22(i lee: aviation and the war 



have neither a surplus of machines available for flying nor the 

 extra time to spend in training, it is not a practical thing to do. 

 The hard, specialized training which everybody has to come to 

 sooner or later is not only important, but absolutely essential. 



Much has been said about ''dangerous stunts," frequently 

 with the implication that these are spectacular performances 

 which thrill the spectators but- are needlessly risky, and I should 

 like to devote a few words to this matter. 



It is quite true that some lives were lost in the earlier days in 

 instructing pupils in what we call ''stunting," but it is quite 

 useless to send a man over-seas if he is unable to "stunt." In 

 individual fighting, unless the flyer can really do things better 

 than the German, he is not going to come out alive. For instance, 

 when one machine meets another, each speeds up and goes 

 through every kind of maneuver to get into a good position so 

 as to be able to "get" his opponent. The man who is going to 

 come out alive is the one who can outdo his opponent in flying. 

 It is not a question of "getting away from the German." It is 

 not a matter of getting away at all, but of getting into a good 

 position so that you can down him. He is going to do the^ame 

 thing as you are, and unless you are able to outdo him in his 

 maneuvers you are going to come out beaten ; and unless you are 

 trained to do real stunts (which are really not at all dangerous), 

 you are not going to be able to down him. The danger is not 

 in "stunting;" the danger is in not being able to "stunt." 



If a flyer goes over-seas and cannot do these things, then his 

 life isn't worth a "scrap of paper." If he can do these things, 

 and if the time comes when he is absolutely match to match with 

 his opponent, the man who will kill his opponent is the one who 

 can turn his machine about at will and get out of a difficult 

 position. Getting out of the difficult position saves his life, but 

 that is not all; the real problem is to get into a good position so 

 that he can down the enemy, and the downing of the Boche is 

 the thing that every flyer is out for. He is there not to get away ; 

 he is there to kill his opponent. 



To succeed, the flyer must be taught properly. It may cost 

 one or two lives on this side of the water, but if the men are 



