In the years 1913 and 1914 the so-called Prince Heinrich flights took place. Prince Heinrich Albert Wilhelm of Prussia was a brother of the Kaiser, and great supporter of technology connected with land, sea and air. This technically very gifted man was, besides his duties as an Admiral amongst other things also Commander in Chief of the German Voluntary Automobile Corps, and as a pilot also a member of the Imperial Aero Club. Under competitive conditions the Prince Heinrich flights served to give civilian and military pilots the chance to compare their skills. Long stretches over the whole of Germany were undertaken, whereby various tasks had to be fulfilled. For this purpose several military units did practise flights in the same areas, at the same time. The pilots and their observers had to try to find certain detachments in certain areas, and also specific landmark features on ground-terrain. Sometimes this was achieved with immense success. It is interesting to see how a civilian sports event reshaped itself into a military exercise.