Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-07

only need five more hours to qualify and should be ready to take my tests
 Friday or Saturday of this week. These
 tests are two in number: G) The a1tf- tude test Rise to 6,0aG feet and spiral down from there to 5000 feet. putting I on the power twice on, the cay down. | At 5000 feet cut the motor dead and make one complete spiral and then | land within 2o0 feet of a boat witSt a | red flag in it set out iH the middle of I the bay. This is known as shooting Ethe boat Test No. 2. is the cross
 wind test which is merely going up 1 1 506 feet st the end of Santa Rosa Island and flying 8 straight course from there through the Pensacola docks and about five miles beyond. Then turn and come back again. The I fest is merely to find out if you can | fly straight course in a cross wind. E Nobody ever fails the cross wind | test. But often a man has to shoot the boat three CT four times before he
 makes it.
 t Last Friday I went up for altitude
 to see what it felt like to he way up. II just stuck the nose of the machine Eup at it's maXiTnHr1 climbing angie and kept it there around and around the bay. On the first time around I got F 5,666' feet, and ct the end of the
 third round over the station I was
 6,S00 feet straight ups The alarmed ele hay looked about the size of silver Eqaarter-tfe horizon was way below me and I didn't seem to he making Iany progress at all. Also at that alti tude it is very difficult to tell wha point you are over. I thought I wal over the spiral field by the station ana Eso I just put her over the hump ant [ came down in a reverse spiral to 2,60l feet. Ieveled off here and discover ed my great surprise that was ou over the gulf. So I gave her the gun ; | and hot-footed it for the hangars.
 | Our favorite occupation here afte , we have about 10 hours is shooting Ethe buoy praeticing for the test. Il
 the old doys of 40 hours for qualifica
 have to rush right at it.. for we onE | have 20 hours in which to qualify. Tn + buoy is set in the middle of the Pensa r cola spiral field and is familiari ; known as the red beacon Saturday
 got two hops of an hour each and D shot the buoy five times. Once aroun
 1.-the bay to 3600 feet, shoot the buoy
 around the bay, shoot the buoy-it wa
 all I did. Once I came down right O top of the alarmed thing and had t Egtve her the, gun and go up again 0 i I would have hit it and stayed in : pontoon at least, or possibly nose | into the bay.
 [ Yesterday, for the first time, I too
 up a passenger, an honest -te-goodnes
 passenger, not a qualified pilot ser I. up for Safety's sake, but a man Wil q had never been in a machine befor, i. He was one of the mess cooks wh
 ] came down on the beach and asked
 there was any chance for a hop. M
 Bressnfan. the warrant bos'un
 charge of the beach. is letting all (
 us who are in B take up passenger The old rule used to be no, passenger
 under 20 hours, but since the new 20 n hour qualification course passenger
 are allowed at f5 hours. and there al
 10 of us who started in and have corr n through. together. all having F or ] - hours now. who can take passenger l It was funny feeling, having 0 ma V there in the front seat who never ha . been in a plane before dependent CT r tireiy on me. for his safety and h Il return to terra Cor aquap arna. - gave me Dit of q feeling of exit e confidence, and also particle of wod l. Try. 1 never worry when am up alof - but with another man it's sonaethfr - else again. I just did my regul, l. stunt around the bay. climbing to s,61 e and shooting the buoy twice On IT
 first shot I got inside the 200 feet q s- right, but naisjudsedl the water ar t hit it with an awful crack. making u - worst p6rpofse I ever had I shot u g power and went off again, but droppt l. twice on the water before finally q
 fal1 flying speed The second time e was especially careful and made - perfect landing within 200 feet.
 I.l Of our bunch of 1S. two are oual ie fed and will come Saturday, pro n ably. All the others but two are si1 2 gle hopping. Our bunch fs getti, a along fine. Today is my liberty q. d and I am going down to the beach
 get hop and take up the mess CD, ,. from our table. so 1 will close wi d much love to everybody. Am in to- IS