harrym,
Thanks for your prompt and very useful replies. The total Course hours (140-150) agree well with other sources for RAF training of the period; and as it was delivered by RAF instructors, we can confidently assume that what you got would be the standard UK syllabus, and it would be the same as that taught in the BFTS (indeed one of their civilian US instuctors is quoted as saying as much on a recent Post), and in other Empire Training Schools.
Now, taking into account the fact that there was no evidence then (at the OTU stage) or later of any perceived superiority of Arnold trained pilots, the Arnold scheme appears (to our eyes) grossly inefficient in comparison with our own system. Even if the "chop rates" had been broadly similar, (which they were not), then we were turning out a product in 150 hours equal (as far as anyone could see) to that taking 200 hours by the Arnold route. That was bad enough, but when you couple it with the enormous Arnold failure rate (perfectly explainable as it was in circumstances which I have already suggested, and quite acceptable to the US Air Corps), then it would appear that the RAF lost several thousand pilots which it desperately needed.
And apart from all the hardships and mortal dangers of a Bomber Command raid over Germany, just think of a lone pilot having to
hand-fly his Lanc (no auto pilot - if he used one he'd be a dead man in minutes) every minute of
seven hours or more at night (although I suppose his F/E could give him a break). Makes you think, doesn't it ? Conversely, the Air Corps was able to provide (
AFAIK) two pilots for every operational aircraft with dual controls.
Nothing in what I have just said implies base ingratitude to Gen Arnold or his Government for their generous Scheme, which alone furnished Harris (primarily, but also others) with the vital component for 2,000+ extra Lancaster/Halifax sized crews, and for which we should be eternally grateful. It is just a tragedy that there might have been so many more. All water under the bridge, now, of course.
Cheers, Danny.
EDIT: harrym, congratulations on a wonderful piece of descriptive writing ! Chugalug has already said it all: I can only add "Hear Hear".
Upholstery on the "colonial cars" ? You were spoilt, mate (we had bare wood bunks, although there might have been something on the seats).
The evocative, throaty "Whoo, whoo" (which you could hear for miles) is with me yet...D.