The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1919-07-24
AMERICANS have
| LARGEST FLYING
| CAMP IN FRANCE
Field Covers Area of Thirty-Six
A. Square Miles.
MANY TYPES OF AIRPLANEs

Reservation " Divided into Ntnc sec
lions, Through which Men Advance
60 Profeiency-Three Branches OF
/ Aviation for Warfare: Chase and
Combat Work, Bombardment. and
Reconnaissance
The American flying camp IS the
largest In France and Is said to be
greater than any other In the world
A flying field OF 80 square miles. the
area OF an American township, with
nine separate flying fields on which
American aviators advance TO the
stage OF fight combatants, and air
planes-Libertys. Nieuports. Caproniss
and all the others. with officers. I'm
structors. and newly equipped avia'
tors swelling our squadrons each
month-these were some of the main
features OF this vast aviation ground.
As the Associated Press correspond
emit entered one of the fields big gray
machine rose from n nearby field with
q loud. droning noise.
"There goes Liberty airplane." said
one OF the officers. II was one Of the
increasing number now coming. and
every flight was watched with keen
est interest and growing enthusiasm
by those who viii put II 10 the SUI
preme test on the fighting front. Only
one opinion was heard among these
men-that II was the biggest and fast
est machine of them all.
Groups OF aviators were lined NJ as
we arrived. preparatory 10 taking the
air. They were stocky. young men. like
two football elevens about 20 take the
field The flying grounds stretched OF
for miles-nine fields of four square
miles each-all clean-cut stubble fields
on which the machines could land
without shock. Above them circled
many planes. singiy and In squadrons
drawn out like Wild geese. looping and
diving and all the evolutions of fight.
with groups OF acrobatic planes over
60 the right making headioug spirals.
wing slips and reversements.
Barracks Form a City.
In the foreground rose n city Of bar
racks. one-story pine shacks 100 feet
long-not very highly Ornamental. but
very practical Fully a thousand OF
these barracks had risen on this level
plain TO house the army OF flying men
ON the way 20 the fighting lines
We went from field TO field to note
each stage In the development OF COM
bat aviation Generally speaking. II
was explained. there are three distinct
branches of this aviation warfare
chase and combat work. I'm which most
of the fighting occurs: bombardment
OF enemy forces. camps and towns
and scouting or reconnaissance work
for purposes OF observation OF enemy
actfv tiles. IL Is for combat and bonn
bardment that the training Is done
here. and OF those going forward
monthly about four-fifths are combat
ant and one-fifth bombardment pilots
@'These are the 'grasshoppers.' said
the captain as we came TO field No. 4
where the initial groundwork and the
DRY OF flight begins The grassh0ppers
were tsminufive machines with Just
enough horsepower to jump over the
ground. and occasionally rise ten feet
The men call them taxis. They were
skipping about singly and I'm squads
Two were having n race across ths
plain. and one taking a dive buried II:
nose In the ground. This was the cir
Gus part OF flying. at the start. bu
there was plenty of very practical
work beside with motor instruction
gunnery. trap shooting. rifle range am
machine gun firing. Small dummy air
planes dotted the field as targets. an'
the bounding grasshoppers took thei
shots and were rated by the watching
Instructors
On the second field the aviators m,
left their grasshoppers and were I'm
double-control machine accompanies
by an instructor. They were gettin
the "feef' OF the machine I'm actua
flight. and II the rudder was not ms
nipulated deftly the instructor wa
there 20 make the correction. An
It vas necessary here TO learn how Z
come down as well as to go up. an
TO come down AT definite poin
Small numbered flags marked the lane
ing point OF each machine.
The captain Of field No. was abor
TO step into the "Flying Dragon" on
OF the most curious machines of IN
fleet. for besides being n very flee
15-meter car. II was famous for II
dragon body. with flaming scales an
tentacles and great red eyes. Her
on this field the aviators entere
singie-control machines. without an II
structor. and for the first time toe
their own risks
Tricky Type Of Machine.
On field 4 II began to develop whetl
er the aviator could qualify as n cor
bat nirman. or for bombardment ,
scout observation. He was now In
fast machine with n large wing SUI
face. and used for high air maneuve
ing He was being accustomed TO q
types OF machines There was fie
of one OF these strange types draw
across the plain. Their chief no
city was In having ball bearings on 4
! their mechanism. giving n hair-trl
ger response to the slightest touc
Progress Is rapid now that Il = q