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© International Film Service 

 FOUR "SAUSAGE BALLOONS^ AND A DIRIGIBLE FLYING OVER AN AMERICAN 

 AERONAUTICAL TRAINING STATION 



Airships and balloons are known in the slang of the fighting front as "gas-bags." In the 

 British service they are frequently called "S. S.'s" — Submarine Seekers. 



should combine the two in an all-round 

 ability. 



If accepted, the candidate becomes a 

 "flying cadet." That status he holds 

 throughout his course of training until 

 he passes his reserve military aviator test 

 and receives his officer's commission. 

 Technically he is enlisted in the Signal 

 Enlisted Reserve Corps at a salary of $30 

 a month, with quarters, uniform, and 

 food allowance of 60 cents daily pro- 

 vided by the government. At any time, 

 of course, he is subject to discharge if it 

 is obvious that he is mentally or morally 

 unqualified to become an aviator. 



His first assignment is to a "ground" 



school at one of the eight large engineer- 

 ing universities working in cooperation 

 with the government. Here there is ac- 

 tion and interest at once. In company 

 with several score other physically fit and 

 eager men, in an atmosphere of earnest 

 work, the principles of the sciences he 

 intends to master are unfolded. 



During these crowded eight weeks he 

 secures a basic instruction in the princi- 

 ples and theory of flying, radio work, 

 codes and photography, the operation and 

 care of airplane engines, planes, and ma- 

 chine-guns, and the theories of coopera- 

 tion between the air service, the infantry, 

 and the artillery. He is also given pri- 



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