Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-20
String Picture of
Aviation Camp For
Allied Students

Correspondent Associated ProSS.1
American Seaplane Training Camp,
Italy, May 2S.--A flying day on the
beach here, with the roaring Of the
engines of dozens of seap'anes over
head. on the water, starting CT or re-
turning, with cries of command IN two
or three languages, presents stirring
picture
Life and death hang in the balance
every instant. Those in command are
far more apprenticeship than they car"
to show. You can't make omelettes
without breaking eggs" they explain,
as they watch machine beginning TO
nose too soon preparatory TO making
landing.
Look at him, he's sure 10 cut in on
that other fellow and bump him. enc
exclaims. To the uniniat-d the two
aviators who are trying to make land
ing near the home beach seCm to have
hundreds of yards Of space in which to
nlanOeuvre but the officers know they
have but little space. AS the two ma
chimes are travelins at eighty-fvc to
ninety miles an hour on their nose
dive, the matter of possible collision is
soon settled, and favorable. Both NJ
the water safely on their tails-the
proper way-and race across the lake
snorting like a thousand seahorses,
gradually turn, and come home.
So. soon as the camp commander in
charge of the beach saw the two mach
ines take the water safely his mind
turned to other matters. There is a
special instructor who sits with a chart
- no nj
student flying this day upon It and he
records merit or demerit marks there
for every good or bad move the hiers
make and this will be submitted TO the
commander later and proper observa-
tions made to the aviators.
"You must be careful in this business
not to discourage the fellows" ex-
planned one of the officers. Their
nerves are their courage, their flying
ability, and if you take away their
courage, their confidence, you may
spoil a good aviator"
Look out there, you'll break those
wings" called the American command
er as two seaplanes came shooting up
the beach too close together for COM
fort. The helpers in the water seized
them and dragged them in TO safe
landing. That's one of the troubles
with having too many machines about
explained the commander. when a
plane starts in for the peach the
aviator cuts off the power and then he
can't steer it any longer. When the
wind is unfavorable or the water is
rough, they have to make several trials
sometimes before they can get in head
on"
There are men here from Little Rock
Ark; Chicago, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It's a pretty dull place here" said one.
when do yOu think they will send us
to the 'front.'"
Have you heard if we are going on
the italian or the French 'front.'" asked
another
81 wish you'd .ell the people at home
TO write us often" put in a rosy cheek
ed ensign OF twenty. Somehow, it
seems to take a month and more for us
to get letters. Tell them, too. We can't
write much from here because our let
tiers are censored and we don't like to
have somebody we see every day cen
sor our mail and read our private let
ters"
Most of them were eager to get on
the front and into the fighting. That's
real sport" explained one. One man has
been lost at this camp 80 far but his
death hasn't frightened any of the
others. They figured out that perhaps
he cut off his power too soon before
nosirg. Anyway, they don't intend the
same accident shall happen to them
before the end Of the war.
Then" said one with a laugh, were
going to shake fighting and take up the
safer, passenger carrying end Of the
business"