The Key West citizen., 1952-08-21

Detective Frank HuStin SAID the
burglar was traced through a BIZ
cycle seen near the looted places,
a finger cut while crawling through
a broken window, footprints and
fingerprints.
The phantom, police said, is a
mild-mannered, 13-year old boy
who likes movies and comic books.
The boy, whose total loot was only
So, said he got the idea for the
notes from a comic book. After
his confession, he was turned over
to juvenile authorities.
at a target and to obtain better
score than his buddies.
Cross country navigation and
tactical night flying round out the
syllabus, at BTU-3 and the NavCad
moves on to the final squadron in
the basic training command. When
the NavCad enters the Naval Air
Training program, he is aware that
one day he will be required to make
landings aboard an aircraft carrier.
This particular feat marks the
Naval Aviator. Its an odd fact, but
most cadets set foot aboard a car
rier at sea for the first time on
the same day that they take the
landing signal officers "cut" and
the plane settles on deck with the
hook secure in the arresting wires.
Before this event takes place, the
NavCad must spend nine hours In
q Carrier Qualification Unit Four
practicing to obey the signal of
ficer. This Is accomplished on q
practice field where the likeness
Of a carriers deck Is marked out.
Learning to fly perfect approach
pattern, not too high, or too low,
not too fast, or too slow but just
right, and with precision, requires
steadfast concentration. The stu
dent must also learn to have impli-
cit faith in the LSO, Naval Avia-
tor himself, whose judgement and
signals are the law.
As the NavCad readies himself
into the plane for his first real
carrier landing, he no doubt feels
the chill Of apprehension run along
his spine. Cold beads Of sweat may
even form on his brow and on the
palms of his hands as he looks
down upon the small carrier steam
ing along in the sea.
The rest happens so quickly
that its hard to remember how he
accomplished it. He remembers
entering the landing pattern and
then automatically responding to
the LSO's signals. Once responding
to the signals Of the LS0 he doesn't
even recall seeing the carrier deck
until he takes the "cut' and drops
down aboard. Six carrier landings
later and that's all there is to 1t.
To round out and complete his
training, the NavCad must report
to the Naval Air Advanced Training
Command at Corpus Christi, Texas
for IL weeks. He may indicate his
preference to graduate as a single
engine or a multi-engine pilot, but
first consideration Is given to fleet
requirements. At present two thirds
of all student pilots win graduate
as single engine pilots and receive
assignments to carrier squadrons.
The single-engine lads viii spend
the next 120 hours of flying power
full fighter and attack type aircraft
as though it had become part Of
themselves. Everything they learn
ed at Pensacola will be reviewed,
but the NavCad win be required
to do II all with infinite precision.
They viii continue to study navi-
CATION, engines and tactics. In brief
this course Is designed to smooth
them out so they can graduate
and take their place in q carrier
squadron with ease.
From Corpus Christi single-en-
gine pilots make one last move.
They return to Pensacola where
once again they make qualifying
landings aboard the deck Of q car
rier. Now they must take IL land
ings and be launched off the bow
Of the carrier by catapult. But
there is one big difference, they
use the same heavier more power
ful service type aircraft rs used
in the feet.
The mulh.engine lads finish off
their training al Corpus Christi.
Some viii quality in the four.en-
gined Privateers and others are
introduced to the characteristics Of
seaplane or "big boat" operations
in the Marines. The multi-engine
phase requires approximately 1S7
flight hours, which qualities the
NavCads as proficient co-pilot ma
terial. This completed they are de-
signated Naval Aviators and COM
missioned EnsignS In the Naval
Reserve or Second Lieutenants In
the Marine Corps Reserve. They
are then ordered 10 Postgraduate
training in the all Weather Flight
School At Corpus Christi or 10 ae-
tive duty in the multi.engine squad
rons.
Single engine carrier pilots are
commissioned and receive their
wings at Pensacola, Florida. Some
OF these. Ike their ccunterparts