Next was the first tentative flight at sea taking off and landing on a moving ship.
They might have completed their training, but lacked practical experience. Flying from the ShipĪt last, the pilots were assigned to ships. The aircraft carrier depicted is the Independence-class light carrier USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24). Navy aircraft carriers during the Second World War. Diagram showing the landing pattern of U.S. Hours of flight time went into practicing on small stretches of a runway, mastering the skill before the pilot went anywhere near a real carrier. At the last minute, the pilot cut the engine and dropped onto the deck, the hook catching a wire to stop the plane. Signals from the shipboard crew were observed to check that all was well. Speed was cut as much as possible without falling out of the sky. Landing flaps, wheels, and tail hook all had to be deployed as the plane flew low toward the ship. One of the most important advanced skills and one unique to Navy pilots was the ability to land on an aircraft carrier.
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For example, a dive-bomber had to find out how to head into a breath-taking controlled dive, target the bomb while falling, release at the right moment, and pull safely out of the dive. In them, they learned the techniques of their specialty. Others, by either choice or default, went into other specialties, such as flying the SBD Dauntless, a scout and dive bomber.Īt that stage, they often got to fly modern combat aircraft. Fighter pilots had the most exciting roles, due in part to the reputation ace pilots had gained during WWI. Specialist Trainingĭuring their training, pilots applied for the specialty they preferred. Army Air Forces North American AT-6C-NT Texan trainers (s/n 42-43925, 42-43929) in flight near Luke Field, Arizona (USA), in 1943. Obsolete combat aircraft were also used, providing an experience closer to the real thing while not using up planes that were needed.Īt the advanced level, flight training included formation flying and gunnery. Then another 28 in intermediate training – 18 hours after they had been assigned to a type of plane.Ī lot of these flights took place in training planes such as the N3N and the T-6 Texan. 69 flight hours were expected during basic training. Flight Training – In the AirĪlongside the classroom learning, pilots gained experience in the air. Some of it was more directly practical: the capabilities of the planes angles of attack the best positions from which to kill an enemy aircraft and how to pull out of an impending crash. Some of the learning was broad: covering the science of aerodynamics and how to think in three dimensions. There, the trainees’ college degrees became important. It was classroom based, and much of it was rooted in maths and science. Flight Training – On the GroundĪ lot of theoretical knowledge was needed before a pilot could undertake the practicalities of combat flying. US Marine Corps N3N-3 over Parris Island, 1942. If they got through the basic training, pilots moved on to the intermediate and advanced stages. It sifted out men who struggled with flying at all, never mind in the difficult circumstances of combat and aircraft carrier landings. Training usually began with learning to fly an N3N Canary, also known as a “yellow peril.” The biplane was made in the Navy’s aircraft factory and was used mainly as a training machine.īasic flight training was the stage with the highest drop-out rate. If they passed the necessary physical tests needed for service, the recruits then moved on to initial training. Vernon Micheel, who served on aircraft carriers in the Pacific, was directed to the air corps by a Navy recruiter who noticed his college degree.
Recruiters kept on the alert for such men. They had to be between 18 and 26 years old, ensuring young, healthy candidates with a long career potential. All potential pilots had to complete at least two years of college, to prove their intelligence and provide them with a decent level of education. Even with the slight slackening in the demands placed on Navy pilots, the bar for entry was kept high. During the late 1930s, the Navy shifted from producing a small number of superb pilots to producing a larger number of excellent ones.
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