Such men must be of considerable stamina, inasmuch as great
demands are made upon their powers of endurance. Being aloft for
several hours imposes a severe tax upon the nervous system, while
it must also be borne in mind that all sorts and conditions of
weather are likely to be encountered, more particularly during
the winter. Hail, rain, and blizzards may be experienced in
turn, while the extreme cold which often prevails in the higher
altitudes during the winter season is a fearful enemy to combat.
Often an airman upon his return from such a reconnaissance has
been discovered to be so numbed and dazed as a result of the
prolonged exposure, that considerable time has elapsed before he
has been sufficiently restored to set forth the results of his
observations in a coherent, intelligible manner for the benefit
of the General Staff. Under these circumstances it is not
surprising that the most skilful and experienced aviators are
generally reserved for this particular work. In addition to the
natural accidents to which the strategical aerial observer is
exposed, the dangers arising from hostile gun-fire must not be
overlooked.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134