THE WAR PILOT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 17 August 1917, Page 5

THE WAR PILOT.

Flying in. war time is a grim business. There is precious little that is "•breezy" about it, and, to tell the truth, the war pilot is not a'"breezy" fellow. If you are interested in the type, study the fates of any pilots yon see. -There are the alertness and quickness natural to the man who takes op Hying-, and there is also a certain hardness". Small wonder if, after

three hour's or so over the lines, his jaw ' should feel like iron. All the way, from the start to the return, the pilot's condition is one of incessant movement. Both feet and one hand are engaged in flying. Quick, neat movement, continually correcting, even on a calm day. That is Hying. Jfiars listening to the'engiue and for the crack, crack, crack of a Hun attaekKyes moving contiiinailv over toe instruments relating to sp«d and height and engine revolutions, over the earth, the other- machines of the " formation," and round and round, high and low, and especially backv.-ards, first- one side and then tho other, lest a Hun is diving on the tail. And in the midst of all, suddenly, "Archie" ■■(anti-aircraft) shells bursting around in groups of six. "Archie", is a greater stram on the nerves than fighting. ■'lt takes 15 seconds," says a pilot, " for the anti-aircraft gunner to get a sight on you. Consequently you have to dodge, and do something different, every 15 seconds." And there is plenty of fighting, too, for the British pilot always attacks, vrhere the Hon, unless iu greatly superior cireumtstances, almost always puts Ids nose down and runs for protection first. An aerial fight is a wild gain?. See a man dive 4,WK)ft on to his prey, perhaps 1 at the rate of 180 miles an hour. Does he feet exhilarated. Xo. his heart is thumping too hard from the sudden change of atmospheric pressure- See the rapid liianffittvi'ing, with no time to think, where | one. pitted against three, is yet the victor. < Then think of the Might home that iol- I lows, with control cables holding by their j last strands and only half the" engine's cylinders- working. Such things are common. . . . That is the time to get h»rue sure enough; but British pilots have turned and fought in such conditions, because their principle is attack. Perhaps c.5 the formation returns to its aerodrome there will be one or t»v»> pilots who are off dntv. watching the landings. The power lo- land a machine weti under all conditions is the greatest test of the pilot, and consequently flying folk are never tired of watching landings. "AH back?" "X»." "Who's missing?" "Oh. poor old --—." "Really- How?" " Shot down as s>mtt as we got there." "Oh."dear, any chance for htm?" "Don't think so: we saw his machine fold up.'" " Any kick yourselvest" . . . "Archies very bad th\s morning at" ." And ».o »-;i— -i tale of loss and gain, which is vtt steadily ensuring victory. \i> "push" can be successful without aerial success, and no aerial success can be % attained without taking risks. The side that takes the greater risks is likely to have the longer casualty list. That is the pilot's share En vietorv.

But after sLs months m <t> nerve begins to. go. It is realty a tjuestiou of neivcus fsvtigua- brought on. by overstrain. I'n>bably'no ntanTltving eautrf Hy hint- hotut :i day all the round, erc-n t» pe:t'.t' time. Hut when the signs of that over- / Strain, hegin to show the pilot is sent home at once on lighten -duty I'm- ;t rest.—British airman in Louden ' Datlv Mail.'