Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1917 — Visited Aviation Field At Rantoul, Illinois. [ARTICLE]

Visited Aviation Field At Rantoul, Illinois.

- Mr. and Mrs. John I. Gwin visited the United States aviation field at Rantoul, 111., Wednesday, making the trip by automobile. They were accompanied by Gravelous Hansson and Carlos D. Gile, a member of the Foreign Legion of the regular army of France, and who recently enlisted in the aviation corps in that country. Mr. Gile, by means of a passport, was the j only member of the party who was able to enter the field and examine the planes. The war department has given definite orders as to allowing visitors permission to the grounds on any day except Sunday, and then only under the guidance of a guard and with an official pass. A mechanic from the field, which the party met in Paxton, accompanied them to Rantoul and explained much of the work the government is doing. • The field comprises a section of land, on which have been erected a number of rough buildings, painted white and intended for the needs of the various departments of the air service. There are no fences around the field so the visitors can see almost as much from the outside as from the inside.

Two hundred and fifty boys are now in training under the tutelage of thirty-five instructors. Among the latter are two from France and two from France. Some foreign machines will soo> be in use. Those at present which are in use are the Cur-tic-Wright planes, twenty-three -in number. The flyers fly both morning and afternoons for a period of an lour and a half. From a place just outside the field all the starts and eadings can plainly be observed. The preparation of the field is almost completed. Thousands of workmen have been busy for weeks, but only about two hundred are at work now. A company of the U. S. army is encamped at Rantoul, and is the guard for this most important part of the department of the government’s war preparations. Altogether it is an interesting and instructive sight and well worth making the trip to see, according to Rensselaer people who have been there.