Photograph by Edwin L,evick 



STUDENT AND INSTRUCTING AVIATORS MAKING NOTES 0E FEATS OE MEN IN THE AIR 



The amount of actual flying time allotted to a student aviator at a training school is 

 comparatively brief. A major portion of his instruction is derived from watching the mistakes 

 of others and in being told how to remedy his own defects, carefully noted by experts while 

 he is "up." 



rain has ceased and now it is perfect 

 weather — a bit of a breeze and lots of 

 sun for the last two days. Yesterday 

 morning there weren't enough machines 

 to go around, so I did not work, mak- 

 ing the eighth consecutive day I hadn't 

 stepped in a machine. 



Last evening I, at last and with much 

 rejoicing, started out on my "maiden 

 voyage" to another school about 60 kilo- 

 meters away (37.5 miles). It was de- 

 lightfully easy — nothing to do but climb 

 2 or 3 thousand feet and just sit there 

 and watch the country unfold, comparing 



the map-like surface of the earth spread 

 out below with the map in the machine. 

 In good weather it is very easy to follow, 

 spot roads, towns, woods, rivers, and 

 bridges. Railroad tracks get lost at high 

 altitudes and are harder to find anyway. 

 One has to keep an eye open for a 

 place to land within gliding distance in 

 case of a panne always ; but the country 

 is so flat and so much cultivated around 

 here that it is absurdly simple. I en- 

 deavored always to keep some pleasant- 

 looking house or chateau in range in case 

 of trouble, for the French are proverb- 



94 



