They had been at the aviation school—the first the United States Government really established before breaking into the great war—just two months. Every day that the weather conditions allowed both of the ambitious young fliers kept hard at work under the able army officer connected with the Signal Corps, who had become the instructor in the school.
Tom had advanced so rapidly and shown such evident signs of proving a marvel in the work of flying, that his progress had been much swifter than Jack’s. Already he had been allowed to go up unaccompanied and practice various evolutions that were in line with his steady advancement.
This altitude test was one of the last, just as it is possibly the most nerve-trying. Objects look so very strange when seen from a great distance up in the air; and the conditions surrounding the novice are so greatly in contrast with those closer to the earth, that the first trial trip is always watched with considerable solicitude by the instructor.
Jack heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that his chum was finally coming down from the dizzy height. Both of them had become proficient in the highly important operation of shutting off the engine, pointing the nose of the airplane toward the earth, and volplaning swiftly downward.
It was one of the very first things they had learned, since it is hardly possible to make a safe landing without a perfect knowledge of this necessary art. Tom came rushing down with increased speed. The wind was whistling in his ears, and without his goggles he would have found it impossible to see on account of the tears the cold atmosphere would have forced into his eyes.
Adroitly, when the proper time came, he changed the line of flight of his airplane to that of the horizontal and the broad wings soon caught the air. Eventually the machine touched the ground with tail and wings at the same time, bumped along for a certain distance, its speed becoming slower and slower until it stopped directly in front of Jack.
“Splendidly done!” exclaimed Jack Parmly, his face beaming with pleasure and pride in his chum. “Tom, you’re surely a wizard when it comes to air work! But all the same I’m glad to see you safe back on the earth again. Here comes Lieutenant Carson to congratulate his most promising pupil.”
The army officer hurried up, hand extended.
“You have fulfilled my expectations fully, Tom,” he said, in his quiet fashion. “Another time you must strive to reach the six-thousand-feet altitude, but there are some other things I’d like to have you become proficient in first. You still have a few faults, common to all beginners. Perhaps they are not very serious in themselves; but even trifles may imperil an aviator’s life, and these should be corrected in the beginning.”
That was all he said, then turned away to give his attention to others among his pupils, for there were a number practicing daily at the new school of aviation. Indeed, the desire to learn to fly was rapidly becoming a fever in the veins of a multitude of daring young Americans; and when the time came for Uncle Sam to need a host of skilled aviators thousands would eagerly avail themselves of the opportunity to serve their country in that fascinating if dangerous way.