Book Description

In December 1909, 1st Lt. Benjamin D. Foulois was summoned into the office of Brig. Gen. James Allen, Chief Signal Officer of the U.S. Army, who told the officer that he was to become the sole flyer of the newly acquired Wright military airplane, designated "Signal Corps No. 1." Foulois was to report to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in order to assess the aircraft's military possibilities. "Take plenty of spare parts, and teach yourself to fly" was the heartening command given to the young lieutenant. Foulois had minimal exposure to heavier-than-air mechanical flight and had yet to fly solo. In the early days of flight, every attempt to leave the ground held the possibility of disaster. Unpredictable mechanical failure or dangerous weather conditions were constant threats. Admirably, Foulois not only survived the assignment but also developed his skills as a pilot, introduced modifications to the aircraft, and established many new procedures along the way. Most of the Logbook of Signal Corps No. 1 was handwritten by one or more individuals in a neat, professional hand. The logbook is presented as it was originally written although certain adjustments to the format of the material as originally recorded were considered editorially felicitous. Where such format changes have been applied to assist a modern-day reader's comprehension of the author's original record, the information appears here phrased in italic type. This convention is most frequently used to express, using the author's words, what had originally been indicated only symbolically by his use of ditto marks. As is standard practice, notations made by the present editor appear as [bracketed] information. Interpolations and annotations were added to the original logbook and, judging from the handwriting, were nearly always attributable to Benjamin D. Foulois. Many of these interpolations appear to have been made, on the basis of internal evidence, within hours or days of the original entry. Others appear to have been made from months to years later, perhaps as Foulois was contemplating his memoirs. Such author interpolations are indicated here in a sans serif typeface. The author's annotations found as marginal notes in the original logbook are preceded here by the bracketed phrase, "Marginal note." In various places, words are underlined in the original text. Whether these underlinings were done contemporaneously with the writing of the text or were made later is unknown; however, the underlinings have been scrupulously retained in this text. Air Force History and Museums Program. United States Airforce.