By Heidi Seuss

 The first plane that ever got off the ground was invented by the Wright brothers in  The first powered plane was flown across the English Channel in 1909 by Louis Bleriot, so saying that the planes in 1914 were crude is an understatement.

 In the beginning of WWI, the planes were made of wood with canvas covering and they could barely fly over 100 miles per hour.  Flimsy cables that could break during flight were fitted on the plane, and this created a number of safety issues.  Later on guns were fitted to the planes so that they could have more uses to the soldiers.

 If there was a fuel leak in the engine, then the entire plan would go down in flames because of its unfit material.  Visibility was limited in the early models of these planes and many of the cockpits were very open, leaving the pilot at huge risks

 Introducing the airplanes into WWI created an entirely different place for people to fight, and even though they were very simple and basic in the beginning, they turned out to change the war and change planes forever.

 Most people believed that the airplane would be useless in battle, for more people would die during training sessions than in actual combat.  One British general commented, “The airplane is useless for the purposes of war.”

 Many pilots were idolized if they even dared to fly these planes, for their canvas and wooden structure caused fire to spread quickly.  Parachutes were forbidden as well on the aircrafts, and one British ace named Mick Mannock carried a pistol on his flights for fear of dying by fire in his craft.  Often, pilots gained the title of ace from shooting down several enemy planes in aerial combat.

 One of the greatest pilots of these planes during WWI, Manfred Von Richthofen had 80 victories during the war.  Even the British recognized his skill and gave him a full burial with military honors.

 The pilots wore a leather padded hat, a scarf, and a thick, leather coat.  The high altitude caused bitter cold which was why there was such a need for the thick coats.  The pilots’ head were always turning so the scarf was there to prevent chaffing.

 The planes were mainly used for reconnaissance and taking aerial pictures, but later were adjusted into bombing planes.  Bombing was very difficult for the pilots to do, and getting anywhere near the target was based purely on luck.  The pilot would drop a bomb over the side of the plane and hope that it landed near their target.

 Two main different categories of planes were developed during this time Bomber planes such as the AEG G.IV and the Caudron G.6 Fighter planes such as the Albatros D.I and the Airco DH.2

 Pilots had to use roadmaps or school atlases to navigate their ways through the skies, for navigation systems had not yet been implemented in the early planes Above is a map of the German flight patterns

Down 1. A type of plane that was designed for speed and strength in the skies 2. The material that covered the planes in WWI 3. One of the most notorious bombers during WWI. 4. A pilot who has shot down several enemy planes during aerial combat. 5. A craft that was invented to create a new playing field in the skies during WWI. 7. A type of plane that was designed for attacking the enemy on the ground from the sky. Across 6. The first people to invent a flying device 8. A hero to many because of their bravery in the skies.

 1. Fighter  2.Canvas  3.Red Baron  4.Ace  5.Airplane  6.The Wright Brothers  7.Bomber  8.Pilot

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