The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-20
KEEP UP WITH
THE TIMES Is
VETS ADVICE
Malcolm ]. Buchanan Tells
Tribune Readers How He
Learned to Fly
FOUGHT GERMAN PLANES
lrtrieac!cs OF Aviation Are e.
planned Clearly in l.ayEians
Language

Against the blackness of low
scudding clouds a tiny speck Of
red moves like a vagrant star
across the night sky.
A shaft of lightning darts
across the horizon revealing,
momentarily, the wet silver Of
wing tips, and above the wall
of the wind and the beat of the
rain the staccato roar OF q mo-
tor tells the airport that the
nieht mail plane is winging in.
The landing lights marking the
fields boundaries are flashed
on and a postal employe stands
by to receive the mail bags.
Aloft, the pilot looks down upon
a city almost obscured by rain and
fog. He picks up the airport bea-
con as it revolves, throwing long
pencil Of light around the skyline.
The electric bulbs Of the port are
partially yelled by the elements.
Undaunted, the pilot noses his plane
down: flicks on the landing lights
set upon his wings. The earth comes
up-rapidly-to meet him.
The wheels touch ground; the
plane skids in the mud. wobbles
across the field, rights itself. and
takes to the hangers. The pilot.
encountered by his parachute packs.
climbs out, checks IN his mail. in
spects his plane, and re-enter1 the
cockpit. A bad night for flying
but the air mail must be carried.
The Pilots Training
Il this pilot safe - he flies
through the night with oil the ele-
mepts battering against his wings!
OF what are airplanes made that
they withstand such service! Are
airplanes safe and successful a.
vehicles Of transportation! Why
does q plane fly? How are they
taken off and landed? And. finally.
what is aircraft, from . commercial
standpoint, worth to the country!
All these questions, and others,
are answered by Malcolm J. Blu
chanan in q series Of articles start
ing in The Tribune on Tuesday,
Aug. q.
Buchanan is a newspaper man and
an experienced pilot. As . captain
Of the Twenty eighth Pursuit squad
ron he flew on the western front
during the World war: he saw action
over the lines; he met the German
pilots in the air; he bombed lines of
communication far back Of the Ger
man trenches. He is now . member
OF the editorial staff of the Fl
Worth (Tex.) Press.
Having seen the success Of the
airplane as an instrument OF war
demonstrated at the front. Buchanan
believes that the day is not far dis
tant when aircraft will be used Is
extensively in peaceful pursuits as
they were for the destruction Of the
enemy.
Was in Hot Fighting
Describing one Of his war expert
ences-an experience which illus
trates the great number of planes
used in the final drives on the Ger
man lines-Buchanan says:
I'VE were awake early that morn
ing. The sky was clear - bell, the
usual fog Of early morning being
absent. Breakfast WAS served before
daylight, and before the first streaks
Of dawn everyone was out on the air.
drome. From the not far distant
front came the roar Of the guns.
Every pilot and available plane
had been ordered to stand by. Most
of the motors already were being
warmed up. Just what was going to
happen only the wing and group
commanders knew. but every pilot
on the airdrome felt that . big show
was about to start.
For several days there had been
rumors that the German high COM
mand was about ready to ask fol
peace terms, and those Of Us who
credited the rumors felt that morn.
ing, a. We waited for orders. that
the Allies were planning something
to hurry the German decision.
"Even before daylight we had
heard the dull roar Of scores Of mo.
tors % the big bombing planet
swept over our hangers on the way
to the front. As daylight came. the
roar increased in volume until il
seemed the air was full Of motors
Air Filled With Planes
Locking upward, we who werl
waiting could see. through the dim
morning light. the lower formations
and o the sun came up the higher
formations were visible. There
seemed to be IN endless procession
Of airplanes. It was hard to realize
that there were 20 many planes II
"our orders came . few minute,
after daylight. We Of the pursuit.
groups took the air % soon as thu
bombing, observation and reconnais.
sance planes, stationed farther back
had passed over NJ.
"Once off the ground. our grouv
got into formation. but remained d
low altitude 30 % not to interfer(
with formations above.
Several times Ne passed vor!
close to other formations. and ono.
We had to take our Spads through
one. The sky was that thick With
aircraft. At every altitude from 30l
10 $1,000 feet the air was filled with
planes. BY , =. n. there was |
stream Of planes going 70 and from
tho lines continuously dropping
bombs on the trenches and returning
- IL airdronao for anothef load.
Our two-hour flight vas Q thYillsl
naver 8 s. fof9ottsA. TIE flyers d
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