I have just finished publishing two pictures of me on “ pprune Sticky Photos of Everybody” , a then and now. Your chance to have another laugh.
With regard to the S.B.A question thanks for the interest. Think descent through cloud might be the best interpretation . To Flight tester I see you are in Wichita Kansa. I hitch hiked there, and bought a pair of cowboy boots, and Hickok belt. We often hitched to places at weekends. Tulsa, (The oil capital of the world). Oklahoma City. Guthrie etc. Wichita , seventy miles North, was always less than two hours hitching, and on the way we were questioned about things happening in the U.K by every one, and often offered accommodation. The Americans certainly appreciate servicemen.
Back to advanced training. In the classroom, studying armaments, bomb aiming errors, bomb sight installation errors, Types of airfield lighting, and Darky.
Darky was a system used for establishing an approximate position, when lost , or when navigational equipment was U/S. T his system would give a position within ten miles of a named H/F radio station. We learned we had to use the correct words otherwise the ground station would not answer, which w ere as follows .
1/ Hello darky (3 times)
2/This is gothard fox (3 times)
3/do you hear me (2 times)
4/ over
A station within ten miles would then reply this is Marham, standing by , over. If in trouble, a pilot would call hello darky. May day, may day , may day. over. If a station heard or saw an aircraft in distress, they would call out “hello nemo (three times) do you here me , over. The aircraft in distress would then give the letter of the day. After which the ground station would give their position and ask what assistance was required.. This had to be written down in the classroom, and re-written using fountain pens (The biro pen had not been invented) in our exercise books in the evening , then memorised . We were later tested to ensure we were word perfect. Later we were asked questions on all these subjects during our wings exams.
Ringing home was unheard of, just a microfilm letter once a week to parents, saying the usual serviceman’s, every thing is fine, wherever they were , or whatever the conditions..
In the month of November 43 we were introduced to low flying. Cross country navigation, and aerobatics. Although in the classroom we were studying astro nav, using the sextant , and star positions, The navigation exercises , consisted of plotting a track , applying corrections for wind, and compass deviation to arrive at a course to steer. Calculating E.T.A. All this was done with a thing we called a computer strapped to one leg , in effect a circular slide rule based on logarithms. A Douglas protractor completed our navigational equipment at that time The course to steer was then pencilled in on a map, gnomonic projection ??? The use of Mercator charts was to come later.
Aerobatics, consisted of, slow rolls, barrel rolls, Imelmans ( a roll off the top of a loop) loops (100% look you) We could not fly upside down as the A.T 6 was not fully aerobatic , the carburettor wouldn’t deliver the gas, but with sufficient height we could glide upside down. Low flying was thrilling, and we had plenty of space over the 101 ranch. However this had to be authorized, and unauthorized low flying was a serious punishable offense..
Total hours for November were, dual 10, solo 3, link 5..
Some say good old sergeant, and others tell the truth.