Jagan (#9488),
Tantalising, but we only have figures for the first four weeks, totalling some 15 hours, but do not show how much of this was true "solo" ie, no one in the aircraft except the pupil, "dual" (instructor in back seat to advise, can fly the thing but cannot trim, and has no u/c controls, only stick, rudder and throttle. How many weeks did the Course last ?
I went to war with 26.30 total on VV (only first 0.35 dual) over 3 months. Would include approx 100 practice high-level dives.
Q: Where did the OTU Instructors come from ? (Quis custodiet ?)
Or pupil in back, instructor in front, pupil in back can do little more than follow-through instructor and fly on stick and rudder but no more.
In contrast, I flew 10.05 in 26 days in Jan'43, but only the first 35 mins was "air experience" in the back, all the rest solo (and for ever after, although I would have a nav, or a gunner, or any odd bod, for in the early days you had to have someone in the back to work the 'wobble pump' if necessary (suppose T.C-T. would say I was the "sole" pilot !).
Surprised that the W.Ops worked C/W. There was only R/T in our aircraft - no morse key I remember.
Questions, questions !
Danny.