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The Shortest Flight (page 4 of 6)
Until that time all attention had been directed at seeing other aircraft in the sky and avoiding them.
2 plane formation practice came first. The leader set up a gentle left hand turn and the pilot joining first saw the other aircraft as a bright speck motionless against the indigo sky.
As he flew to cut off the corner a rapid increase in closure rate would develop, the distant speck becoming a solid aircraft rushing towards him. This invariably led to a panic increase in bank to avert the impending collision, the pilot desperately trying to keep the leader in sight. There had been accidents in the Training Command in such situations of an aircraft bellying into the leader. Hopefully the wingman, with closing rates at last under control, would pass close under the leader’s tail, and climb back into formation on his wing. A student pilot’s first attempt at formation keeping were rather like a racehorse going over the Aintree jumps, surging leaps, the engine straining from max to minimum revs, cursing the unhelpful leader for not keeping still. It soon dawned on him however that the other aircraft was flying straight and level, and a more relaxed grip on the controls, together with a degree of anticipation, helped to steady the ship.
Students considered that initial formation training was the most stressful and dangerous part of the course and there were some accidents. It became rather more so as two plane formation practice gave way to four, and then six plane exercises.
When joining up now there was a vital need to keep two or more aircraft in sight, while still concentrating on controlling ones own closing rate with the leader.
Oscillations by the wingman closest to the leader, when in an echelon of three were exaggerated down the line, resulting in the outer man experiencing an increasing whip lash effect.
It was particularly unfortunate to have a French cadet in your formation. Perhaps due to National temperament, the French seemed to exhibit a reckless overconfidence which sometimes terrified the others pilots.
To hear the sound of a Frenchman’s propeller, above your own engine noise, going supersonic, like some demented chainsaw just behind your tail, did little to advance friendly Anglo/French relations.
In time it became routine to climb out from the airfield and join up in formation.
The aim of the syllabus was next to give students a first taste of weapon delivery.
Dive bombing in the SNJ was conducted against a small target moored in one of the bays. The bombs were small practice weapons.
The aircraft had no gun sight, but pilots were instructed to make a black china graph pencil mark on the windscreen 6 inches up from the cowling, to dive at about 30 degrees until the briefed altitude was reached, count “One potato, two potato” and press the bomb release. This might not have put a Grand Slam bomb down the Scharnhorst’s funnel but it was lots of fun.
The first steps in aerial gunnery did not require guns at all and anyway none were fitted in the SNJ. The basis of most fighter attack however is the curve of pursuit.
One of an aircraft pair plodded on conveniently straight and level at 140 knots. The other climbed into a position 1000 feet higher and some half a mile out on the beam of the target. The fighter then turned in towards the target, trying to judge a curving approach which would bring it into line astern at 100 yards. The attacker then broke off at the last moment as the high closing speed suddenly become apparent.
This was not an easy exercise with both aircraft starting at equal speed.
It was the American belief that the prospective Naval aviator should be properly baptised at an early stage - and this meant on the water.
Deck landings!
Some of the SNJ aircraft were fitted with an arrestor hook. This could be released (Lowered) by the pilot, but required outside assistance to raise and relock it.
Pilots on course now moved to a new airfield, suffered the inevitable joining process and looked forward to trying out this very different kind of aerial art form.
All pilots had to complete 6 successful deck landings to qualify for their “Navy Wings of Gold” and clearance to move on to Advanced Flying Training.
Preparation for this mile stone day involved endless practice carrier circuits, and Batsman controlled landings ashore. (ADDLS).
The circuit pattern was flown level at 150 feet, with a gentle descent on finals under the control of the Batsman, whose commands were mandatory. |
