The United States declared war on Germany in April of 1917 and began preparing a force to fight from the sky. Hundreds of cadets enrolled in flight schools in the United States Air Service.

The will have to complete ground school first and take courses to prepare them for flight. They learned about aircraft construction, cockpit controls, control surfaces, armament, and how to operate machine guns.

Their first flight will be with an instructor who'll take them into tailspins and show how to get out of them. Their first solo flight will take place around the airfield, culminating in the real danger and excitement of their first landing.

Credit: War History Online