Title: The cream of the crop
First published: 1996
Description: In this insightful critique of the effectiveness of the Royal Canadian Air Force in preparing its aircrew for war, Allan English describes the development of a uniquely Canadian selection system that attempted to match the aptitudes of aircrew candidates to the duties they would perform and the evolution of the RCAF's training program from a haphazard system with enormous attrition to one that became the model for many modern systems.

He also traces the development of aviation psychology and the treatment of psychological casualties of air combat. English pays particular attention to the controversy over diagnosing aviators as suffering from "lack of moral fibre" and the RCAF's response, as well as the effect of morale and leadership on the psychological well-being of, and casualty rates among, Royal Air Force and RCAF bomber squadrons.

In exploring the human dimension of air warfare, an issue that has been widely overlooked in military literature, English demonstrates that personnel considerations have at least as much influence on the effectiveness of air forces as material and technological factors.
Subjects: Aerial operations, Canadian, Aeronautics, Military, Airmen, Canada, Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Aerial operations, History, Military Aeronautics, Psychological aspects, Psychological aspects of Military aeronautics, Recruiting, enlistment, Training of, World War, 1939-1945, Aeronautics, biography, Aeronautics, canada, War [MESH]
Places: Canada
Time periods: World War, 1939-1945
LC classification: D792.C2 E55 1996