Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-05
Italian Efficiency
Wins Admiration of
Ya,sk Air Students
rcoFre.pondence Associated Press.l

rCorresponderce Associated Press
American Seaplane Training Camp,
italy, May 1O.--American admiration
for Italian efficiency and hospitality is
one of the sentimental facts which has
developed here since the establishment
of this camp on the edge Of an inland
lake by Joint agreement of<the navy
department Of the two nations.
..We can't say enough nice things
about our Italian friends from any
point Of view" explained the American
commander of the students. Their ef-
ficiency Is only equalled by their cap
acity for friendship. Their hospitality
Is unbounded. They don't seem to be
able to do enough for u.s.
"This is certainly no place for boob
fiiers," declared. one of the young en-
signs. who, having obtained his brevet
at Pensacola, Fla, has come down here
with q. group of others to learn the
Italian water machines. 1.-THE Italian
Instructor pilots are all crack men and
the Italian machinists are the most
competent crowd l have met. They
have the sixth sense, all right. They
can detect defective motor when the
machine is two thousand feet high and
flying at eighty miles an hour. When
a man learns to fly here he can fly
anywhere in any machine"
The training camp here is one OF
the many dozens that have been es-
tablished all over Italy in connection
with Italy's ambition to conquer in the
air. When Senator Pho Foa complained
i'm the Italian senate that there were
SO many aviation camps in Italy that
ground useful for grain cultivation was
being unduly occupied, he was not very
far wide of the mark.
For the past two years Italian Of
icers have been insisting that victory
would come only thru the air and these
camps are the result of the effort in
that direction. According to Commits
sioner General of Aeronautics Chiesa,
Italy today has 10000 men in various
branches of machine manufacture.
That American aviators are at last
coming into Italy first for training and
later for fighting is subject of salts
faction to all Italians and particularly
to the Italian aviation corps.
AS a mark of Italy's pride at hav-
ing Americans to train, one of the
navy's most distinguished air machine
officers was instructed to build the
camp. He is technically in charge of
the camp, with an American command
er to control the training of the Amer
lean students.
The work of turning out men for ac-
tive service either as observers or as
pilots has gone on rapidly. The big
problem is to keep the men flying. to
give them practice necessary to make
an all round man. Thirty hours in the
air is generally required for each man.
This seems Ikea small amount of time
until it is realized that this means at
least 120 flights of fifteen minutes
day. Flying is like farming. 1t is reg
ulated by the weather. Seaplane flying
is quite different art from that Of
so-called land-plane flying. In both the
landing is difficult, but in seaplane fly
ing the landing can not be made with
out danger If there is mist hanging
over the water or if the waters sur
face is mirrorlike, since in either case
the flier can not judge distances and
in nosing preliminary to landing he
may hit the water too soon, drown
himself and wreck a valuable machine.
Further, every condition varies accord
ing to the type of machine being used.