The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-03-02
MAKING OF FLYERS.
AIRMEN TURNED OUT IN STARTL.
ING NUMBERS FROM AVA.
TION FIELDS OF
TEXAS.
Seven Stations I'm Statc-FrOm These
Camps Only 80 Men Had Been Kill
cd up to February.

Dallas, Texas, Feb. 24.-The Amer
lean youth has natural aptitude for
flying. 1t was revealed and is being
developed in seven aviation training
stations in Texas and during the win
ter flyers have been turned out from
them with a proficiency and, in num-
bers that have fully satisfied the
American officers and have proved al
most startling to instructors from the
Allied armies who are here to give
the Americans the advantage OF their
experience and knowledge.
There are six American and one
British aviation stations in the State.
The American camps are at Fort
Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Waco,
Dallas and Wichita Falls. At Fort
Worth, the Royal Flying Corps. a
camp Of young Canadians trained by
British officers. are in daily compe-
tition with the Americans in an ad-
Joining camp. A goodly number Of
young Americans also are enlisted
with the Canadians and are receiving
their training under the direction Of
British officers.
A regard for military secrecy pro-
hibits relating the total number of
students who have taken to the air
here this winter. 1t reaches q figure
that gives great comfort to the mill
tary men who know. and compared
with the total advancement made by
the men, the number Of accidents re.
ported has been surprisingly small,
Ii Is stated.
The death Of Vernon Castle, while
flying at the British camp at Fort
Worth on February Is, and the death
of James G. Ringland. of Dover, Eng
land. at the same camp February 90,
together with the death today of Ca
det Franklin Fairchild, Of Pelham, N.
T.. at the American camp there,
brought the total killed in airplane
accidents to February 23 to forty
seven. The British flyers at Fort
Worth have lost far more than any of
the American camps. The high ia
tality record among the British, it is
said. is the direct result of the more
strenuous system Of practice and drill
which they use. Thirty-three deaths
have occurred at the two camps at
Fort Worth. while Houston, next in
the list. has had seven.
''They kill more at Fort Worth be-
cause they fly more" is the way a
young aviator officer explained the
great difference In the mortality lists.
The British theory is that the men
should receive early instructions in all
the difficult work they will have to
do In actual service, while the Amer
lean trainers spend a larger part of
their time in drilling the fundamentals
of flying. The young Canadians 60
into the air early for flights that are
forbidden in the camps under United
States control. They are taught tho
spirals. the dives and the loops that
are a part Of actual war flying and
80 1t Is that IL their mortality list
seems out Of proportion TO those in
the other camps. the British officers
are not displeased with the accom-
plishments Of the men under them
The San Antonio station has had
three fatalities. Dallas and Waco one
each. and Wichita Falls two. Waco
and Wichita Falls had perfect records
until the week ending Februry q
when at Waco pilot was killed in a
collision with another machine in
midair, and a cadet at Wichita Falls
lost his life when his machine fell.
Several of the killed have been civ
ilians or mechanics. In the early days
OF the American camp at Fort Worth
a mechanic was struck by a propeller
when the engine back fired There was
similar accident only recently when
college student examining an air.
plane which had landed on the camp
us or the Texas Christian University,
go too near the propeller. He was
struck on the head and killed almost
Instantly. At Denton, Texas, recently
an aviator from Fort Worth stopped
In a flight and was persuaded into TAX
ing a civilian as passenger. The
airplane had hardly cleared the
ground when trouble came. The plane
crashed. killing the civilian and in
turing the aviator.
An aviator from Ellington Field.
Houston. recently ran out Of gasoline
a short distance from Bay City and