Aspiring apprentices may be encouraged by the experience of Georges Guynemer. Guynemer was rejected five times by the French air service before getting, in 1914 at age 20, a job as an apprentice mechanic. His biographer, Henry Bordeaux, reports the pitch that won him a position: "Captain, help me-employ me-employ me at anything, no matter what. Let me clean those airplanes over there." Guynemer got what he asked: He did dirty work, like cleaning cylinders, for several months. Then, he got the chance to fly. After several flights, his instructor wrote, "Too much confidence, madness, fantastical humor." Guynemer was aware of the impression he made. "I don't think I have achieved a reputation for prudence," he wrote in a letter home.
展开▼
