CONTRAILS.........
These visual vortices, described as interesting and
often spectacular aerial phenomena.
You've seen them in the sky...long after the aircraft is beyond
the horizon...eventually they fade from view... but not from
memory.
You know the old saw: who's the best pilot you ever saw? Well try this one: which is the best pilot training class the United States Air Force ever had?........ If you don't know, it wasn't yours.
We of 61-DELTA know....... You're looking at our Home Page.
This is our story. Our history. It is told from my perspective as an aviation cadet, if you were a member, yours may be somewhat different in the details. Click here for some memories from student Officer Clem Clement. I hope the words and pictures will trigger memories of some of the best days of your life. However, like contrails these memories are fading. In fact, There is no official USAF historical record documenting our training. That is why this page is necessary. Consider it our contrail.
We are all retired from active duty with the United
States Air Force now. Most of those who flew with the airlines
are retired Captains now. A dwindling number still fly with
airlines the world over. Sixty-Two (62) of our brothers are no longer in our ranks.
However these men, their deeds and accomplishments, as well as
those of all of our members remain in our minds, our memories,
like the most persistent of high altitude contrails.
For most of the 508 young men of our class, it all
began on the 17th of
August 1959. Quite a diverse group. Some were already in the
military ("prior circus"), some were flight seasoned and
already rated Lieutenants in the Air Force, some were freshly
commissioned from college ROTC or military academies with degrees
in their folios, some going to OTS or OCS. Still others were raw
teenagers fresh from high school. A few already had their pilot's
license, but some, like myself, had never even flown in an airplane in their
lives. Some members of the class were recruited by a slick TV recruiting message from the Air Force. To get here we had all been tested. The recruiters said we were the
best and the brightest. But they had only measured potential. The
testing had not really begun.
For the aviation cadets, on this day we gathered together at
Lackland AFB, Texas to begin a quest that would forever change
our lives. My first flight in an aircraft, was with other cadet selectees from Cleveland to deliver us to our fate. We were among the last classes of aviation
cadets. Only 61-E, 61-F, and 61-G would follow. This narrative
describes a few of my memories. Those who went through as Student
Officers should probably skip directly down to Primary Flight
Training. Pre-flight Training School
they called it. We were the pilot cadets "redbirds", identified by
the red band on our epaulets (shoulder boards). There was another
group called the "bluebirds", they only wanted to tell
the pilots where to go (navigators). They had blue bands on their
epaulets.
There was also a group known as the upper class. They
told all of us where to go.
We were also issued 2 shiny metal tags with an odd notch on one end.
Here are some other random memories of those days at
Lackland: Friday night parties (sounded like fun, but was just cleaning the barracks)...Saturday parades...the soul
stirring march music of the "Band of the West"
The Aviation Cadet Program was unique. If you could
pass the entrance tests, no college degree was needed to enter
this program. In fact if you could pass the tests, you also had the option of attending the Air Force Academy. But that option put the pilot training four years farther into the future. We were here because we wanted to fly...NOW !
This was a program with a tradition and history
that went back before Charles Lindbergh, probably back to the
first military flight school in 1909. We were privileged to be in
this program that had trained most of our World-War II and Korean
War pilots and navigators. For aviation cadets, extreme mental indoctrination
they called it, not to be confused with hazing.
Hazing had been
defined for the cadet corps by an Act of Congress, April 19,
1910.
We were tested regularly on our memorized "cadet
knowledge".
This week-end activity was called the "Tour ramp" (one hour marching for every demerit over the allowed). We marched at quick cadence (120 steps per minute) for fifty (50) minutes. A maximum of six could be walked off, three each on Saturday and Sunday.... at least we didn't have to carry rifles...for good reason probably!
Why the fast pace?...Historically, the aviation cadet
program was necessary in order to "ramp up" in short
time, the production of fully qualified aircrews in time of war
or national emergency. We weren't in a war then, but there was
another reason...We didn't fully understand it at the time, but
we were four years behind the ROTC and service academy graduates
in matters military. Their indoctrination was more rigorous and
thorough. We would ultimately have to compete with them for
promotions, service schools and assignments. We had 90 days to
catch up. However, It was here in this environment that the close
bonds of friendship were being forged. We didn't know they would
last a lifetime. We were just helping each other to achieve our
mutual goal: those silver wings. It was not easy.
After six weeks we became the upper class and life relaxed just a little. The
only real difference was that we were now indoctrinating the
lower class.
Our motivation and Esprit de corps was clear and visible to the underclassmen. Everywhere we marched in formation, we sang. Often it was to the historic marching ditty; "I've got sixpence".
We wore the youthful cloak of
immortality and our minds were not clouded by doubt.
Primary Flight Training. Now
the fun begins. In November, 1959 the Air Force had six civilian
contract primary flying training bases. Bainbridge and Spence Air
Bases, Georgia; Bartow and Graham in Florida; Malden Air Base in
Missouri, and Moore Air Base, Texas. When we arrived the skies
were filled with airplanes. We would soon be in them, and
actually flying. At these bases a group of highly experienced civilian
flight instructors would: 1. Show us new uses for our flight caps. We were joined here by the USAF Student Officers and
twenty Allied Nation classmates from Turkey, Venezuela, Pakistan,
Iran, Ethiopia, Germany, and Bangladesh. Here's
NAVAJO Flight 61-D-A Bainbridge AB. Quite a few of our brothers did not advance from
pre-flight. The "want-to" weeding out process had cut
our numbers considerably. The change from a military base to small civilian contract schools was designed for a sudden change of emphasis from things military, to flight discipline. Primary would weed out more who did not
have the necessary skills or who could not conquer airsickness.
And still more S.I.E.'s. The Moore AB Yearbook quoted what proved
to be the whole class motto; "For many are called, Few are
chosen...." I had never been in the cockpit of an airplane, and
since I'm left handed, I wondered about the left hand drive
version of the Link trainer, and eventually the airplane. My very
first visit to the Link cleared that up. Left hand...throttle, right hand...that
stick thing between your legs. One version
fits all, prepare to become ambidextrous, or else. Climbing into the T-34 cockpit the first flight was like climbing onto a bucking bronco in that we had no idea what was going to happen next. The transition from simulation of flight to actual flight was exciting to say the least.
We prepared for the first flight as much as possible. Academics taught us the aircraft and its' systems. The "Link" sessions simulated the flight. We practically memorized the Dash-1.
My roommate and I spent hours in the aircraft giving each other "blindfold" cockpit checks. We knew where every switch and gauge was located while blindfolded.
We also memorized and tested each other on all checklist and emergency procedures.
We were ready to fly!
My first T-34 flight with a kindly old silver haired
instructor named Mr. Earl Lucas.... was a real awakening. I was
doing pretty well through his aerobatics, (probably a mild shade
of green) until Mr. Lucas started his descent to RTB. It involved doing
what he called "clearing turns", making certain another
aircraft was not directly under us and out of view. Suddenly we
were inverted, going down at a 45 degree angle, rolling back and
forth from one wingtip to the other as fast as the T-34 would
roll. Well...tear off the earphones and get ready for a new c--t
cap...cause this one found that new use. It is said that anyone with good vision and reasonable
coordination can be taught to fly given time. However here the
name of the game was "you don't have much time." Some say it was
like trying to get a drink of water from a wide open fire
hydrant. We were in a crash course of academics, military
training, sessions with the "Link ladies" and physical
conditioning training in the unique style of "Coach
Hardee". As if this were not enough, now we were learning how
to fly. We were now learning what they meant by "Every man a tiger!"
To help motivate us we had to wear our baseball flight
caps backwards until our first solo. We rode the D'ville bus each
day to the auxiliary field for T-34 flights (unless we took the
first flight). We received about 9-10 hours of flight instruction
in the venerable Beech T-34 "Mentor" primary trainer
aircraft. Then our instructors told us we were ready to solo. And
we did. If you didn't solo before 15 hours, you wouldn't do it in the air force. With tight syllabus training schedules to keep...slow learners were history quickly.
ALONE...UNARMED...UNAFRAID
Performance wise, the little T-34 weighed about the same as a
Chevrolet (2900#), but was capable of a top speed of 190 mph, and
was fully aerobatic. Fortunately it was an extremely stable and
forgiving air machine, it had to be. Three new things happened here. Check
rides, Pink Slips, and Elimination rides
entered our vocabulary. Suddenly the solo rides of boring holes
and sight seeing turned into actually practicing stalls, spins,
chandelles, cuban 8's, lazy 8's, Immelmans, cloverleafs, loops,
rolls, etc.
Twenty more hours of instruction, solo and check rides
in the T-34 prepared us for the ride of our life. Our first
flight (dollar ride) in the T-37 "Tweety Bird" jet
trainer. We were among the first bases to use these noisy little
jets. Farewell to canopies that could be open in flight, mixture
settings, rpm settings, inches of throttle and magneto checks.
The T-37...Our First Jet
Well, not all of us got to fly jets just yet, some of the bases still were using
the propeller driven T-28 "Trojan" as the second primary trainer. They were caught in the Air Force's transition to the
all jet force. The T-28's were the last primary non-jet trainers.
Their Wright engined machine (800 HP) pushed them to around 280
mph, but sounded like the world's noisiest tractor. In either case, it was a major leap in performance. We
finally got to wear those shiny white "brain buckets"
hooked up to a real aircraft. It was here, after soloing, that we
began to get a little cocky....(Picture Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun')
But then how should a teenager, or near teenager, who just soloed
a jet aircraft have felt in 1959 ?, or even now for that matter. At Bainbridge our green tuxedos (flight suits)
sported this "Have Jet-No Sweat" patch:
Not having jets
prompted a slightly different tack at the T-28 bases. The exact
origin is unknown, but cadets at Spence AB, designed the
following "61-Delta Flight Patch". This patch was also
worn later by the 61-Delta Cadets at Reese and Vance AFB in basic
flight training. Were we the original "Rapid Rabbits"? This is a scan of the original patch: You may have wondered about the
61-Delta Patch... By acclamation this has become our
class emblem, and we all wear it with pride: If you're wondering;
But, back to the flying. The pure lack of propeller
and inside the cockpit engine noise and vibration, combined with
the raw power was awesome. The
fun 400 mph T-37 shown landing here in a Keith
Ferris painting, was like nothing ever before strapped to our
backsides. To a man I'm certain we'd all want one of these in our
own personal hangar today. So well suited to the task, that it is
still being flown by this generation's best! Remember your first spin in the T-37?; this is not an
airplane, it's a slippery top with wings. Also introduced here
was the concept of "hooded" or instrument flight. It
took some getting used to, but after all this is an all-weather
world. We also had to train on how to use the ejection seats. On
many solo flights we helped train control tower operators by
requesting "practice" DF
steers. As for the "tractor drivers" (we all knew
the T-28's were manufactured by International Harvester, or was
it John Deere?), they probably became better pure stick and
rudder pilots due to the power and torque of the T-28. However we
did feel they exaggerated that point just a little with their "spot
landing" challenge. In either case, if
you could fly the T-37, or the T-28, you knew you were a pilot.
In all we logged about 30 hours time in the T-34 (logging 88
landings in my case). In the T-37, we logged about 65 hours dual,
35 hours solo, with a total of 203 landings. We packed up with
about 130 hours total time in our logbooks. Leaving primary we
were told: You can fly, but now we're going to make a military
aviator out of you. By the end of primary, the aircraft was no longer just a flying machine that we climbed into, it was rather an extension of our bodies, our will.
We were not just in a flying machine...we were one with the machine.
Like the members of our class, these
primary bases are all retired from the Air Force. Basic Flight Training Some of us had more "interesting" trips from primary to basic training bases...Clem and Jay Do Texas
Only Vance AFB, Oklahoma remains active of the five
bases we went to for basic flight training. Gone are Laredo,
Webb, and Reese AFB, Texas. Gone too is Craig AFB, Alabama. At these bases we flew the Lockheed T-33, the
"T-Bird". This was one of Clarence Kelly's Lockheed
"Skunk Works"
early jet designs. It was heavy (15,100 pounds), and
under-powered (4600 pounds of thrust from the single J-33-A-35
engine) It was sluggish on the controls compared to the T-37 and
T-28's. The sluggish feeling due in part to the giant twin 230 gallon tiptanks sitting
about 20 feet each side of the pilot. (ours
were painted international orange to help us see each other I guess) That's 1500 pounds out
there on each wing tip. The tanks were necessary to provide enough fuel for the duration of training sorties.
However, it was faster than any plane we had yet flown. It could hit 580 mph (Mach .8) (it took a
while to get there, and there was only one usable throttle
position... {bttw -b___s to the wall}...and no afterburner.)
Originally designated the TF-80C, the T-33 was a close relative
of the P-80R that set the world's speed record of 623.753 mph in
June, 1947. It could also be a more unforgiving aircraft. In fact, it was a
two place version of the same basic airplane as the P-80
"Shooting Star" in which the leading American Air Ace of
all time, Major Richard Bong, was killed in a crash while
testing..
For a rough performance comparison, the F-86A of Korean War fame, weighed 13,800 pounds and was powered by the J-47 engine producing 5,200 pounds of thrust.
The F-86 enjoyed a performance advantage due to its' swept wings.
The instructors here were all USAF Officers. They did
not have the vast flying experience of our "fatherly"
primary civilians. But they knew the T-Bird, and they showed us
how to fly her. In acrobatics, on instruments, and in formation
we flew daily sorties. Our formations went from "same way-same day"...
to demonstration team quality, or so we thought. Some of us
have captured the moment on film to prove it.
Our acro, navigation and instrument flying was at its' best. This
flying was designed to smooth out the rough edges, but it also
introduced some new ones. We began to really explore the
prohibited outer edges of the T-33's envelope while out on solo sorties. Do you remember your first T-33 night solo ride?...I
do. It was the darkest night in all recorded history. High
overcast, no moon, no stars, no ground lights to speak of. Climb
on up as high as you can...say to 40,000 feet and turn off all the cockpit lights....Can
you say "Temporary spatial disorientation?"...It was
here in that instant, that instrument flight and navigation aids took on a whole
new meaning.
However, my most vivid memory of the T-bird.......
Then as I (and my accompanying 7 tons of aluminum) fell tail-first toward the earth, watching the altimeter unwind, I astutely
recognized that I'm probably outside the flight envelope...(a bad enough situation, but at least I haven't flamed-out!). I knew I had to do
something. Fortunately I did the right thing....nothing!
I'm not certain what Bill Nelson's most vivid memory
is of the T-Bird. But the question most asked at the time was
"Other than that Bill, how did the check ride go ?" In all, another 115 hours of flying and our quest was
completed. The pace and intensity of the program was such that we
didn't realize how much fun we were having until it was over. So
intense were the impressions, that even today I can close my eyes
and still revisit the smell of the hot exhaust vapors of burned
JP-4 crowding the cockpit and the entire flight line while
starting engines. Strong indeed, I still recall the feeling of
pride, glimpsing the Enid grain elevators off the wing while
leading a flight of four shining silver aluminum steeds as we
headed for initial to land returning from a tight formation
training flight. So intense that in my minds eye, I can still...almost see my
wingman.......my classmate.... By the end of this training, we were
ready to transition to any aircraft in the USAF inventory.
We owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you one
and all. The program was best summed up by this
quotation in the Laredo Classbook: "Great trials seem to be a necessary
preparation for great duties." On graduation day, November 30, 1960, only 252 members
of 61-D had the coveted Silver Wings of a United States Air Force
Pilot pinned on their uniforms. A few had washed back to graduate
with a later class, some had gone on to other USAF specialties,
one had died, the rest of the best, had either washed out or
SIE'd. Those shiny new Wings of Silver signify membership in
one of the most exclusive fraternities on earth. Our brothers are
Eddie Rickenbacker, Charles Lindbergh, Billy Mitchell, Jimmy
Doolittle, Claire Chennault, Chuck Yeager, Curtis Lemay, Barry
Goldwater, Hap Arnold...and a President named George W. Bush.
However, it wasn't the end, it was
really just the beginning. Most of the class went on to serve as operational
pilots with USAF, some returned to fly with their Air National
Guard or Reserve Units. All went on to greater accomplishments.
Our peacetime efforts in every major command helped
win the cold war.....Our combat tours, were in the most
controversial and least popular war the United States has ever
fought. As a result, our accomplishments may never be fully
documented, recognized or appreciated. Although this account tells mainly of our flying, we
were trained as Officers...leaders...in peacetime, or in time of
war. It was Nobel laureate Sir John Eccles, who wrote,
"Without memory, we are hollow persons,
not only empty of a past, but lacking a foundation upon which to
build a future. We are what we remember."
SOooo.......which is the best pilot training
class the U.S. Air Force ever had?........You're looking at us.
Our lives were completely governed by the OTM (ATC Manual 50-2) We had to read and live by this book.
The first few days were just a blur.
We were nothing but "green men" in "green
tuxedos"(fatigues). Bugles blowing "Taps and
Reveille" . We saluted everything. As the under class, we
were at the very bottom of the human food chain. Strange uniforms
were issued, everything from brogan boots to white gloves for
some unknown reason. We would find out more about the uses of these white gloves when we endured our first "SMI"...Saturday morning inspection!
We were told about that notch, why there were two of these "dog tags", and that we had to keep them around our necks always!
A uniform of the day and a window setting of
the day announced every morning, and we were introduced to a new recreation called
"pick-pick".
We kept the old honored symbols trim and neat.
My early memories include the new phrases:
"Every man a tiger"., "No guts..no glory".,
"pip check !", "I'll have one mister !" and
of course "the day the eagle defecates" (with the
princely sum of $111.15 every month). The Lackland water tower;
the capacity of which was exactly 'one' Texas jelly bean. It also
included the new world of air force acronyms like SMI and
"SAC, TAC, ADC, MAC", (ATC and SIE). The former,
the fighting commands of USAF, the latter including
self-initiated elimination. The Air Force was motivating us to
develop aggressiveness and self confidence. Extensive training in
things military and above all, the adherence to the six articles
of THE HONOR CODE. 
...the
confidence course...the parachute jump tower...the native
American DI's who advised that nobody was going to yell
"Geronimo" while jumping...U-Boat commanders firing
torpedoes..."tigering" an upperclassman in the middle of the night...or just
"short sheeting" him...a night at the Cadet Club...the
ladies "bussed in" from local colleges to mix, dance, socialize, or whatever.
The "Flying Tigers"...the Army Air Corps...the Tuskegee
Airmen...what a glorious history of achievement to be a part of.
We were aware of our small place in that lineage, we had
"Esprit de corps" before they defined it for us. Our
world was run, as it always had been, by a group called upper
classmen. They were self described as "H & T". This
was a world of regulations (ATC Manual 50-2, all 50 series
regulations).
The most dreaded words were: "I'll have one
mister!". That meant surrendering a demerit slip from our breast pocket...not a good thing!
We ate three "square meals" each day.
There were seemingly continuous inspections (Many of which
involved inspectors wearing white gloves), demerits
"awarded" for anything not according to
regulation (delinquencies).
Corrective tours (tour ramp)
"awarded" for excessive demerits (any over six (6).
There was also something called "Six (6) and twelve (12), and something called
a "Commander's Award". This was not as desirable as it
might seem. It was in fact, 26 demerits, 72 corrective tours, and
3 months restriction to base. For some there never was an
"open base".
...and for motivation on the tour ramp...the RF-84-F low passes by a former cadet who knew the drill all too well!
We were strengthening our emotional
balance while practicing self-discipline. Any award you got meant
trouble. It was aptly named a tiger program.
However, by that time quite a few of the class had given up.
(SIE).
The rest of us kept looking up at those jets in the Texas
sky.
2. Convince us we had no business operating any kind of
machinery, let alone something with a whirling propeller.
3. Regale us with war stories the like of which we now
occasionally tell.
4. Show us what precision aviation was all about.
5. Shape us into fledgling air force pilots.
Not only were they teaching us to fly, they were going to evaluate everything we did in the process. Every dual flight brought tight critique and grading on check flights was critical to continuing. The expected standards were high...unattainable for some.
However, this T-37 cockpit...was a little more complex
For perspective on the jet age we were joining, this was only a mere twenty years after the first experimental jet aircraft ever flew. (The Luftwaffe's HE-178 August, 1939)
Additionally, we could now add an old tradition to our flight
suits; the pilot's scarf. The magic words became "Why yes, I
do fly jets".
You may not have worn this patch.
Since there were 11 separate training bases and countless
different Wings and Squadrons, each having its' own patch; it was
necessary to select the one
that best speaks to the spirit of the whole 61-Delta Class
experience.
It is politically
correct since he's lifting "a toast to the host of those who
love the vastness of the sky!"
Not long after solo came a concept called Buddy
(team)
rides, that usually redefined the outer edge
of the envelope..... I wonder if they still let two students fly
together?
A "toboggan", century series in-flight refuelers will
recognize the term, also helped reach top speed.
I can assure you I was never able to catch Boeing's heavies
climbing out of McConnell AFB.
The T-33s' predecessor, the P-80 and its' later designation F-80C, served as our first jet combat fighter-bomber in the Korean War.
Lockheed cut the F-80 basically in half and inserted about 35 inches into the fuselage to accommodate a second cockpit. They also took out the six .50-cal. machine guns.
The T-33 was still in production when 61-D started our training.
Still, it would have been interesting to fly the T-Bird sans those tip tanks !
...there I
was......climbing straight up...suddenly looking at the yaw string
pointing away from me toward the sky. I knew immediately something was wrong...airspeed...pegged on the
minimum...zip! (I think they now like to use the term
"departure" to describe what happened next.)
Good thing
I'm solo...this vertical recovery... turned hammerhead stall... turned
(oops, forgot to kick in the rudder) falling backwards toward the
earth going to nearly inverted, would have earned a "pink
slip" for sure.
It was here that the advice "let go of
the stick, and it'll eventually fly by itself" came to the
rescue. Actually, at first with the sudden negative "g"
situation I was too busy pushing on the canopy with both hands to
keep myself inside the cockpit, let alone try anything to
recover. And where the hell did all this floating dust and debris come
from...don't they ever clean these airplanes out?
And what the heck would I have done? We practiced stall recognition and recovery of many kinds, but never anything quite like this situation! Looking back, I'm pretty confident no instructor would ever want to intentionally demonstrate this maneuver!
Eventually Clarence Kelly's inherent built-in design for flight
saved the day. Made myself two...make that three mental notes:
1."The T-33 yaw string must always point toward the pilot.
Otherwise you have become an aircraft "rider" and you
will
2. The lack of proper airspeed
and/or altitude will probably ruin your whole day.
3. Pay more
attention to ATC Flight Supplements regarding improperly executed
"over-the-top" maneuvers. ...looks like someone else tried this before!
(Power failure on takeoff...crash landing...under the hood on an
instrument check ride) We would like to take this opportunity to thank our
instructors. At all levels. They gave us motivation. They shared
with us the sum of their experience. They showed us the wonder of
mastering flight that has lasted our lifetime. Although that was
indeed their job...they inspired us.
--E. Thompson
These men and a legion of others...whose deeds and blood...have
made this America's most precious ounce of Silver.
Many, about 100, separated after their initial tours and went on
to fly for virtually every major air carrier. The chances are
good that you've flown a commercial airliner with one of our
class in the cockpit. Conley "Buzz" Nelson jumped ship
to the USCG after flying B-47's for four years. Nine went on to
fly as corporate pilots. Several classmates returned to Vietnam
on subsequent tours. A few even remained to help regain USAF
glory in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. We flew, fought, and
some paid the supreme price.
We lived the motto "NO GUTS...NO GLORY".
To our brothers who gave all, we dedicate this memorial...Those whose
names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall are linked on our
page of Fallen Brothers.
The class produced six (6) general officers. At one time 61-D
classmates were Commanders of the 8th
Air Force, the 22nd
Air Force, and the Alaskan Air Command, (11th
Air Force) ...simultaneously!
We of 61-Delta are very unique in that we remember the
outstanding group of young men in our pilot training class, and
that we've put our class back together the way we have. Few
non-combat units have been capable of doing this. We have kept
old friends together with a closeness that is all but
disappearing in this era. We have enjoyed reuniting and
remembering with classmates every two years beginning in 1973.
