FRENCH AIR FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1205, 14 August 1911, Page 7

FRENCH AIR FLEET.

A RESERVE FLOTILLA. j • — I Bj , Teleer?.Dh-Prcss Association-Oopyrietat (Rec. August. 1:1, 5.5 p.ui.) / Paris, August 12. Tho newspaper "Lo Matin" states that the Government is establishing n reserve aerial flotilla and incorporating many civilian Privately-owned areoplanes arc' also to bo requisitioned. ORGANISATION OF THE NEW ARM. PROPOSED FRENCH FORCE. Tho "Temps" in May last published letters from ifs coiTesnomlcnt at the Aviation School at Chalons camp dealing with the manner in which it is proposed that (lie now arm slinll lx> organised. Roughly speaking, each of France's twenty army corps is to havo an aviation depot under nil experienced officer, assisted by three immediate subordinates, one in command of the aviators, another in command of the auxiliary detachment of Engineers, and the third in charge of the material In each depot, there will'be about twenty officers composed of apprentices, pilots, who hold the Aero Club certificate, and chief pilots, who hold the military certificate. This organisation, if it be adopted, will provide the Army with between 300 and 400 pilots. Three hundred aeroplanes will bo required as well as a regiment of mechanicians for their upkeep. It is proposed that an .nviation allowance- of 5 francs a day bo mado to the chief pilots and 2 francs 50 centimes' to tho ordinary pilots, with an additional 15 centimes for every kilometre covered across country. Tho period of instruction is divided into four stages. Tho novice begins with a preliminary stagp of from two to three months, in which he goes through n course of general instruction. Tf* will «-'"<' v motors and. flying machines and ge through a course ot balicuiiiny. jjui... o <...u second stage he is taught by a more experienced aviator how to fly either on a biplane or monoplane, and must then compete for the Aero Club certificate. In the third stage ho prepares for the military certificate given for three flights of 30 miles across country at a minimum altitude of 1000 feet, and having obtained this certificate ho enters on a. con«> of longer and more difficult flight under war conditions. He will learn to reconnoitre, either alono or with a fleet of aeroplanes, a fixed zone of country, sending in a written report as soon as he lands, no will be required to take a message to a fixed point, observing the rules for keeping out of range of an cneniy's fire, and ho will bo tested in offensive warfare, dropping dummy bombs first on supposed fortifications and-later on tho outline of a dirigible drawn on the ground, on small captivo balloons or kites, and finally on model aeroplanes drawn at varying speeds along a Decauvillc line. After this training the aviator will bs prepared to tako part in the autumn manoeuvres.