Is that even possible?

[Willi Von Klugerman]

In Flyboys,I noticed that the pilots would shout to each other during flight.To me,that is unlikely,as it was hard enough for a 2-seater crew to communicate with each other.

['14-'18aviationcollector]

Hi, I doubt very much it would be possible. As you said, two seater crews had a hard enough time communicating this way, and as you know they are generally very close to each other. If you've ever been in an open cockpit you will know that the slip stream is savage. I would doubt that communication by shouting at each other would be possible beyond a metre or two, and even then, it's extremely difficult to hear the other person. Pilots and observers relied mostly on hand signals and wing waggling as far as I know.

[Willi Von Klugerman]

That narrows it down!

[Sagittarius]

Its like riding on motorcycles at full speed and shouting at each other - and the planes back then were even louder as I suppose.

[Barrett]

Flyboys is a live-action cartoon. Among other things, remember that at the end, The Hero unlimbers his revolver and shoots The Black Falcon in the head while flying at c.100 mph at least 50 feet away.

OTOH, The Gotha Scene is terrific.
Gothas are way cool.

[rainbase]

I suppose if two planes got close together and killed their engines they could communicate by shouting.

[Sagittarius]

Or by shooting

[Gregvan]

Hi,

I haven't watched "Flyboys" for awhile, but I can't recall too many - if any - scenes where the pilots actually 'communicate' with each other in flight simply by shouting. More often, IIRC, they were shouting in shock, anger, etc - simply talking to themselves as it were, or doing a bit of exposition for the audience. When they are being 'archied' during their first group mission, Cassidy (sp?) looks over at Rawlings, says "I'm going' up!" but he also points and then begins his climb. When Rawlings nods, I always took that to mean that he understood the hand signal, not the vocal expression. But I could be wrong.

In reading hundreds and hundreds of airmen's accounts over the years, I cannot recall any incident of pilots in different aircraft communicating by yelling - it's always hand-signaling or wing-wagging.

However, there is one incident which is kind of interesting. In the 1930's Joachim von Ziegesar wrote a number of accounts of his time in Jasta 15 with the likes of Veltjens, Berthold and others. He wrote that in the summer of '18, it was the custom for the Jasta 15 pilots to shut off their engines for a short time and glide in as they were approaching their home aerodrome after a sortie. On one such occasion, he says, they were startled to hear a shrill whistling sort of music coming from one of their aircraft. The playful young ace George von Hantelmann had brought along some sort of tin whistle for just this time, and he was merrily blowing away on the thing - to everyone's amusement. So I would guess one might also possibly make oneself heard by shouting at just such an unusual time, doubtful though it might seem. Von Ziegesar was there, I wasn't.

Greg

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Interesting story Gregvan!

[Alien]

In "Australian Hawk Over the Western Front" by Adrian Hellwig, a letter from R.S. Dallas to his father is quoted on page 111. It says "flying today Dad is just like riding together on horse back although you cannot hear the other fellow speak".