Aviation activities of American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War 1. Salmson 2A2 aircraft are parked in a field with men seated on the ground in the shade of their wings. A pilot, standing next to a Salmson 2A2, puts on his flight gear while smoking a cigarette. He climbs aboard the airplane which has the red and blue buffalo insignia of the 99th Aero Squadron painted on its fuselage. The photographer- gunner in rear cockpit loads canisters of ammunition on his Darne-built Lewis twin machine guns and checks the movement of the gun's scarff ring mounting. He receives an aerial camera from a ground crewman. Two airmen work on a Vickers machine gun installed beside the nose of the aircraft (synchronized to fire through the propeller). Scene shifts to an aircraft taking off. Camera shifts back to the aircraft getting ready, where a ground crewman pulls the propeller through to clear any hydraulic lock and the pilot starts the engine. The aircraft taxis and takes off.
A French Salmson reconnaissance biplane parked at a French airfield,in World War 1. Pilot is in the cockpit. One crewman begins to pull the propeller through to clear hydraulic lock before starting. Another airman stands at the airplane's left wing tip. A French flier shows twin Lewis machine guns installed in the rear cockpit of a Salmson airplane. He demonstrates their flexiblity and horizontal and vertical range of movement.
28th Escadrille fliers of French Air Service examine a Salmson 2 biplane during World War I. Clothes seen hanging on a wire in the background. The aircraft has a painted picture of a running elephant on it. Captain Paul Daum of the 28th Escadrille inspects the rear, twin, ring-mounted Lewis Guns, moves them around, and adjusts them. The fliers including Captain Paul Daum stand in front of the plane.
28th Escadrille fliers of French Air Service with a Salmson plane during World War I. Two French fliers climb into the Reconnaissance plane and take off. The plane seen in flight. Group of French 28th Escadrille and U.S. Army 79th Division Infantry (operating as observors) seen smiling and talking in front of a SPAD (Societe Provisoire des Aeroplanes Deperdussin and Bleriot) French airplane. American flag hung on the wing. They talk and share cigarettes. View of just the American group in front of the aircraft, posing for the camera.
U.S. Army Infantry of the 79th Division at an airfield in France during World War I. They are functioning as observers. Crew in and around a French large twin-engine biplane aircraft, possibly a modified Caudron R.11. American observers demonstrate aiming techniques involved with the twin, Scarff ring mounted Lewis Guns on a Salmson 2A2. Firing the Lewis gun of a Spad XVI.
Aviation activities of American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I. American aircrews of 185th Aero Squadron, lined up with their Sopwith Camel aircraft on a field in France. Dense cloud cover overhead. A flare is ignited in front of the wing of one aircraft. Men on top of a tower watch a plane in flight and fire very pistol. Two flyers in front of airplanes. One holds a bomb and they discuss it. Aircrews pose in front of their Salmson 2A2 Airplanes. A pet dog sits atop the upper wing of one airplane. The flyers pose in a group on the ground, with the pet dog.