The following list is the sequence of flying instruction which all prospective pilots received:
1. Air experience
1A. Familiarity with the cockpit layout
2. Effect of controls
3. Taxying
4. Straight and level flying
5. Climbing, gliding and stalling (includes stalls off steep turn. High speed stall)
6. Medium turns
7. Taking off into wind
8. Powered approach and landing
9. Gliding approach and landing
10. Spinning (with instructor only)
11. First solo
12. Sideslipping
13. Precautionary landing
14. Low flying (with instructor only)
15. Steep turns
16. Climbing turns
17. Forced landings
18. Action in the event of fire (with instructor only) (including abandoning an aircraft, to be given on the ground)
19. Instrument flying
20. Taking off and landing out of wind
21. Aerobatics
22. Air navigation
23. Air navigation test
24. Night flying (record number of landings)
25. Formation flying
Dad's logbook shows that he started his pilot training at No. 28 EFTS Mount Hampden in Southern Rhodesia on 29th March 1943. From his account in the RAFVR's tale, it will be seen that this was a long awaited day. On his first day he covered an air experience of 15 minutes followed by the cockpit layout of the DH82A Tiger Moth.
But before every flight, a number of safety checks had to be made, viz
i. on approaching the aircraft, check that it is in a suitable position for starting and running up:
ii. the pitot head is removed:
iii. the tyres are correctly inflated:
iv. chocks are in front of the wheels:
v. controls are unlocked and chocks removed from the rudder:
vi. fuel and oil are correct:
vii. luggage compartment locked.
Before starting the engine ensure that:
i. intercommunicating equipment is connected up;
ii. tail trimming lever is in the fully tail heavy position: (colloquially called the "cheese-cutter)
iii. all switches are off:
iv. fuel control is on:
v. throttle control is closed.
The instructor always occupied the front seat (the most difficult to bale out of) with the pupil in the rear. The starting procedure was:
The airman swinging the airscrew is always responsible for the front set of switches whether front seat is occupied or not:
Action by pilot
Action by fitter
Checks to see chocks are in place in front of wheels
Calls "Switches off, petrol on, throttle closed."
Checks switches off, turns petrol on, closes throttle, calls "Switches off, petrol on, throttle closed."
Floods carburettor, if engine is cold (sucks in if necassary), calls "Throttle set."
Checks throttle lever in nearly closed position and calls "Throttle set."
Calls "Contact", puts impulse magneto switch (front knob of front switches) on "contact".(up)
Holding stick fully back with right hand, puts impulse magneto switch (front knob of front switches) on contact (up), calls "Contact" and keeps left hand on throttle.
Standing well clear, checks to see elevators in "up" position, flicks over airscrew with one hand until engine fires.
When engine fires, puts rear knob of rear switches on contact.
When engine fires, puts rear knob of front switches on contact.
If engine fails to start due to rich mixture, switches front switches off and calls "Switches off, throttle wide open, blow out."
Turns airscrew backwards until cylinders are clear of rich mixture, calls "Throttle set, contact." Puts front knob, front switch on contact.
Sets throttle, puts front knob rear switch on contact and calls "Throttle set, contact."
Flicks over airscrew until engine starts.
When engine fires, puts rear knob of rear switch on contact.
When engine fires, puts rear knob of rear switch on contact.
With the exception of two days, Dad flew every day until on 8th April he went solo for 15 minutes. The programme until that time was a mixture of taxying, straight and level flying, climbing, gliding and stalling, medium turns, take-offs into wind, glide approaches and landing and one hour of spinning. This basic agenda continued for a further eleven days, by which time he had logged 13 hours 50 minutes dual an 5 hours 30 minutes solo flying.
The natural reaction for a trainee pilot is to be very tense, to hold the joy-stick too firmly and to move it too violently. Some pupils never got the hang of it and were scrubbed from the course, but it was possible to fail also on ground subjects.
Dad's logbook shows that he started his pilot training at No. 28 EFTS Mount Hampden in Southern Rhodesia on 29th March 1943. From his account in the