Merced Army Flying School - Yearbook (Merced, CA)

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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.

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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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l I ,ff ? N' U ' f cf Wi ,,, ,',' A 'U N This is whal' makes if fly. Ready for fhe firsf ride. is fi? '14, He arrives af a primary school and affer being quarfered and fed, reporls early one morning af fhe flighf line for his firsf ride. Wifh four or five ofher cadefs comprising his group, he is assigned fo an insfruclor. Firsf he has fo learn how fo don a parachufe, which is an arf in ifself. He fhen climbs info fhe rear cockpif and sils down fo look if over. A sfick, fwo rudder bars, a fhroffle, an alfimeler and lachomefer are fhe chief insfrumenf's he musf learn fo use in governing fhe flighl' of his ship. Firs+ he hooks on his gosporfs, which are rubber fubes fhrough which his insfruclor can 'lalkg and much 'lo fhe conslernafion of many a dodo, he learns fhere is no way 'lo falk back. Ready fo go, he shoves fhe coal fo his crafe and faxis in S curves, for beffer visi- bilify, ouf fo fhe runway, All clear, fhe cadef, wifh a slighf sinking sensafion, inches fhe fhroffle forward as fhe ship gafhers speed, gradually applies forward pressure fo fhe sfick. Then, iusf af fhe righf fime, he hauls back on fhe confrol and pulls +he nose up info a long, shallow climb. Nol' so sfeep . . . fake if easy ..,. Do you wanl lo sfall fhis cra+e? lhe insfrucfor barks in his ears, A fleefing glance downward causes lhe cadef lo gulp a couple of 'limes fo keep his hearf down. The ground drops swiffly away. He circles fhe field fo gain alfifude, all fhe fime being careful fo conform lo fhe local fraffic paffern. Al' lasl' he reaches lhe alfifude for sfraighf and level flighf. Lef'l wing foo low-Pull 'er nose up-Wafch fhaf fachomefer, she's revving 'loo high-Ease back on fhe fhroflle-Hold a liffle righf rudder, fhe insfrucfor caufions. Correcfion afler correcfion burns up fhe gosporfs as fhe insfrucfor's monologue becomes a sfeady drumming in fhe ears of fhe chagrined cadef. As days go by, fhe cadef learns fhe feel of fhe plane, becomes dexlerous al' fhe more simple maneuvers of flighf and recognizes fhe various plane alfifudes and fheir relafions fo mainfaining his course. He is now ready for fhaf glorious experience when, for fhe firsf fime, wifh high spirifs and sinking hearf, he fakes off, flies and lands, wifh- ouf fhe comforfing companionship of his insfrucfor. He solos, Affer fhe solo he becomes familiar wifh various acrobafic maneu- vers. Slow-rolls, snap-rolls, loops, spins, chandelles and lazy eighfs are parl' of fhe concenfrafed 'lraining program. Then suddenly affer weeks of primary fraining, he gazes upon a new world. A world he dared nof even dream of herefofore-fhe world of Basic Flying School. He is no longer a dodo. He rapidly is developing info an Army Air Forces pilof. If he ever had a sinking sensafion upon looking af an airplane he probably has losf if by now, and when anyone asks him if he can fly, he can answer yes, sir in a low, reserved fone- buf wifh one eye cocked foward days fo come. Leaving fhe hangar. f 'ek , . .ww 'fi . MW Q .. H-M-....,, Q