FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1934
1934 - 0585.PDF
FLIGHT, JUNE 14. 1934 xf K5- GETTING DOWN TO IT : The Flight Cadets have plenty of hard work in the •workshops and rigging shed. (FLIGHT ' Photo.) jects include organisation and employment of the R.A.F., Air Force law, armament, meteorology, signals, etc. Special notice should be taken of what are called humanistic subjects. It is a cacophonous word, but what it really means is education of the mind and culture, as contrasted with instruction. This subject, too, is in the hands of a civilian education officer, Capt. de la Bere, M.A. With all the work which the cadets have to do to iit them for duty with a squadron, there is only a limited time for training their minds in other directions. Some of the home- born cadets have kit school at the early age of 17£, other cadets have come from Dominions to join the R.A.F., nearly every year from six to eight come from the schools of aircraft apprentices at Halton and Cranwell, there are Indians (five at present) training for commissions in the Indian Air Force, and at times there are Iraqis and other foreigners who come to Cranwell to get the best Air Force training in the world. It is an obvious duty of the College to make provision for their cultural education. Very wisely, the subjects chosen are English and history. The his- tory includes history of the R.A.F. and general modern history. Lectures are de- livered on these subjects, discussions are held, reading is directed, and essays are written. In the last part of his fourth term every cadet has to write a thesis on some aspect of this subject. No course of study could do more, in the limited time available, to develop a cadet's powers of original thought, analysis, and criticism. And, which is important, no man who is well read in English literature and well informed on modern history can be called • a badly educated man. Physical fitness is of paramount importance to an officer of the Royal Air Force. All good schools nowadays recog- nise that team games are a most important part of educa- tion, and Cranwell takes the same view. But behind the programme of games and physical training lies the know- ledge that a pilot must be in first-class health and fitness. His work in an aeroplane may tire him, but it does not exercise his muscles, and it is absolutely necessary that the man must take exercise Therefore games are highly organised. The day starts with a colour-hoisting parade and drill. Officers must be as smart at drill as the officers of the other Services. All the regular games are played, cricket, Rugby, Association football, hockey, etc., and the chief matches are those against Woolwich and Sandhurst. A triangular athletic contest between the three Colleges is held every year. Boxing and fencing are very popular sports at Cranwell. The station once belonged to the Royal Naval Air Service as an aeroplane and airship station, known officially as H.M.S. Daedalus, and the R.N.A.S. left behind them an excellent swimming bath. There is rowing on the River Trent at Newark, and some cadets keep sailing boats there. A great feature of Cranwell life is the pack of beagles, and they give great sport. Cadets who care for fox hunting are encouraged to go out with the Blankney and Belvoir hounds. One only needs to look at the cadets to see that they are a thoroughly fit lot of young men. Our photographs show something of the athletic life of the College, in particular fencing and the pack of beagles. Space forbids us to illustrate every feature of this subject. Religious instruction is not forgotten, but the Church of England church, of which we also publish a photograph, belongs to the old order at Cranwell. It is, in fact, an old disused hangar. Inside everything possible is done to connect the building with the R.A.F. The font is an engine cowl, and inside it an old rotary engine has been adapted to hold the water. The electric lights are suspended from four- bladed propellers. Service flags and 585 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING : A class deeply engaged in mysteries. For this sort of work the Flight Cadets wear grey flannel trousers. (FLIGHT Photo.) C.2
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
