News Letter 1941 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

accessory emergency unit (emergency ration of oxygen)
at extremely high altitudes under controlled,
safe conditions, until confidence in their equipment
and self ore liance in the use of itean be
developed.
Low Preuure Chaaber Used
Training in the low pressure chamber is divided
into elementary and advanced. Elementary training
might be conducted at the Pilot Replacement Centers
as part of their indoctrination and would include
experience in preventing "earblock," determination
of "anoxic level," and in the use of altitude
oxygen equipment. Advance training, available
to crew members for service flying, would inelude
training in prophylactic "decompress ion,"
experience in altitude between 30,000 and 40,000
feet and the use of the life saving accessory
~mergency oxygen unit.
Lack of oxygen discipline is the result of dissemination
of false and unscientific information
relative to the need of oxygen during flight at
seemingly low altitudes and absence of instruction
and training in flight or altitude prophylaxis.
There is no doubt but that in recent months experienced
pilots have become oxygen conscious.
The time is ri~ to develop discipline in its use
to the nov ice.
BY LIEUT:. COL. READ B. HARD INS
'LIGITI' SURGEON. KELLY FlEW
•
Colonel David N.W. GranL, Chief of the Air Corps
~ical Division, has been named to fill the newly
created position of The Air Surgeon.
In his new position Colonel Grant will serve as
a member of the Air Staff, where his function will
be to coordinate the medical activities of The
Army Air Forces. He will also retain his post as
Chief of the Medical Division, Office of the Chief
of the Air Corps.
The new Air Surgeon is a graduate of the Army
Medical School, the School of Aviation Medicine at
Randolph Field, the Air Corps Tactical School and
the Chemical Warfare School. He has been on duty
in Washin~ton since OCtober I, 1939.
•
The Flight Surgeon must be a man of vision and
ambition, a before and after dinner guzzler, a
night owl; work all day and all night and appear
fresh the next day.
He must be a man's man, a ladies' man, a model
huaOand, a plutocrat, a technocrat, a Republican,
• New Dealer, an Old Dealer, and a Fast Dealer, a
technician, electrician, politician, a mathematicia".
machinist and ambidextrous.
HelllUstbe a promotion expert, create a demand
for his services, be a good correspondent, attend
all meetings, tournaments, funerals and births,
visit fliers in hospitals and jails once a week
.and in his spare time do missionary w.lt.
He must be 2S years of age or over, married.
single or divorced, with unli~ted endurance and
frequent overindulgence in wine, wind and gab;
must have a wide range of telephone numbers in all
principal cities and villages for cross-country
purposes.
He must have an attractive home (a tent will
do), belong to all clubs, pay all expenses at home
and on cross-countries on one-third of what his
associates have, payable when Congress chooses to
give it to him.
He must be an expert talker, liar, dancer,
traveller, bridge player, pokpr hound, toreador,
golfer, diplomat, financier and philanthropist;
an authority on palmistry, chemistry, archaeology,
psychology, physiology, neurology, meteorology,
criminology, dogs, cats, horses, blonges, brunettes
and red heads.
And fur the rmor e the prac tice of med icine is
prohibited.
(Note: This is the Medical Division's own version)
BRITISH ... (Cont i n ue d From Page 9)
of Aeronautics, located at Tuscaloosa, Alabama;
Darr Aero Tech, at Albany, Georgia; Graham
Aviation Company, Americus, Georgia; and the
Southern Aviation School, at Camden, South Carolina.
Stearman PT-17's are used at all the primery
schools.
Basic Training of the British is carried on at
Cochran Field, Macon, Georgia, and Gunter Field,
Montgomery, Alabama. Both are run directly by the
Army. Cochran is another brand new field, construction
having begun last April. Actual flying
from the field began on June 4--three days ahead
of schedule. The British cadets arrived August
17. Lieut. Col, D. D. Fitzgerald, Commanding Officer
of Cochran Field, ha s found teaching the
British to be "an enjoyable expe rrence , and helpful
to both the cadets and ourselves," Training
planes used at the basic schools are BT-13's.
Return Heme In Ear ly 1942
Aircraftsmen receive advanced training from Air
Corps instructors at Craig Field, Selme, Alabama,
which is a single-engine school; and at Turner
Field, Albany, Georgia, a twin-engine school.
Turner, another new School, will have a capacity
of about 800 pilot cadets--all British--when it is
in rull operation. Also located at tne t1eld 1~ d
navigation school, where American navigators are
trained.
No cadets so far have graduated from advancea
schools. It is expected that the first contingent
will complete the course and return to England
early in 1942. Once there they will be given further
operational training with tactical units before
being assigned to actual combat.
NOVEMBER
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