Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-26
FLYING WITH SHAFFER
STILL LUCKY
III LOOh1
LETTERS FROM A DAUPHIN BOY TO HIS MOTHER

, mem (meaning experienced) were
necessary to represent the escadrille
here but that was poor consolation
for 1t means just s or l 8 days lost
, as we are forbidden now to cross the
lines with a Nieuport for various
reasons, so flying is not very inter
esting any more. Why, l have beer
out several times since then and
haven't even been shot at with shrap-
mel, which used to be such n usual
occurrence that it ceased to worry
me. Now, there being a new lieuten-
ant. (since the other one was forced
to land in Germany and taken pris-
oner) and poloteaue fly along with
them, for all new pilotes must under
so from to s hours flying over the
lines with "old pilotes." | can be
considered one of these now, since
have had some 80 hours over the
lines so far. Incidentally, after that
number. of hours a pilote is general
ly recommended to promotions as
sergeant" so you see, I'm catch
ing up to my brother slowly.
American Spectators
Yesterday was Sunday, and as
usual crowd of soldiers were on
hand to look and wonder. Even a
few Americans were here. l saw
them coming down the road while
/ was in the air, so l came down
low to have a better look, flying
small circles around them which sc
surprised them that they stood with
mouth agape, wondering how soon
| would slide "off on a wing" and
| wasn't even banked past the As
degree angle. After 1 came down
l began talking to one, having lost
interest in their lady friends-golly,
they We're homelyl-and among 9TH
er things he wanted to know how l
put in my time here, since one never
flies more than three hours any one
day, and such days are rare. The
question made me laugh, because !
never find time hanging on my
hands, what with writing letters To
you, studying French and thinking
over the mistakes / and others make
while flying. That's enough to keep
any man busy all the time, for
learn French so slowly l am nearly
ready to give the job up as hopeless
And then there is my interest in inn
proving my flying, which interest is
more from safety standpoint than
artistic, although l have an ambi-
ton to be pretty flyer. One can al
ways learn from the mistakes OF
others, and you will, no doubt, con-
slider me rather hard hearted when
say that when ] see man Smash
up" ! note the error he has made
and while he is smashing things all
to sticks ! am thinking of how to
correct the same mistake. Then
there are lost moments" in the air,
when ones Zang does things which
he doesn't understand, and these lit
tie happenings which probably keen
observer would not even notice from
the ground, always give food for
thought, for although l have often
compared flying an airplane to rid
ing a canoe through white water,
there is this difference. In Il canoe
one can see the element he rides
on, and seeing obstacles ahead car
decide how to meet them as he
comes to them, but not so in plane
Flyer Has Sixth Sense
One flies by feel a sixth sense
that is acquired. so slowly you hard
ly know you have it, for one cannot
see an air pocket or a strong wind
One prepares for anything and acts
only after something happens to him
and then someone wanted to know
whether time hung on my hands
The other day the new lieutenant
and I went up over the 'piste'
(camp) to have a mock combat.
He was the Boche and the French
and we had quite a lot of fun duck
ing around, and then I came down
in a series of steep figure SIS with
him right behind me. 1 was going
to land, but happening to look up
when l neared the ground, what
should 1 see but the lieutenant doing
acrobatics. Now. 1 have never tried
any since coming to the front, be-
cause L feared the gangs were not
strong enough to stand the strain
as one has all the extra weight OF
cartridges, machine gun and heavy
engine. Prudence told me it was not
safe. but the ioy of flying urged me