LANGUAGE OF THE AIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16234, 20 May 1916, Page 5 (Supplement)

LANGUAGE OF THE AIR.

PILOTS' QUEER SLANG.

1 AN AIRMAN'S ERROR,

'As in other walks in life, during the last yew months a slang has sprung < into being in aeronautical circles. "Quirk," for instance, is the term used in th» .Naval Air Service to denote a young gentleman just learning to fly. His brother-inarms in the Royal " Flying Corps is a '"Hun.*" The " -stick "is that wonderful contraption which at one and the same time controls both the upward, downward, and sideway movement of the aeroplane. Some of the crack pilots, instead of leaving the ground in a respectable, ' godfearing manner—that is to " taxi "- run the machine across the ground without allowing the wheels of the aeroplane to leave it for about fifty yards, then to rise gradually at an angle of some 15 degrees with the earth— " sum- i ming " their machine. Which latter feat! is: directly upon leaving the ground to climb at an angle of at least 46 degrees. To " pancake" is for a machine to fall flat to the earth. Nose-dive is when it comes down nose first. A " tail- ■ '•He " is when it falls backwards. A " >]):n " is perhaps the most unpleasant sensation possible in midair. It usually occurs after over-banking, with the result that the aeroplane spins round like a top, and finally crashes to the earth. When an airman says of the air that it. is "bumpy" he means that it is full of patches of rarified air, which cause the aeroplane to rock and to toss like a boat in a stormy sea. An airman never talks through his hat. Such a thing were a physical impossibility. He does not possess a hat. For that portion of his attire ho always refers to as a " grummet." " Pylon Pilots." An aeroplane man will always contemptuously refer to an airship as a " gas-bag.'' Such a thing as a trip in the air is never spoken of, but rather as ," going for a joy-ride or as "doing a stunt." "Crashing" is the delicate art of bringing the machine rapidly to *ar*h and smashing something, usually quite a lot!

A " pylon pilot" is a gentleman who prefers flying before a large and admiring crowd. And finally it would be. considered an indignity to refer to an aeroplane as anything else than a *' bus." Among some of the pet names for buses are the "bloater" and the Bristol - bullet."

. A case of mistaken identity, bo to speak, - recently occurred to a-British pilot, who is now pining his young and promising life away somewhere hidden within the confines of a German military prison. This enterprising young gentleman one misty morning, when returning from a marauding expedition, had the misfortune, to, mistake Ostend for Dun""rfe After making an extrstaely graceful landing, he approached an officer who was standing near by »nd who appeared tor-be taking an inordinate interest in the proceedings, saluted politely, and exclaimed : • "Come to report,- sir." Back came the reply 'in. faultless English. "Delighted-, Im sure, but. won't you come and have a drink? Leave your 1 machine there. That'll be all right. "My men will look after that 'for'you "—and they did. * Successful observation from the air 'is as much an 1 art as is that of the' painter, «>»• of the dramatist, or of the author, '" It requires a queer combination of'-knbw-ledge, deduction, and intelligence, Fly-; ing at a height of usually well over tea!■ thousand -feet, it is the easiest matter! in the world to mistake an object for what it is entirely impossible for it to be.

Best Time for ■ Flytng. The most important positions from the ■point of view of an aeroplane reconnaissance trip .are the relative situations of railways, stations, "and sidings. The direction of rivers and • of streams, and of railway" .bridges • over, water. The shapes of woods and open squares in the centre of the towns. It is never wise to Start a reconnaissance trip too early ill. the morning,! or the observer will find "nothing doing" on the part of the eiiemy. • . • With regard to the weather. As is generally known, aeroplane work cannot be carried out in a wind of over 30 miles per hour velocity. And that wet and foggy weather is useless from an observational point' of view." A heavy fall of snow entirely obliterates all landmarks: Snow in front of, trenches and gun emplacements is discoloured by the fire. Clear and frosty weather on a fine summer's morning, *hen there is ho heat mist coming up off the. ground, are the most* favourable days for this class of work. An interesting point to be noticed is that the wind blows the least, "* rod that the weather is always calmest, just before the dawn. . ' ' "»

. It is. exceedingly diffcult to make cut the . difference between • ammunition sr d supply columns. Though the ammunition column can generally -be distinguished by the number of horses to a ■vehicle, and is usually in pretty regular formation, the direction in which they ate proceeding is the most itnpoitan't point to be noted. . . Troops and transport on the move-are Usually , easy to distinguish. Wheel tracks across the meadows, which stand cut prominently from even a great height, denote unusual activity in the" immediate neighbourhood. Smoke from woods arid individuals on the outskirts usually signify that they are occupied either as a rest camp by troops, ' an ammunition {"irk, or a gun emplacement.