Subject: What it took to get wings in WW II.
From: (buf3)
Date: 7/15/03 8:32 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

My pilot training class was 56U. I flew PA-18s and T-6Gs at Hondo AB,
TX and B-25s at Goodfellow AFB, TX. The class was a combination of
student officers from the ROTC programs and Aviation Cadets. I think
the overall washout rate after starting training was slightly less
than 40%. I remember at lease one SIE (self initiated elimination).
After getting my pilot wings I was sent to AOB (Air Observer
Bombardier) training at James Connally AFB because I was going to SAC
in RB-47s and Gen. Lemay wanted one of the two pilots to be triple
rated. I got navigator wings from that school and was rated as
navigator and radar bombardier. We were called "triple headed
monsters". As a new co-pilot on an RB-47 I helped the RN with mission
planning and celestial precomps. I did all the sextant work from a
port at the co-pilot's position. I also plotted all three star fixes
on a Vaid computer as a back up to the RN and gave him a range and
bearing from the assumed position for a cross check. I never made a
radar bomb run in B-47s or B-52s, but I think I had a better
understanding of the N and RNs jobs because of my training.

Gene Myers

That is impressive. We always welcome experienced military fliers here on this
NG. Can't have too many of them. I remember when the idea came up of making
B-26 Bombardiers also qualified DR navigators It was revoutionery to get one
more guy off the B-26 crews. Now multiple task crew members are routine. And
it is all for the best. The more you know the better. Although we just had to
know DR, we were also breifly trained in celestial, which we never used, yet
guys washed out because they couldn't derive the astro tables or get through
the HO-216 fast enough. BTW, that 40% washout rate in your class was just for
flying school, right?


Arthur Kramer
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer