How was initial training for new pilots carried out in this circumstance? Would the instructors be flying alongside in their own aircraft conducting the lesson?
You were given a copy of Pilots Notes Vampire, Mustang, Sea Fury etc and told to read it. You were shown how to do the walk around inspection. You sat in the cockpit and familiarised yourself with the layout. You asked questions of pilots who had flown the type concerned. The big day arrives and you strap in with a parachute on your bum. Another experienced pilot talks you through starting the engine by leaning over you and pointing at the start button. Once the engine is running, he walks off without looking back and an airman pulls away the chocks. You get on to the radio and ask for taxi clearance and you are on your way. You make sure you keep your copy of the Pilots notes in your flying suit pocket - just in case, you know.
In my case of the Mustang on my first flight at Schofields (I had 210 hours total log book time shared between Tiger Moths and the Wirraway) I couldn't get the landing gear down when joining the circuit so went away to the training area and read the book which told me to try to yaw and rock the aircraft. If that didn't work try the emergency handle. Meanwhile ATC alerted the Commanding Officer who hoped in his jeep and went to the control tower. What with his advice over the radio and reading the emergency gear procedure from Pilots Notes Mustang on page 40 tucked away in my flying suit pocket, the gear went down OK. Re-joined the circuit at Schofields and landed. The Mustang came in faster than a Wirraway and has a much longer nose. 105 knots over the fence compared with 75 knots in the Wirra. Held off too high because I couldn't see much over the nose and hit the deck in a hard three-pointer after a longish float feeling for the deck. Good job the Mustang has a wide tracked strong undercarriage. Relieved to be on the ground though.
Same principle when pilots flew other single pilot types like the Vampire. There was no instructor flying in formation to guide you apart from the initial high altitude Mach Run on your second or third solo. That was a formation take off and a high speed dive at 30,000 ft to feel the effects of Mach tuck. The instructor would formate on you and talk you into a dive. Being experienced he would recognise the beginning of the tuck happening before you, and order you to close the throttle and extend the dive brakes before things got too dicey. If the Mach tuck was not stopped quickly in the early Vampires (about 0.76 I think), the aircraft dive steepened dangerously and elevator control became ineffective because of shock waves forming over the fuselage curved shape air intakes. At 10,000 ft the aircraft were still diving vertically uncontrolled. Several Vampires and their pilots on courses before mine were lost as it was impossible to bale out at those speeds and there were no ejection seats on the Mk 30 single seat Vampires. Exciting days for young pilots only recently graduated with their Wings. Apologies re thread drift..