New-York tribune., 1919-03-02
Professor Frank Waldo, Ph. D.
Late Professor OF Meteorology, Ground
School Naa>u A rfation Detachment,
Massa chusetts Institute Of
Technology

"%HE preparation of the aviator for
carrying on his work in the sys-
tematic manner necessary for war
fare was task strenuous that
Few people can imagine its difficulty. In
fact. it was only by the acceptance Of the
highest type of alert manhood for this
nerve rackng and hazardous work that the
resulting magnificent service was attained
L is not too much to say that never before
in human history has such splendid body
of young manhood been set apart for
special task as that embracing the aviators
Of the warning powers. And no body of
men were ever before called upon to learn
many things we'll in the instantaneous
application of which their lives were to
depend. in so brief q time.
We have marvelled at the display of
courage and skill shown by the few aviators
who have given exhibitions of flying at
lected places under special conditions; but
the war work required of large body of
men tenfold the expert knowledge neces-
Sary for the occasional ascent and an ideal
ism and spirit of sacrifice never before de-
marded, even of volunteers.
It must be borne in mind that novices
had to be trained for this exactng work in
few months.
The foundation theory, laboratory and
shop practice and the setting up drills and
general hardening were given at the
called "ground schools" where in few
weeks of intensive instruction sufficient
amount of knowledge was presented to the
embryo aviators, in the most condensed tab
loid form, TO give them a basic working
lode Of liad %o
fare aviation. At the ground school for naval
aviatOrs. conducted at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge the fol-
lowing subjects were included in this train
ing: Discipline and naval indoctrinaton,
boat drill and calisthenics, scamanshp,
infantry drill, seaplane motors, including
the theory, method of assembling. diagnosis
of engine trouble and care of arplane
engines; aeronautcs, including the theory
of flight, climbing gliding, banking and
stability OF operation, and the various aero
nautical Instruments; gunnery including tie
action of the Lewis, Colt and other machine
guns; signals and electricity, including not
only visual methods Of signalling but the
fundamentals of radio-teleg graphy; naviga-
tlon, the application Of methods of marine
navigation to alrplane navigaton; meteor
oogy, including the principles of prediction
Of atmospheric conditions at sea level and
at all flying heights, both in America and
in the field of war in western Europe;
Photography, including the making and
reading of photographs
The war eXigencies made numerous new
and sudden demands upon science, and
among these was knowledge of the upper
air for the guidance of aviators, and sci
ence was ready.
Weather at the ground automobile
weather-is an old story We experience
1t and can feel the cold and warm air, and
the gentle and stormy winds, and the beat
ing rain and thick fog. Our daily weather
map shows these conditions for the whole
country and the Weather Bureau foretells
us generally the weather for Tomorrow
All this is formulated in the textbooks IN
meteoroloey. The countries of Europe, too,
had their weather services and weather
maps.
But what Of airplane weather-the air
conditions up 10 such heights as aviators
can fy, touching now at 10000 feet above
the sea? Here the demand was made upon