The evening leader., 1918-09-14

SA'N NHSOiy ViN IL itS ,esDSI sAtD. -
grasshoppers were dirnjnutfve ma
CHIMES with just enough horse power
to jump over the ground, and occa-
sionally rise ten feet. The men call
them tasis and rulers. They We're
skipping about singly anl in squads.
Two were having a race across the
plain, and one taking adive buried it's
nose in the ground. This was the cir
Gus part of flying, at the start, but
there was plenty of very practical
work besides, with motor instruction,
gunnery, trap shooting, rifle range
and machine gun firing. Small dunn
my enemy airplanes dotted the field
as targets, and the bounding grass
hoppers took their shots and were
rated by the watching instructors.
"On the second field the aviators
had left their grasshoppers and were
in double-control machine accom-
panied by an instructor. They were
getting the feel of the machine in
actual fight, and if the rudder was
not manipulated deftly the instructor
was there to make the correction.
And it was necessary dcre to learn
how to come down as well as how to,
go up, and to come down at definate
point. Small numbered flags marked
the landing point of each machine,
FaTid the descent must be made close
up TO this flag
The captain of field No. 3 was about
to step into the Flying Cragon'', one
cf the most curious machines of the
fleet, FOR besides being a very fleet
15-mcter car, it was famous for it's
dragon body, with flaming scales and
tentacles and great red eyes. Here
on this field the aviators entered sin
g,e-control machines, without an in.
structor, and for the first time took
their own risks
On field 4 it began to develop wheth-
er the aviator could qualify as a com
bat airman, or for bombardrnent or
scout observation. He was now in a
fast machine with wing surface of
Is meters and was beginning to make
dips and high air maneuvering. He
was being accustomed to all types of
machines. There was a fl ct of one of
these types drawn across the plain.
| Their chief novelty was in having
ball-bearings on all their mechanism,
giving hair-trigger response to the
slightest touch
"if you sneeze you loop the loop"
was the way the officer explained the
dahcacy of this mechanism.
Progress is rapid now that it is evi-
dent what a flyer can do. He enters
very fast machine at No. 5, with 15-
meter wings capable of making 12O
miles an hour. Some of the men drop
out of the training at this point, as it
has become evident that they lack the
deftness or get faint at the height or
the heat of the motor. The rest go
on to field No. 6 where they begin
,pur-uit work and some of the early
stages of acrobatic nose dives and
slips.
"Thero is nothing freakish about
these acr0batics," said the officer, "for
they are one of the most essential
parts of combat aviation. To be a
chase and pursuit pilot one must be
able to outmaneuver the enemy avia-
tor; to make quick turns under fire
and get above your adversary or on
his tail. One or the other will be out
maneuvered; and the fastest man
wins the game. The enemy is veryS
skillful at acrobatics, and he must be
beaten at his own game"
Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt was
| in command of field No. Z while he
was here, and the car of the late Off
Ger stood in the hangar with group
of flyers about it paying tribute to
the splendid qualities and daring of
their late leader. His good humor
was recalled by the name he had
given his car, ''Doc Yak, and the
doctor with his flowing whiskers was
painted in flaming colors on the side
of the car.