FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0313.PDF
(Left) A London has just alighted and is taxying up to itsmoorings. (Above) Going down the slipway—a picture which gives a good idea of the rear gunner's cockpit andof the clear field of fire which is obtained from it between the twin rudders and fins. though the pilots used to remark philosophically that they soon got dry in the cold air up above. Now that sort of thing is all past and gone. One may get wet in a dinghy going out to the moored aircraft, but once on board one is comfortable and cosy. The transparent cover over the cockpits keeps out the elements, and, moreover, the view is excellent. Londons are much in the news just now on account ofthe cruise of No. 204 (G.R.) Squadron to Australia. No. 201 admits that it would have liked to have been selected for that job—who would uot? But at the time of the start No. 201 had not received the latest mark of London, while No. 204 had been fully equipped with it. So the Calshot squadron remains the specialist in reconnaissance over British waters, and it has probably amassed more experience of our coasts than any other unit of the Air Force. It has advanced bases off Stranraer and Oban, and it spends much of each summer out on cruises. That is when the young pilots and their crews learn to become good nautical airmen. Everybody on a flying boat squad- ron has to be a handyman and to know as much about watermanship as about airmanship. The boast of the flying boat squadrons is that they are always self- contained, and, provided they find their supplies at the appointed places, they do not need help from any man. The Training Squadron Yet, like other squadrons in the R.A.F., No. 201 is largely staffed with Pilot Officers. The CO. is a senior Wing Commander with much experience, but his officers are nearly all very young. When an officer or airman pilot passes out from his Flying Training School and is allotted to General Reconnaissance squadrons he first goes to Manston for the course in air navigation. If he is to be a boat pilot he then comes to Calshot, but not necessarily to join No. 201 Squadron. There is another squadron at that station, the Seaplane Training Squadron. It has one flight of Clouds, one of Scapas, and one of Swordfishes on floats. In that unit the pilot learns all that can be learnt (except, of course, that knowledge which only experience can teach) about the handling of marine aircraft on the water, taking off and landing. It is an old and true saying that when a landplane has landed its pilot's troubles are over. L
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
