The Key West citizen., 1952-08-21
TRAINING NAVAL PILOTS
STORY OF CADET
PILOT TRAINING
FOR u. s. NAVY


Practically every American boy
can learn to dy an airplane but
not for the Navy or Marine Corps.
The high standards. Of physical and
mental requirements are the STUN
bling block tc many. However, Of
those selected for flight training
more than 70 percent win their
wings.
The Navy and Marine Corps are
unyielding on this point; only the
best can wear its wings Of gold.
A naval aviator must be master
of precision Tying. He must fly
ever endless miles of ocean without
. single guide post, where one
slight error may prove disastrous.
He must be more than a naval
aviator. As an officer he must car
" out the duties and responsibilit-
les Of his country.
Pensacola is the Headquarters Of
Naval Air Basic Training. It is
there that the Naval aviation cadet
begins the Is months of intensive
training. NavCad is an abbreviation
for Naval Aviation Cadet. In ad-
dition a NavCad is also an officer
candidate. To qualify for flight
training the candidates must be
Is and less than n years Of age.
He must be single and agree to
remain so until after graduation.
Physically, in the eyes of the Navy
Flight Surgeon, he must be just
about perfect. To qualify mentally,
he must have completed at least
two years Of college. Applicants
are screened and selected at the
twenty-eight Naval Air Reserve
stations located in various parts
of the United States. Once selected
they are put on the waiting list
and within 40 days sent to Pensa-
cola.
Enlisted sailors and marines,
both regular and reserve on active
duty, may volunteer for NavCad
training. II they do not have the
minimum Of two years of college,
they may quality by studying in
formally until they can pass an
examination. Thus indicating their
intelligence level Is equivalent of
q two year college man. Each
cadet class contains small per-
centage of fleet personnel.
When new cadet reports In at
Pensacola, he is Immediately or
dered to Naval School of Pre-flight
where he viii spend the next Is
weeks. Here he must prove him
self in the Training Commands
hardest tests of intestinal fortitude,
physical ability, mental capacity
and officer like qualities, in order
to qualify for further training.
The biggest day for the NavCad
during his IS weeks in the pre-
flight Is the one when he receives
his graduation certificate and is
ordered to report to Whiting Field,
Florida for flight training. While
in the training period at Whiting
Field, the NavCad gets his chance
to try his hand at actually operat-
ing the airplanes that he has lived
with In text books and classrooms,
for the past Is weeks. Intensive
training follows, until he hears the
awaited "solo finished.
The solo ''hop" q matter in the
past, the NavCad win continue to
fly but he must bear down on
precision. Precision Is a work he
will hear thru his entire career as
q Naval Aviator. Everything done
must be with concentrated preci-
sion. He continues basic air work
until he could accomplish II in his
sleep. He Is ready for acrobatics.
The NavCad's next step is Basic
Training at Cory Field. Here he
will concentrate on instrument
flying. This means he Is under the
hood, learning to fly and perform
difficult maneuvers with reference
to only his instruments. He prac-
tees long hours both in the air and
on the ground In the Link Trainer
to master navigation, using only
radio aids. He must make well
executed radio transmissions and
be readily familiar with radio
procedure. Communications are of
great importance to the Naval
Aviator. Success or failure Of an
important mission can result from
faulty radio procedure. That is why
BTU-2 stresses communications in
its outline Of training.
Up to now the NavCad has flown
only during the day. Before he
finishes at BTU-2 he completes four
night flights that are purely of an
Introductory nature. Looking at the
world below seems much different
at night and waiting for the wheels
10 touch down on the dimly liz mat
has its thrilling moments. Strange
" enough, this Is when pilots win
make some Of their best landings.
In five weeks. NavCads complete
the syllabus at BTU-2 and move on
TO Saufley Field for the next phase
Of training.
When they reach BTU-s NavCads
ere well trained in acrobatics and
instrument flying but their flight
training has been on the whole