The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-09
AME RICAN AIR
 STUDENTS IN ITALY
 ARE WORKING HARD
Thanks to Navy of Ally, There Are Plenty of M a achines for
 Practice

American Seaplane Training Camp. Italy, May L--(Correspondence of the As- sociated Press )-The day of an aviator under instruction is a long one in this camp, where. thanks to the abound ing courtesies of the Italian navy de partment, there are plenty of machines. The hours of student are not at all taken up with the soaring through the heavens, personally conducted by a crack pilot instructor. who varies the monotony by sharp dives after lake ducks which when caught on the wires, are handed over to the Italian mechanics as a bribe to increase their efficiency.
 The official list of the studies which are sometimes crowded into the day of q student include instructions in Blue Jackets manual. such as navy regula- tions, what the navy is. what fellow may do to get ahead, and so forth. Sec ondly, there is the vital subject of mo- tors under which head comes the theory and practice of motors, how to repair them how they are made, their various parts the different kinds used in diff ferent machines and how to handle them when in the air, and many other points
 The theory of airplanes comes third in the list, how and why a machine stays in the air, the angles of tilting the diff ferent wing sections, and how to make alrplanes and the kinds of woods and fabrics necessary.
 The fourth study is radio or wireless. with practice in sending at least 15 words a minute as an observation officer Next comes navigation, with elementary ground work in the handling of ships but particularly i'll the handling of both air and seaplanes with respect to plot ting courses. On top of this the student gets infantry drill on the days when the wind makes practice flying dangerous or is permitted to play baseball in place of setting-up exercises, to keep him in good physical trim.
 While most of the students have ai- ready passed ground work training and examinations either in France or the United States. this camp is considered an excellent place not only for learning the practical handling of foreign ma chimes, but also for brushing up in the clement of the official list of studies They have plenty of time on rainy days for such studies and for discussing fine points of practice and theory among themselves.
 The use of special instruments. such dS tue lHGtiHOiDGteIS,E lHOSC registering altitude and the like, and the time when such instruments will fail to register. when a fellow must go by feel. all open lip wide fields for discussion
 It is in these discussions, with the more experienced men about, such as warrant officer. who has grown up in the steam navy and knows sea condi- tions, that the students get much valua- ble information on how to act under gwen circumstances
 What would you do if bird struck you in the face and broke your gog- gles? is one of the puzzling questions sometimes put While this accident has never occurred so fas as any of the men know, some rraintain it comes within the rang of possibility.
 How are you going to tell if a sub marine is enemy or ally" is another question that frequently comes up for discussion When the long d-y is done, after supper the men are free to swap yarns among themselves or with the Eng fish speaking Italian pilots who hay. seen active duty around seas. Sometimes they turn on the music" in the open air and entertain the villagers with the latest .'canned stuff that can be ground out of the photograph, a contribution to their pleasures from a naval officer who remembers his own lonely times on long stations. Ten o'clock is bedtime and ev- cry man must then be in his room, all though if he chooses he may read later, the village electric light plan permitting