Behind the Copilot Seat: An Enlisted Mans Perspective on Flying with Student Pilots-USAF

The book is about the experiences of a Flight Engineer flying with Aviation Cadet/Student Pilots during their training in the United States Air Force. Aviation Cadets/ Student pilots in the USAF go through a stringent training program to become rated pilots. In the 1940s and 1950s two of the aircraft used for their training were the T-6 for single engine primary training and the B-25 for multiple engine training. Vance AFB, Enid, Oklahoma was one of the bases for B-25 Training. The crew of the B-25 during the training phases consisted of one Instructor pilot, two students and one enlisted man, the flight engineer. Or two Students flying solo, and one Flight Engineer. The flight engineer flew daily four hour missions with the students, with or without the Instructor and was present throughout all phases of their training. It was required by regulations that the engineers go on the training missions to evaluate any mechanical problem that may arise and to either advise or correct the problem in the air or on the ground. Flight Engineers prevented many aborted missions due to mechanical problems. He also sometimes acted as observer during some missions The Engineer sat behind the copilot seat in the cockpit and observed all activities in the cockpit. He saw the actions of the students, their abilities and sometimes their mistakes, and the instructions given by the Instructor to help the student through some procedure that the student was having trouble with. He knew that most of the students he flew with would graduate, and also knew that some of them would wash out of the program.