Subject: Instructors: is no combat better?
From: (OXMORON1)
Date: 3/9/04 7:40 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:
Art,
If I had to do it all over again, I would prefer the leavening of experience
in
the instructors that I had in the 60's.
Learning it all the ATC way or the SAC way or the MAC way or the TAC way was
not conducive to gaining general knowledge and learning "why" something
needed
to be done.
The "how" came in crew training under the specific command that you were
going
to after initial training.
It was nice to recall something that an instructor from another command had
given you as a"tip" when you were lost for 14 hours with nothing working and
about to bust an ADIZ or a miss an important item.
The Air Training Command system of the 60's (You WILL do it this way!) wasn't
always the best way, or easiest way or smartest way.
An old B-47 Nav/Bomb taught me things about the radar set that no C-124
flight
lunch inspector ever thought about trying. An old C-47 nav taught me how to
repair a sextant that probably saved my rear at least once over the pond.
A navy CPO nav taught me noon day fix proceedures that worked more than once.
The main thing I got out of Air Teaining Command was accuracy and pacing.
Experienced people from other places taught me how to improvement my
"judgement" and smooth out the rough edges.
Rick Clark
GRID still sucks!
Of course you are correct. We learn from everyone wherever and whenever we can.
I remember one gunner telling me how to tell in advance whether an enemy
fighter coming in at you will pass over or under you. It makes a difference
because if he will pass over he belongs to our top turret gunner and if he will
pass under he is the waist gunners meat. Anyway, he said that if the fighter
starts his fighter approach and has dropped his inside wing and is swinging h s
nose toward you. then rolls over on his back and makes his attack firing
inverted, he will pass under you. But if he comes in straight, he will pass
over you. And you know, that guy was right. Bless those who have walked the
walk and lived to tell us about it before we found it out the hard way..
Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer