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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 2026.PDF
(Above) Formation flying, of course, forms part of the instructional routine. " Echelon to the right stepped up " is not easy. (Right) On the range: Target practice with Vickers guns. "Dud" rounds are introduced in the belts to cause stoppages. and the staff much prefers the West Country to the North. Hullavington has a large and good aerodrome, and station buildings on an exceptionally fine scale were nearing completion at the time of our visit. These buildings are con structed of cream-coloured Bath stone, which gives a very agreeable effect as compared with the red brick which is usual on R.A.F. stations. Red brick has its merits, but when it is raw and very brick-reddish it is not exactly soothing to the 'eye. Of course, if an emergency occurred, one can imagine swarms of work men with pots of paint hurriedly swarming all over the Hullavington mansions while a uni formed Royal Academician instructed them how to camouflage the whole into the similitude of pasture land, complete with grazing sheep and cattle. But for the moment the station is both cheerful and restful to the eye; and that emergency, we all hope, will not arise. The comforts and recreations of the airmen are particu larly well looked after. The kitchens are spotless, and the recreation rooms for N.C.O.s and aircraftmen, with their billiard tables, leather armchairs and other delights, would not disgrace a West End club. This is all very de sirable, as the station is rather out in the wilds, and Chippenham, attractive in its way, does not exactly sug gest a centre of hilarity. Of course, outdoor games are also organised on the station. To return to our budding pilots. There are three entries in a year, each averaging about 50. About a quarter of the total have, in the experience of No. 9 F.T.S., been air men, and it has so happened that this school has not had many direct-entry airmen pilots. Its airmen pilots have mostly come from the regular ranks of the R.A.F., and have a good experience of the Service. The officer pupils, on the other hand, are raw material, and for the most part expect to spend only four years in the R.A.F. The regular airmen come to the school in the rank which they already hold, while the direct-entry airmen pilots come as leading aircraftmen. On passing out from the F.T.S., all the air- / FLIGHT. JULY 14, 1938. men become, sergeants. A regular airman pilot retains the rank of ser geant after his period as a pilot is over and he returns to his basic trade. On entering the F.T.S. all the pupils join the Intermediate Training Squadron, which is commanded by the Chief Flying Instructor. The Air Ministry notifies the school how many pilots it requires for the various types of Air Force work, and the civil ele mentary school sends a recommenda tion with each pupil as to whether he should be trained for single-engined or twin-engined types. This recommenda tion is not binding on the F.T.S., but it is usually followed. A term of thirteen to fifteen weeks is spent in the Intermediate Training Squadron, followed by a break of a fortnight. The object of this term's work is conversion from the ele mentary types, with which the pupils are familiar, to Service types. At Hullaving ton the '' single-engined'' pupils are put into Hart Trainers, and the "twin-engined " men into Ansons. Prob ably in due course Airspeed Oxfords will be substituted for the Ansons. At the end of the term the pupils should be proficient in flying either the Hart or the Anson. During the conversion course the pupils must do instrument flying, including a triangular cross-country flight under the hood and a cross-country flight of 50 miles out and return under the hood. They must also do two cross-country flights of 200 miles, night flying, formation flying, and a height test of climbing to 16,oooft. and remaining there for 30 minutes. At the end of the term comes the examination for wings, provided that the pupils have passed their examination in ground subjects, of which more anon. In this test each pupil takes the Chief Flying Instructor up in the back seat from half to three-quarters of an hour, and if all goes well, as it usually does, the pupil is then passed as entitled to wear the pilot's badge. He then goes off on his fortnight's break, and doubtless enjoys himself amazingly. He has worked really hard, and those wings on his tunic are a
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