Testing the Fighting Aviator 



Applicants for the aviation corps are converted 

 into human gyroscopes in a special revolving 

 chair in order to test their sense of equilibrium 



By Dr. William F. -Patten, 



Captain, M. R. C, U. S. A., in charge of Physical 

 Examining Unit, Aviation Service, Episcopal Eye, 

 Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Washington, D. C. 



FROM a military standpoint, a flight 

 through the air brings into play the 

 greatest anatomical, physiological and 

 psychological functions of man. The guid- 

 ing of an airplane is not the work of a 

 weakling, a child, or a fool, but of a man 

 in the most superlative sense. Hence it is 

 that the experts of the Surgeon General's 

 'office have fixed the medical standards 

 which must be met by applicants, standard- 

 ized the methods of examination, and seen 

 to it that only the physically fit are 

 accepted. 



The men who wish to become flyers are 

 tested by physical examining units, of 

 which there are now some twenty in the 

 United States. Each unit comprises a 

 group of volunteer 

 specialists. Experts 

 on internal medicine 

 examine the appli- 

 cant physically; eye 

 specialists test his 

 vision; laryngolo- 

 gists determine 

 whether there is any 

 defect of the ear, 

 nose and throat. 



The examination 

 for the determina- 

 tion of the blood 

 pressure and the ex- 

 amination of the 

 heart, lungs, blood 

 vessels, bones, joints, 

 muscles, skin and 

 nervous system are 

 exceedingly rigorous. 

 The man who flies 

 at a height of ten 

 thousand, fifteen 

 thousand , even 

 twenty thousand 

 feet (heights at 



which even skilled balloonists experience 

 difficulty in maintaining physical poise) can 

 be no weakling. 



Every Applicant Must Be a Perfect Specimen 

 The blood pressure is determined and the heart, lungs, 

 blood vessels, bones, joints, muscles, skin and nervous 

 system are carefully examined with the finest 

 instruments. Flying cannot be the sport of weaklings 



The Aviator Must Be a Physically 

 Perfect Man 



But even if he is sound of heart and 

 sound of lung, he may still be rejected. 

 His acuteness of vision must be exceptional. 

 Hence the eye ex- 

 pert makes a thor- 

 ough examination to 

 determine if the eye 

 movements are nor- 

 mal and if stereo- 

 scopic vision is be- 

 yond question. The 

 pupil of the eye must 

 react normally to 

 light and distance. 

 The color sense must 

 be perfect. Every 

 test is conducted 

 painstakingly with 

 the most modern ap- 

 paratus. Thus, the 

 color sense is tested 

 with what is known 

 as the Jennings' self- 

 recording equip- 

 ment. A chart on 

 which confusion 

 colors appear on a 

 perforated card- 

 board is exhibited to 

 the applicant. One 

 perforation corresponds with each color 

 and shade. Some shade of red or green is 

 shown, and the applicant is asked to name 



711 



