Paul Pavelka, one of Kiffin’s best friends from the Legion, was assigned to the squadron in August. He was given a plane the squadron called the “Hoodooed Plane” because Bill Thaw, Elliot Cowdin, and Norman Prince all had bad luck while flying this plane. Norman Prince flipped it while landing during his unsuccessful rocket experiments. After repairs, it was given to Paul Pavelka. The plane soon lived up to its reputation. On one of Paul’s first flights over the front the engine caught fire. This was one of the most terrifying things that could happen to a pilot, as the planes were highly flammable and pilots had no parachutes. Pavelka sideslipped the plane, blowing the flames away from the cockpit, and managed to reach the French lines before crashing into a swamp. He jumped out of the plane and got clear just before the plane exploded. He was given a new plane after this experience. (Photo courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina.)