At every fighter station there is a spirit of cheerful activity. Everyone is busy, everyone looks happy: and the airman, whatever his particular job, loves the life. They fly the fastest military aircraft in the world and pilots who are standing by in full flying kit are off the ground in a matter of seconds when the warning "Raiders approaching" is given. They are all young, usually between 19 and 23, for it has been found that the control of modern fighting planes is best in young hands.
The men are in absolutely fit condition, physically and mentally, and are encouraged to play strenuous games when off duty. When standing-by for an urgent call, however, they may indulge in the more gentle exercises of shove-ha'penny and darts as shown in Picture (1).
The ground staff is composed of the older men, many of them with war-time flying records. The aircraft-men and technical officers see that the machines are in first-class condition; that the guns are loaded. and the parachutes correctly folded. The reloading of the machine guns is illustrated in Picture (2).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.