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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1539.PDF
JULY IOTH, 1941. FLIGHT 21 AT A BOMBER O.T.U. outside. Navigators are also isolated, though less stuffily, as they steer an imaginary aircraft on a given course over a map, with an instructor outride in constant com- munication. Most impressive of all is the Cubicle Trainer. There are a number of these little boxes, resembling in all essentials the interior of a Blenheim. In each of these a complete crew of three goes for a long imaginary flight, wearing full flying kit and each doing his own job. The flight may last for six hours, though if that time includes the lunch hour the men are allowed out to have their meal. Endurance in the not very spacious quarters of the Blenheim is one of the things which a crew has to learn. Before going in they are briefed, just as they would be before a real flight. There is a window in each cubicle, and on the wall oppo- site to it films are exposed from time to time. On this occasion the crews were doing a flight over the sea, and they saw a transport ship on the screen at one time and spotted a submarine later on. Sometimes the instructor outside showed them flashes from a lighthouse or beacon, and they had to recognise the flashes. In all respects the in- structor acted as ground control and gave them "fixes" when they needed them. For all there is cockpit drill in such things as raising and lowering the wheels, getting the rubber dinghy ready for use, and dropping dummy bombs on to a mattress below the machine. Of course, there is plenty of actual flying, too. Navi- gators and gunners do most of their air work in Ansons, which are roomy and convenient. The whole crew also does sufficient flying together in a- Blenheim. The instructors at an O.T.U. are mainly officers and airmen who have done a period in war flying and have been sent to the unit for a rest. Some of them are very anxious to get back to the real thing, for it is not given to every man to enjoy the work of teaching. It must, however, be very fascinating to see the new air crews taking LIGHT AMMUNITION : When the pupil in the power- operated turret presses the trigger, his " hit " is indicated by the appearance of a spot of light on the target which is a silhouette projected under the instructor's control. shape and to feel that the high standard of R.A.F. bomb- ing will be maintained. This visit was a very stimu- lating and encouraging experience. CANADIAN AIR MINISTER ARRIVES CAYING that about 80 per cent, of the original Empirev -' Air Training Scheme was now in operation and would be complete by the middle of September—eight months ahead of schedule—Mr. C. G. Power, the Canadian Air Minister, discussed (among other matters) the future of the scheme when he arrived in London last week. Mr. Power left Montreal on Monday (June 30th), crossed the Atlantic that night in a four-engined Liberator which was being delivered to the R.A.F., and then flew on to London. He is spending a good deal of his fortnight's stay in Britain in visiting Canadian squadrons and Canadian airmen who are serving with the R.A.F. The Empire Air Training Scheme, he said, had developed more rapidly and to a greater extent than had been expected, with the result that it had been found necessary to increase the number of training establishments beyond the 115 originally decided upon. Already many of the initial training schools had been, enlarged to cope with greater numbers of men and additional schools were to be provided. Recruits were coming from all parts of the British Empire and also from the United States. Some 70 aerodromes were now operating at full capacity, there was a steady flow of flying crews to this country and a number of complete R.C.A.F. squadrons were now being formed from graduates of the scheme, which would be extended beyond the expiry date in March, 1943, should the war continue that long Sir Louis Greig, on behalf of the Air Ministry, receiving Mr. C. G Power on his arrival by plane.
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