oning , ▁with ▁all ▁four ▁of ▁these ▁officers ▁stay ing ▁in ▁close ▁inter phone ▁contact . ▁ ▁All ▁fl ights ▁were ▁individual , ▁each ▁navig ator ▁choosing ▁his ▁route ▁in ▁consult ation ▁with ▁the ▁pilot . ▁On ▁fl ights ▁to ▁French ▁targets ▁the ▁aircraft ▁crossed ▁the ▁coast ▁at ▁around ▁six ▁thousand ▁feet ▁to ▁avoid ▁light ▁anti - air craft ▁fire , ▁dro pping ▁to ▁five ▁hundred ▁feet ▁or ▁so ▁to ▁avoid ▁night ▁f igh ters ▁once ▁in land ▁and ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁verify ▁location , ▁ass uring ▁that ▁check points ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁correspond ed ▁exactly ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁being ▁looked ▁at ▁in ▁the ▁co ck pit ▁and ▁nose ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft . ▁Limited ▁visibility ▁at ▁higher ▁alt itude ▁would ▁make ▁this ▁more ▁difficult ▁if ▁not ▁impossible . ▁Since ▁dro ps ▁were ▁made ▁at ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁pilot ' s ▁dis cret ion , ▁being ▁already ▁at ▁such ▁a ▁height ▁made ▁the ▁dro ps ▁more ▁efficient . ▁ ▁When ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁miles ▁from ▁the ▁target ▁area ▁all ▁available ▁eyes ▁began ▁searching ▁for ▁the ▁drop ▁area , ▁which ▁would ▁usually ▁be ▁identified ▁by ▁three ▁high ▁power ed ▁flash light s ▁placed ▁in ▁a ▁row , ▁with ▁a ▁fourth ▁at ▁a ▁ 9 0 ▁degree ▁angle ▁to ▁indicate ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁drop . ▁Com ing ▁towards ▁the ▁target , ▁the ▁aircraft ▁slow ed ▁to ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁dropped ▁to ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁, ▁higher ▁in ▁h illy ▁country : ▁agents ▁were ▁dropped ▁first , ▁with ▁supplies ▁on ▁a ▁second ▁drop