent years, but is now put to pruc-
cal use by pilots in getting away
'om hostile machines, for when I
IAN Is spinning 1t is almost lmp0s-
Bile to hit him, and the man making
le attack invariably thinks his en- $
ny is going down to certain death :
the spin. I
This Is all right when q man Is =
'er his own territory, because he Z
IN right his machine and come out /,
1t; but IL 1t happens over German =
FTftnrv tho Huna uoyld onIy fotInu, ~