Merced Army Flying School - Yearbook (Merced, CA)

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NIGHT FLIGHT gy L. ,, sez-mmm mfwwwj' S ww ' -riij' 5 . . , F H W M ,. , , ,L., . , Kyxl m','L1 ' m'kk p i V? A-'.- Y,'A1 ,. A . T ., V .,.., 1 A -s T 'A 1 . ., ' f E .. i ig Y ,- E 1 g,,, E ,, an . E . I ,P ' K - , fs ' -- , 'Elf-. Lx Y ' WI 1 if 'Gif fi... - u . A' P A . .,kL f -v H ,EL I K iQr.i.aL ., ' 4.4 ? Q i m - .,. f V f - L , 3 , L,. ..,, . 1 K iz .V ,gn :gg . E ,ii q, is .,,,. ', , K 5 H ,- 5 ' - V IR , xml' N' reg: K - a K ' N ..,, ' , , . - . A- .. T A T f f s Q f A ,. ' L liii is .L ' W il A M , 'W ' HITVHNEHT THHININH Where fhe pig iron is 'iaken and molded in+o fhe finished product The +hird and lasf phase in an avia- fion cade+'s lraining is ai' Advanced, and il' is here lhal' +he polish is applied and 'rhe kinks faken ou+ before sending him ou+ as an officer. For +he firsf lime, +he cade+ is considered a pilol'-and 'lhe insfrucfor, his flighi' commander. He learns 'ro carry +he responsibili+y which will soon be his-+0 know ihai' in his hands are fhe lives of orhers as well as his own. Having comple+ed Primary and Basic fraining, +he boys decide 'I'hey're pilo+s and +ha+ fhis Advanced si'uf'f isn'+ going +o gel' +hem. No Sir! AHer handling fhose basic frainers, +he AT's are going +o be easy. All goes well-fhe cadeis repori in. No hazing from +he upperclass-in facr, no +rouble a+ all as long as +hey remain eager. The firsl' +en hours of 'Flying a+ Advanced is devoied 'ro fransifion. During +his 'rime 'lhe cadei' learns fo handle fhe 'fasfer and heavier ship wifh i+s addifional equipmenr, such as re+rac+able landing gear, hydraulic flaps, and consfanf speed prop. These are fhe days of worry, 'For whai' cade+ wan'l's 'Five sfars? However, +he lime goes quickly, and 'rhe cadefs say Goodbye 'io lhe 'lime when +hey could 'rake up a plane by +hemselves and fly as fhey desired, for formalion flying walks in 'Phe door and remains. lns+rumen+ flying is an imporfanl' par+ of 'rhe iraining, pari' of if on fhe ground in fhe Jeep 'A' Leif, Top: THE OLD PUSH-UP is a siandard man killer in The Training Cenlers, bu+ cadels, becoming fougher and iougher, refuse +o be fired, come back for more. BoHom: Final Exams.

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IHHININH ..... lnslruclor's favorile melhod ol demonslraling plane alliludes is wilh his hands. Below: An inslruclor explains a formalion maneuver while cadels follow lhrcugh. Al basic he malres his lirsl sundown lrelr lo lhe llighl line, and, aller many anxious momenls, and by lhe lighl of lhe moon lil he is luclyl he shoves his plane up loward lhe conslellalions and realizes he is making his lirsl nighl llighl. Aller lhal comes inslrumenl lraining, and more nighf flighls, and cross-counlry llying and more nighl llighls, lhe use ol lhe radio, and slill more nighl llighls. By lhis lime also, he has learned ll-nal lhere is such a lhing as flaps, and has learned how lo use lhem. Wi+h his hair slanding on end he perceives lhere are limes lo use llaps and limes nol lo use flaps. Finally, comes lhal day when he happily walches lhe upperclassmen Cadel mess. s move on lo Advanced Training. A sell-salislied smile spreads across his lace, lor now HE is an upperclassman. lmmedialely, he lurns lo lhe new arrival lrom Primary and barlns, Brace lhere, Misler . . . Where did you gel so gross? Whal counlry club did you come from? There is lillle lime lo lord il. His lime now is lalren up sunlr in navigalion problems lo prepare him lor cross-counlry llighls. He is quile busy gelling a lirm hand on his lriclny BT. Basic seems lo become very gross loward lhe end. The cadel becomes conscious ol a new world, lhe lasl lo be lhoroughly loured before he gels his commission lo lhe world lrnown as Advanced Fly- ing School. Basic lrainers on lhe line. A ' 3 5 W- H A- ii? A l 's si E 7? ? 1 5 is

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.,,,,-I I 2 .- M :4',Wn. QSM, XZYXNDTXZXIYXN HZIEHD Ready for Gxygen Hop. lLink Trainerl which handles iusr like +he real airplane. ln +hese are +augh+ fhe procedures which are la+er prac- 'riced in fhe air on 1'eam rides under rhe hood. Al+i'I'ude Flighfs are made +o accusfom cadefs fo fhe use of oxygen and 'rhe reacrions of +he plane in fhe lighfer afmosphere. One of +he mos+ fhrilling of all 'lhe cadel' missions is +he firsf nigh'I' cross-counlry +rip. Having flown nigh+ local a+ Basic, nighl flying i+self is nor so unusual, bul' 'ro follow The lighl' lines 'io anolher cify means a new s+ep in +raining. Flying +akes bu+ half of fhe day-+he remainder is spen+ in +he classroom, a+ a+hle+ics, or drilling. Then for +en days, fhe class has a break in +heir advanced rraining-'ren days of gunnery pracrice a+ Closeup. Above, Top: AT Advance Twin Engine Trainer. BoHom: AT-6's on The line ano'l'her school. Here cadefs pracfice ar ground and aerial gunnery. Wifh machine guns moun'red on +he lrainers, each man shoo+s several hundred rounds every day. Yes, af any advanced 'flying school is +augh+ +he necessary sub- iecls which any Army Air Forces pilol' mus'I' know, fo prepare him for service in +he field as an officer. Bank her This way. Wafching 'lhe flight Trainer wifh conirol unil. Tes+ing 'lheir oxygen masks. Ground crew off duly, buf sfill +alking shop M , il A r , i . . ll 'mf Q ,N gf? 'T' vm:-U