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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0436.PDF
444 FLIGHT, 6 April 1961 VOODOOISM IN SUFFOLK Peel-off by Capt Duane E. Boye, flying 60018 in company with Capt Foster. Below each fuselage can be seen a bomb dispenser, which carries half-a-dozen 251b practice bombs ments). He is assigned to one of the four flights in a squadron, eachhaving approximately seven pilots with a captain as flight com- mander, the latter briefing the newcomer on all he should knowabout the organization of which he has become a member. Then it is time for the new pilot to start flying the Voodoo. He is obviously no stranger to the cockpit when he climbs intothe aircraft for his first flight; all the procedures and drills have been well rehearsed. But this time he is all on his own as there are nodual F-lOls on the Wing; but nothing has been left to chance and he is as fully indoctrinated as possible. His initial flight is madeunder VFR conditions and afterburner is not used for the first two take-offs. During what is called the check-out programme or "transition"(i.e., conversion) period, ten flights are made: they cover such conditions as asymmetric performance; maximum rate of turn;maximum g; instrument climb and descent; formation; night flying; cruise control; navigational cross-country to check cruisecontrol. The Voodoo has radio ccmpass, TACAN and UHF; but pilots are required to be able to navigate without radio, by deadreckoning and map-reading. At the end of his transition, the new pilot is given a check flight (by an accompanying Voodoo, a technique used throughout the Wing) lasting approximately 2ihr.He has by then done about 2Ohr flying in the aircraft. He is now ready for up-grading and starts his "combat-ready" training.This involves GCA approaches; navigation (maximum range cross-country without radio aids and low-level cross-country atbetween 300 and 1,000ft, usually done over Northern France, regulations being "very strict on where you fly"); bombing, doneeither on the Jurby range or at Wheelus or at Suippes in France (near Reims); flight-refuelling, contact being made on UHF/DF,the tanker having its own radar from which it gives a course to steer. The Voodoo's endurance with no overload tanks is a littleshort of 3hr, or 2hr 30min with a landing reserve, on 2,250 (US) gal. With overload tanks of 450 gal each it is at most 3hr 45min, thoughmore usually 2hr 30min or 2hr 45min. Including his trip to Wheelus for bombing, and eight or ten sorties there, the new pilot does 40or 50hr flying before he can begin to be considered to be in a state of combat readiness, and this normally takes three months. Alltactical training comes under the supervision of Col William D. Dunham, a veteran World War II fighter pilot. It is monitored bythe evaluation section, headed by Maj C. R. Osborne, one of the most experienced F-101 pilots (over 800hr on the type) on the 81st. Four of the 81st Wing's Voodoos reflect the Mediterranean sunshine as they cross Tripoli harbour
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