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If you would learn to fly, first master the art of propelling a bicycle. The would be aviator must be possessed of a keen sense of equilibrium; he must know how to balance himself as he would were he riding a bicycle or some other vehicle whose successful operations was dependent on perfect poise of the rider.
At the Wright School of Aviation at Dayton, Ohio, established and maintained by the famous brothers, this principle is one of the fundamental precepts. Let the aviator budge from the space prescribed for his personal comfort while soaring aloft and the smooth operation of the craft is at once retarded. If he moves a few inches from his seat in any direction, the chance of an accident is increased tenfold. The ship may turn a somersault and tumble to earth. Another requisite that looms large is courage. If any mishap befalls the aeroplane while he is spinning through the air, unless the operator have an abundance of nerve, he is more than likely to destroy the poise of the car and cause a swift descent. An intimate knowledge of mechanics is not a requirement. A pupil may learn in a few days enough of the mechanism of a machine to operate an aeroplane with success. Aviation pupils possess one large advantage over students of other institutions in that in a few weeks and rarely longer than a few months, of study, they are prepared to earn money for themselves for exhibition flights. Before learning how to fly, it is advisable, and almost necessary to learn how to glide.
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