Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-24
YOUNG AMERICANS
MAKE: GOOD FLYERS
Work Accomplished ct Texas
Training Stations a Sur
prise to Officers.
SEVEN CAMPS IN STATE
Number of Students Far Greater
Than Average Public
Knows.
SEVEN CAMPS IN STATE

iSy Associated Prc:s
/ The American youth has natural
aptitude for flying. l, GAS revealed
and is being developed in seven ;tvia-
ton training stations in Texas. ard,
during the winter. flyers have been
turfcd ont from them with :, pro-
ticicncy and ia numbers that have fully
satisfied the American officers. and
have proved almost startling: To inStruc-
tors from tho allied armies who are
| here to give the Americans the advan-
Z tagc Of their experience and knowl-
edge.
'rh"re ara six American and one ,Brit-
iSll aviation stations in the state. The
american camps are at Fort Worth
SAN .,'i;om!c. Houston. Waco. Dallas
aud Wichita Falls. At Fort Worth. the
I Iio,al Fiyin. Corps. :, camp OF Young
tc"nad!ans trained by british officers
arc in Gal!y competition wiih the
Americans in an adjoining camp. s
-,codly number OF young Americans
I also arc enlisted with the Canada ms.
ard are receiving their training under
the direction! or British officers.
i regard for military secrecy pro-
I hibita rcluting the total number Of stu
dcnts w!sp have taken to the air here
This winter. II reaches u figure that
, gives great comfort 20 the military men
who know, and compared with the
totai advancement made by the ,ncn.
! the number OF accidents reported has
been surprisingly small, i; is stated
/ From all seven camps. a total of
! ih!rty-ciCht mcn have been killed in
airDlanc accidents up TO carly In Feb
luary. The British :lycrs at Fort
/ Worth have lost far. more than any of
| the American camps. The high fatality
( record among tho British. ii is said il
! the direct result OF the more s;rcnu-
J GUS system OF practice nd drnl which
! they use. Twcnty-six deaths have oc-
Cured At the two camps n Fort Worth.
/ while Houston, nc&t IN the ls;, has
! Had SAX.
"rhcy kill moro al For, Ncrth be-
cause they ny more" is Tic way "a
young aviation officer explained the
treat difference in the mortality lists.
. Tue british theory Is that the men
! should receive early instructions in all
the diillc'!it WORK thcy viii have to do
J IL actual service, while The America n
Lr: .ncr5 spend = larger part OF thcig.
;imc in drilling the fundamentals of
dying. The young Cauodiars 90 into
the air curly for flights that are for
7 hidden in the camps under United,
+ states control They arc ,nush; tic
Spirals. the dives and the loops that
( are Il part OF actual war dying and so
! X Is ihat il their mortality list sccn,
out OF proportion to those in the other
! camps. tic British officers arc not dis
: r'caSed with the accom- ptisimcnts OF
:llc men under them.
! Tho san Antonio station has haa
( three fatalities, Dallas Waco and
( Wichita Falls one each Waco and
( Wichita Falls had perfect records un-
( III the week ending February =. whcr,
( at Waco a pilot WAS hili.I in a col
/ iSio" T':h another machine in midair.
ana 81 cadet At Wichita Falls los; his
{ i!.e when his machine fell.
! SEVERAL KILLED ~
TRYING TO Fly HIclr
Several OF the killed have beer,
i"iNi!laIi5 or mechanics. In tho carly.
/. G,NS of the American camp at For;
! Worth n mechanic was struck l., n
/ propeller when tho engine hack tired.
7 There vas 4 similar accident only re-
Z Gently when "a college student exam
/ '':nS an airplunc which had landed on
! TIC campus OF the Texas Christian
/ University got too near the propcllcr.
| He was struck OF the head, and KILLED
almost INSTANTLY. Al Denton, Tex. re-
Gently an aviator from Fort WORTH
STOPPED in ii Hight and WAS persuade
/ ihto taking civilian as "a passenger
/ The airrl;,ne had hardly cleared the
! ground when trouble came. Tie pI.uo
! crashed. kiliat, the civilian and iniur
| ing the aviator
IN aviator from Ellington Field.
! itouS ton., recently ran ont of casoliu,
IL short distance from Fay city ami
=.
| ieieph'hsd 70. fuel. I'm autoinul;i.
/ mochani" who brought tho gasoline
! p'rSuadch the pilot to take him for 4
/ ride. and an accident resulted. tho
! rianc falling when Only Il few hum
/ drcd feet in tho air. The mechanic
Was Killed and the aviator injured.
! The san Antonio field is said tn he
7 the largest in TcSas. Balloon observa
/ ton Is taught there in addition tu tly-
I ms. Thc students arc mostly lr,n
/ from tl.n signal corps.
| Dallas coon vii! have two fields.
/ Love Field. the camp now established
aud "a larger one already under con
'tT'irt'on at the state fair grounds.
/ which have been loaned the govern
nien; for training purposes This viii
be named Camp Dick. in honor of tho
lirs' and only aviator killed at l,o,,
i.Ftc'd. 1t VIII h" used chiefly as q
preparatory school for ground training
RIGsD BAN ON MAKING
PICTURES AT ANY CANT.
There is rigid ban against visitors
at all camps AT Love Field a visitor
caught with Il camera was held until
all the negatives wcro developed and
! showed that nothing OF n prohibited
nature had been pictured
IN unexpected effect of the frequent
presence in tho air of the lying ma
chimes has been the almost total dis
appearanc OF birds from the neighbour
hoods of;the camps. Wild doves. which
have heretofore been common flying
in hocks in Northern Texas. arc never