After leaving the airplane manufacturing plant, Shire went to the flying club.
The car drove straight into the flying club without being interrogated.
This was a privilege unique to Shire. As soon as the guards saw the license plate AM-0281, and looked down to see that the driver was Colonel Laurent, they immediately lifted the barrier to let him through.
(Note: During World War I, French license plates were not yet standardized, but government vehicles were mostly numbered. Government and civilian plates started with area codes, Paris being "75", and military vehicles started with "AM", initials for Automobile Militaire, meaning military vehicles.)
Looking through the car window, Shire noticed that the flying club was vastly different from before.
