Merced Army Flying School - Yearbook (Merced, CA)

Page 26 text:

Seasoned and well-drilled, wifh a fair idea of whai rniliiary life is about pilof 'rrainees arrive a+ one of fhe Army Air Forces Training Cen'rer's elemenfary flying schools. These schools are civil airporfs under coniracf fo 'rhe Air Forces. They have losf +heir indoleni' look of Sunday affernoon. The leisure is gone ouf of ihem. No groups of civilian pilois , . ' 14 9 ,X 4 The shrouds on The parachufe musi' be righf. Pflm5fY lfalnefs- N Classroom inshucfion. D0 if +I'-if VW-

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The Colors. ich is prerequisife 'ro +he advanced schools. The Navigalion School irks in coniuncfion wilh lhe advanced schools and af fhe end of ch nine weeks a new class is ready fo begin fhe advanced work. The Pre-Flighi bombardier is sen+ from fhe Classificalion Cenler fo e of fhe many bombardier schools where he also is subiecfed fo e nine weeks of basic pre-flighf fraining. His academic fraining is parlicular siress upon work in bombardmenf aviafion and par- ular fraining in observalion from fhe plane. Ofher courses are clically fl-me same as lhose required for a pre-flighi navigalor. Throughouf lhe firsf easy half hour al flue Classification Cenler d fhe nine weeks of pre-flighl fraining, lhe would-be pilof, naviga+or, d bombardier, all have one ihoughi uppermos+ . . . io do fheir besl d 'lo gel one sfep furlher along fhe road ihai leads io . . , WINGS. enamel? HAHQSEHVSLQ Preparing for Safurday inspeciion. '!Qlll,!'ly,f l. if 8 l oiife . L V? .W ,R , H , feel. Awarding lrophies. PHYSICAL TRAINING WITH WANDS Cadels enfering lhe huge mess hall for dinner

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loll around in leafher iackefs. No variefy of civilian ships hang around in fhe affernoon sunlighf. The ships now are all frainers-or PT's. They go up one affer anofher in sfeady drone. Their mofors make a business-like, defermined cadence in fhe air. The afmosphere is calmly serious, for here af elemenfary school is where fhe cadef musf prove wheiher or noi he has fhe s+uff fo become a milifary pilof. His insfrucfor is a civilian. Before fhe elemenfary period is up, This insfrucfor musf be able fo say fo his sfudenh You have fhe inherenf abilify fo fly. You have proved if by soloing wifhin from eighf fo I2 hours. You have faken your ship up and broughf if down counfless affer counfless fimes. You have done in- finifely more +han 'l'his. You have gone up alone and done acrobafics. You have foughf back your uneasiness and done loops and snap rolls. You have puf your ship in a bad spin and have broughf if ouf . . . which, as I say, proves nofhing af all excepf--you are ready fo go fo Basic School . , . and luck go wifh you. Thai' is all a cadef can hope fo gef from elemenfary school, a solid foundafion in flying and a boosf info a more difficulf curriculum. A considerable number of all who enfer elemenfary school never realize fhis hope, since fhey wash ouf for lack of inherenf flying abili1'y. Thousands, however, do make fhe grade. From fhe Primaries every nine weeks pour a new crop of cadefs, men assured of only one ihing -fhaf fhey can fly a PT, undersfand ifs simple movemenfs, and com- prehend ifs rudimenfary insfrumenf board. They fake wifh fhem fo Basic School fhis experience--and hope. LEARNING TO FLY PT'S Flying blifhely fhrough fhe air may be fhe dream of many a fufure pilof when he arrives af a primary fraining school, buf The aciual arf of successful pilofing is no fanfasy. The cadef finds fhaf if's a com- binafion of hard work, infense concenfrafion, a fear of fhe washing machine and an infangible somefhing fha? he eifher has or he hasn'+. Lasi'-minufe insfrucfion. A parachufe is beHer 'ihan a rabbif's fool. in In Top: Along fhe obsfacle course. Righf: Mass afhlefic drill.