How Dueling in the Air Is Taught 



iOPLANE rOWINQ 

 TARGET 



balloon which bears the Iron Cross or 

 some other conspicuous sign and which is 

 towed by another airplane. Your pilot 

 waits until his plane has reached three 

 thousand feet. Then, after a final exam- 

 ination of your gun and ammunition drums, 

 you signal "O. K." and the chase begins. 

 Your pilot has maneuvered the plane 

 so that you will pass under the other ma- 

 chine towing the target in the opposite 

 direction. Nearer and nearer it comes, 

 with the target flying on behind at the 

 end of the long towline. With a roar the 

 plane passes overhead. Into action you 

 go — finger pressing the trigger and both 

 arms holding the bucking ringsight on the 

 target. In a few seconds it is all over. 

 You look behind you and see the other 



BALLOON TAR OCT 



plane flying serenely away. The target 

 is undamaged. You have wasted a drum- 

 ful of cartridges on the empty air. "Rot- 

 ten," you say to yourself. Obedient to 

 the control of your pilot the plane goes 

 over in a loop. You come out of it 

 pointed in the right direction and are off 



again after the elusive target. This time 

 you are more careful. Your shots go 

 home. With the shattered target flying 

 in the wind, the hunted plane spirals to 

 earth. A few minutes later you are on 

 terra-firma again, receiving a report from 

 your instructor on your exploits. 



371 



