Flying Instructions - August 23, 1917
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[page 1] August 23rd 1917. Stencil #350 (AHP). WAR DEPARTMENT Office of the Chief Signal Officer Washington. FLYING INSTRUCTIONS. 1. BEFORE LEAVING GROUND, CAREFULLY EXAMINE YOUR MACHINE. 2. ALWAYS START AGAINST THE WIND IN A LINE CLEAR OF OBSTACLES. 3. LEAVE WITH EXCESS SPEED. TAKE A NORMAL CLIMB DO NOT CLIMB YOUR MACHINE TO THE LIMIT. 4. DO NOT TURN CLOSE TO THE GROUND. IF IN A SMALL FAST MACHINE, BE AT LEAST 600 FETT UP. IF YOUR ENGINE STOPS CLOSE THE GROUND, LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD, PAYING NO ATTENTION TO OBSTACLES. 5. IN FLYING LEVEL, THROTTLE THE MOTOR BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING FLYING SPEED. 6. DIVING
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September 28, 1917. RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING FLYING. A CONDENSATION OF RULES AND REGULATIONS #1 TO 9 WITH CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. SIGNALS 1. Watch the white cross behind the field desk and land accordingly. 2. There will be a white flag flying at the desk. A RED flag means
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No. 2. 18. The switch will be cut at outer circle and plane pushed to inner circle, where it will be filled. 19. After filling, plane will be pushed to outer circle before motor is started. The exchange of pilots will be at the filling station. 20. Do not turn machine sharp in taxying. The tail skid damages the body many times. Hold elevator forward in taxying: it lessens the weight on the tail. Never taxi in a strong wind without a man on each wing. WHILE FLYING 21. Do not fly over the hangars at low altitude. Allow at least 50 feet clearance. On take offs and landings always clear the outer line by at least 50 feet. 22. Do not cut in on other men when landing. Follow in after the man in front of you. 23. Do not cut across the bows of other machines when making your first turn. 24. Students and Instructors will always take it for granted that the pilots of the other machines do not see them and that the pilot of the other machine will always do the wrong thing. 25. All motors will be throttled down to 1300 after the first turn. 26. If other machines precede you in starting, allow them to gain a distance of at least a half mile before following. Do not follow in trace; propeller wash will thus be avoided. 27. Machines with dead motors have right of way over all others. 28. Machines gliding into field have right of way over those about to leave. Machines landing have greater speed then those leaving, so be careful not to misjudge your start and be overtaken by an other machine that is powerless to keep from having an accident as the result of your misjudgment. 29. Before beginning a glide, see that no machines are under you. Those flying beneath you have the right of way. 30. In flight, before making a turn, see that no machines are dangerously near on your flanks. 31. Machines approaching head on pass to the right at an interval of at least 150yds. 32. In passing a machine going in the same direction, have at least an interval of 200 yards. 33. In passing over or under another machine, interval must be at least 150 yards. 34. After gliding preparatory to making a landing, if the section of the field you are going to use is not clear, continue flight. 35. After landing never turn short; remain in position where machine rests until you have determined that a sufficiently clear field exists in all directions for taxying or continue flight, as the case may be. 36. If flight is begun and conditions arise thereafter that are hazardous, land as soon as possible. 37. At all times keep machine in such position with reference to suitable ground that a landing can be effected at any time. 38. Never continue flying when a machine feels uncomfortable to you or you feel that something is wrong. 39. When practicing landings the plane will be allowed to come to a dead stop before she is given the gun. This applies to both solo flyers and instructors.
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No. 3 Field Rules 40. At 6:10 A.M. and 12:55 P.M. all planes in flying condition will be placed on the outer line; opposite their respective hangars; directly over their cross; wheels on line; cross at centre of axle; facing hangars; and with motors going. 41. Planes will be pushed out to the outer line with dead motors. 42. Planes will not be started without blocks under wheels. 43. When the pilot is ready, planes will be faced away from the hangars. 44. The dead line is the rear line. 45. No motor will be running on or behind the dead line. 46. There will be no smoking between the dead line and road running along north of hangars. 47. All repairs other than of a minor character are to be made on the dead line. GENERAL RULES. 48. Always dope out before hand what you are going to do during each ride and ask Officer in Charge of Field, or the instructor if it is O.K. 49. The next time you go up pick out the best possible landing places outside the field. Your motor may die on you any day and you may have misjudged your gliding distance from the field. 50. If it is all doubtful that whether you can turn and regain the field, having a dead motor, it is better to go straight ahead and land in one of the lields which you have previously picked out. 51. Smoking in a machine or in the vicinity is prohibited. 52. If a motor is missing or has a knock in it, the motor will be stopped at once and the pilot will wait for the trouble shooter. 53. Each pilot will see that the time keeper of the machine has obtained his correct name and time, also the correct classification of the flight. 54. No one will be allowed to go to a smash up or the plane of a forced landing, except the Officers in Charge of the Filed, the Ambulance Crew, Wrecking Crew, and Crew assigned to the plane. 55. No machine will be started without a pilot in the seat. This applies especially to students coming down in middle of field with a dead prop. SOLO MEN 56. All solo men will report to the instructors at the desk prior to a flight to receive instructions and after flight to get the benefit of criticism. 57. Everybody will report to the time keeper of the machine, their name and the time of flight, after each flight. Instructions for SOLO MEN when taken out to a plane in Motorcycle. 58. You are responsible for the checking up of the amount of gas in the machine. If there is not enough gas for the next trip, taxi the machine back to the filling line. Every fourth man will be required to take the machine back to the filling line. 59. Before going up you will inspect the landing gear and wires. If any wires are dangerously loose you will taxi the machine back to the line and report the defect to the Officer in Charge of the Field. 60. On a long glide, always clean out the motor two or three times.
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September 24th, 1917. NOTES FOR PILOTS WHICH WILL BE STRICTLY ADHEARED TO. 1. Never go beyond the instructions of the instructor. 2. Pilot must inspect machine before flying. 3. Always use safety belt. In case of accident do not release belt till after accident. It will probably save injury, especially if machine turns over. 4. Do not forget to take off hand throttle before starting motor, especially with Deperdussin control. 5. If you have assistance, have the machine held by the wings so that it will not run away if it starts full power. 6. If on a cross country flight a forced landing has been made and it is absolutely impossible to get any assistance, then it is permissible to try and start the motor but the following precautions will be followed. Dig a place for the wheels and point the machine into the wind. If possible, tie the tail to something convenient. Blocks may be used in front of wheels. If there is any wind greater than 25 miles an hour, the machine must be headed into the wind, as otherwise it is liable to turn on its nose and break the propeller. 7. Never try to force the machine off the ground for a stall will result. 8. To get off the ground with the wind you must have flying speed plus the speed of the wind. This is one of the biggest causes for misjudgment that there are in flying, as pilots overestimate their air speed because their ground speed is so great. Bad stalls often result from too little air speed. 9. In getting off the ground in a side wind, be sure and allow the machine to have flying speed before attempting to arise. Then turn slightly to the wind, gain a safe altitude and level out before attempting to turn and go with the wind. 10. In coming into the field in the direction of the hangars, if the distance is not properly estimated, and you find it necessary to put on power and continue the flight, do not attempt to climb too steep, but fly at obstacle and clear by several feet. To climb too steep will cause the machine to stall and settle into the obstacle. 11. Practice only can teach the proper amount of bank and rudder. The blast of air should come squarely from the front during the turn and the turn should be made with out gain or loss of altitude, except in special cases where it is necessary to climb during a turn. 12. If the machine slides in, use more rudder, take off your bank, and combine both. 13. Blast of air on side of face is an indication of partial stall or that you are sliding out or in. 14. Machine driving during a turn is generally due to using too much rudder or not enough elevator. To correct this take off proper amount of rudder and pull back on elevator slightly. 15. Do not make too short a turn close to the ground. 16. Get out of spiral dive, push elevator forward in all cases. 17. Do not thrust any altitude instrument. Learn to judge altitudes, especially in landing. Barometric conditions may change in cross country flights so that even a barometer that is functioning properly may read an incorrect altitude. The altitude of a landing place may be different from that of a starting place.
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[No. 2] 18. No passenger will be carried without authority from Officer in Charge of Training. Students will not be allowed to carry passengers except for instruction purposes. 19. Practice flights will not last longer than 30 minutes, unless otherwise ordered. 20. Always apply throttle gradually. 21. In case engine is missing, pilots will not attempt to leave the ground. If a miss develops in the air a landing will be made immediately. 22. Engine may not run hot on a hot day, or engine recently overhauled may run hot wide open. Flying throttled will often remedy this. 23. No article should be allowed loose in a machine as the controls may become jammed, especially from a piece of cloth or waste. 24. Always fly around the outer edge of the field so as to be able to glide onto the field in case of trouble, unless field be an especially large one. 25. Always take into consideration the load carried in the machine before a flight is made. Take into consideration the amount of gas, oil, tools, and the weight of the passenger. This weight soon runs up to 350 pounds. The extra weight requires a longer initial run in getting off, a faster landing, a gradual climb and a steeper glide. This weight is to be taken into consideration especially if you desire to climb out of a strange field or over obstacles. 26. To taxi, apply power gradually, and have machine move slowly. Taxying fast in a strange field may be the cause of breaking a wheel in a hole. It is agood principle in all cases to apply power gradually, especially in starting a flight. 27. Carry handkerchief or cheese cloth in outer pocket of coat to wipe off goggles in flight if they become foggy with oil or moisture. Fasten cloth to coat so as not to be blown away. 28. Never use glass goggles. No flights will be made without goggles. 29. Speed as a rule means control. Loss of speed means loss of control. 30. A leak in a honeycomb of a radiator may often be temporarily repaired by stuffing in the cells, in the vicinity of the leak, with waste or cheese cloth soaked in shellac. 31. Controls should always be worked on the ground prior to a flight to see that they function properly. 32. In case a landing requiring a glide over hangars or buildings, have sufficient speed as there may be bad air in the vicinity of the building. 33. In gliding for a landing, if gliding flat at high altitude, increase the angle of the glide and store up speed when approaching the ground. If gliding flat and wish to make a turn, increase the angle of the glide and allow the machine to pick up speed, then make the turn. Glide seep rather than flat. Increase glide for a turn. 34. Engines may have been known to stop during a long glide on account of running throttle down to low. If pilot wants to use engine for landing, open the throttle at intervals during glide. 35. If making a landing at too steep an angle and you get too close to the ground before leveling off, the machine is liable to settle down and strike the ground even after you pull back the steering post. 36. In coming in for a landing on a half turn, get the machine straightened out 100 feet from the ground. If continuing the turn when close to the ground, there is always danger of not getting the low wing up, more so with a dead engine. One will sometimes feel sure he can straighten out and is womewhat surprised when the low wing hits the ground.
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[No. 3.] 37. In landing, hold the machine off as long as possible, especially with two-wheel landing gear. To land at high speed in a strong side wind may wipe off your landing gear. 38. In coming down with excess speed, level out and allow machine to skim along close to the ground; do not attempt to force the machine on the ground. If you put the machine on the ground with more than flying speed the result is bouncing or ricocheting. 39. Complete flying exercises at least 100 feet above the ground so as to straighten out machine for landing. 40. It is better to land too fast than too slow. Too slow a landing may result in a dangerous stall if the machine is too far above the ground. 41. In landing for mark: come down in normal glide and made normal landing. If you miss the mark make corrections by varying the altitude and distance of the glide. Do not attempt to correct by steepening of flattening the glide. 42. Men on the filed during flying hours must keep out of the way of machines landing. 43. Riding on the steps of a machine is forbidden. Passengers will ride inside the body. T.J. Hanley JR. Major. S.C.
Details
| Title | Flying Instructions - August 23, 1917 |
| Creator | Hanley, T.J. Jr. |
| Source | Hanley, T.J. Jr. Flying Instructions. 23 August 1917. Clarke, Powhatan Papers. A0293. Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri. |
| Description | Major T.J. Hanley Jr. wrote these flying instructions for all pilots. Powhatan H. Clarke served with the 21st Aero Squadron and Labor Bureau A.E.F. during Word War I. |
| Subject LCSH | United States. Army--Aviation; Airplanes; Airplanes--Maintenance and repair |
| Subject Local | World War I; WWI |
| Site Accession Number | A0293 |
| Contributing Institution | Missouri History Museum |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond those allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Missouri History Museum: 314-746-4510 |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. Contact the Missouri History Museum's Permissions Office at 314-746-4511 to obtain written consent. |
| Date Original | August 23, 1917 |
| Language | English |