The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-20
FIFTEEh-7WEhTY
| TELLS HOW T0GET
INTO the RESERVES

While this ID ths Eusjest discussed,
the tras name Is NAVAL Bifamleli In
the Makihs:s IL contains mitch In
fssIhafisR Of interest to. 1nen, Of the
Service blaming such transfer, and
serves to ehiiEhten civilians on the
intsleaeies Of the service:
Ii Ii quoted In part as followsi
Would you know how Uncle Sans
eagles OF the sea, the ten Thousand
naval ayiataYs who must drive the
German vriture to It's lair, are Great
ed Hew youffT men who last spring
Wsr< assembled at a dozen colleges
frai,s every part of the country. and
who then floeked to the coast be-
cause II sseunsd that In the Naval
Coast Defense Reserve would be
fouad the sasrriest fighting, are ae-
esptsd and trained to become birdmen
In the Naval Reserve Flying Cerps7
Than read. IL / lapse into an oc-
casionai inslsgsnes of expression,
pass IL up, FOR | know the subject
only from the inside and must give
you the hot dope.
A young man, clad in the clothes
the Lord gave him. placed his hands
on the butt end of an abbreviated
golf stick &c might a. we'll have been
O short cAnS) bent down. and walked
rapidly ten times around a narrow
slightly, recovered his po:se, and,
walking through a narrow doorway,
picked up small object from the
floor and handed it to doctor whose
uniform proclaimed him to be lieu
tenant OF the Navy.
The yung man was Reservlst,
trying for transfer to the Naval Re
serve Flying Corps, and just COM
pleting one of the most difficult OF
the tests for determining his sense of
equilibrium.
You'll get by said the doctor,
who had enjoyed the test to the ut
most, but you ought to have seen the
last man through. He took two chairs
and table with him on his way to
the floor"
He added that two men out of five
who take the "golf stick test either
lurch violently in any direction but
the doorway or reach the floor after
variety of graceful postures, ana
if YOU don't believe him, kind reader,
try it yourself. When I first at
tempted it / bent an arm and broke
my glasses, and was mighty thankful
that the casualties weren't the other
way around.
A great many young men from
Class A of the United States Naval
Reserve Force have transferred to
the Flying Corps. or Class for 3,
as it is technically known, and are
now in training or awaiting training
at the Nays ground school. Com
paratively few of the embryonic
aviators have yet tagen to wings. but
if the war lasts long enough all those
who are now in service and thousands
more will be given their chance to
sail flying boat up out of the wa
ter and show the enemy that the bird
nephews of Uncle Sam know the
principles Of flight plus fight
The requirements of acceptance
into this vastly important branch of
the naval service are strict, both ply
sicalIy and mentally. The test Just
described is used at least at one of
the enrolling offices of the Naval
Reserve. and is preceded by such
little tricks as hopping on one foot
around a large circle, forward and
backward with eyes open and closed,
standing blindfolded for a minute
and half with the bare sole of one
foot resting precariously on the knee
of the other leg. and other tests for
getting a line on the applicants |
sense of balance--not to mention /
divers others for ascertaining the |
of his joints.
Eyes must be normal, or. in the
Navy pariance, twenty
That is TO say, with a distance of
twenty feet as standard for read
ing type of q certain size, the aspir-
ing sirrran must prove his ability to
read that type at nothing less than
liz subnormal-say seventeen-twenty
he is not first-rate material for the |
air service. even though he be a Her
cules IN strength and of a weight ten
pounds less than the average-for be
it also noted that hghtness within /
limits is highly desirable.
Teeth good, hearing and condition of
the inner ear excellent, heart and
lungs above reproach--so much for
the other physical requirements;
most of the young college men who
went into the Reserve in the early /
days of spring and have since wished
10 transfer TO aviation can satisfy
hem.
In the mental examination a college
education, complete or partial, stands
the applicant in good stead. because
n knowledge of mathematics through
is practically essential
Bat there are other things-person-
Ahty, for instance and eagerness. Per-
sotatity. 10 an elusive thing and hard
10 describe, but one must have it in
good measure il he would attain to
ths rank Of ensign in the Flying
Corps.
The candidate. now fully clothed,
and with his black silk neckerchief
smcotAea down and tied "sea-going.'
sntars the enrolling office and stands
at attention before the dignitary
whose business il is to select officer /
material from the dozens of seamen
who pass through his hands. This 1