My First Day At Ponca
Today I should be making a top for the bird table. However I am going to visit Mr Dux on the flight line, before I "get put on a fizzer" for being absent.
I am sure the day was fine, very hot, as it did remain for the first few months, with visibility forever.
Mr Dux arrived and introduced himself to about 4 or 5 of us, and then we proceeded to our PT 17. We looked at this massive biplane "don't laugh you jumbojet drivers" very few of us, although our average age would be about twenty, had ever done sixty miles an hour on a motorbike. He then went through . preflight checks, demonstrated the movement of the ailerons, rudder. and elevator. The location of the throttle, mixture control, joystick. rudder pedals, and instruments. The instruments were pretty basic , a compass, altimeter, air speed indicator, plus a turn and bank indicator. The turn and bank indicator consisted of a vertical needle which swung either left or right , the amount depending on the rate of turn, underneath which, was a glass tube, similar to a spirit level, but it was curved \_/ with a ball in the bottom. If the ball remained at the bottom of the curve it indicated the aircraft was flying level. In a turn, it indicated if the aircraft was side slipping. So when blind flying, or "under the hood" the cadet set the throttle, and airspeed. Any increase in speed indicated the aircraft was descending, and a decrease, climbing. Hence the expression from the instructor, when things went wrong . needle -ball -airspeed, needle=-ball- airspeed NEEDLE-BALL-AIRSPEED. Gyro compasses and artificial horizons were used at that time, but we were told that it was absolutely imperative that we should be able to blind fly, using only these instruments, in case every other aid had failed.
After our introduction to the aircraft, we had our first flight. First of all we had to go to stores to collect a parachute. I was asked what number I wanted, feeling
capricious I asked for number thirteen. I was surprised it was virtually new and unused. After that I always asked for number 13 , whenever I had the choice.
From my log book -- Pilot Mr Dux, pupil cliffnemo, Taxying, straight and level, climbing, descending, 45 minutes. A nice gentle introduction, and beautiful views over the 101 ranch. I was also surprised to see many " "nodding donkeys" These were machines which pumped up oil, night and day. The area was very prosperous, at that time because of the oil fields, and was the home of the Continental Oil Co (CONOCO). This company was the major employer in the area.
The railway was pointed out with its large water tank with Ponca City written in large bold letters. The wide streets , running .N.S.E or W. , the Arkansas river , and some small towns such as Tonkawa. Guthrie. Enid. This was to be useful when we eventually solo'd.
After this , according to my log book I went to the Link trainer for familiarization, with a Mr Reid. The Link trainer (GOOGLE R.A.F. in Oklahoma for a pic ) was of wooden construction ,enclosed, in the rough shape of an aeroplane with the standard controls and instruments, and responded to the joystick by tilting in the required direction. I ended the day feeling quite confident and elated, and that Mr Dux and I would get on well together. We were told that in the future, we would spend half a day on the flight line and half a day in the classrooms, studying , meteorology aerodynamics, navigation, gunnery , bombing etc, until we started night flying.
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Do you really love me , or is it your first field dressing?
(If you don't understand it, I will tell you when you're 21
Last edited by cliffnemo; 1st Jul 2008 at 14:31.