'Explorer in the Air Service' Summary

Hiram Bingham, the explorer who discovered Machu Picchu, became an aviator in 1917 and organized the United States Schools of Military Aeronautics at eight universities to provide ground school training for aviation cadets. He then commanded the primary Air Service flying school in Issoudun, France. This book, published in 1920 by Yale University Press, recounts his wartime experiences and his support for the Air Service's quest for independence from the Army after the war. Bingham's account provides a unique perspective on the development of American military aviation during World War I and the challenges faced by the Air Service in its early years.