ROWE MISSION #8 - 3 October, 1944, Tuesday

18
Classification - Preflight - Primary - Basic - Advanced - B-24 Transition - Crew Assignment - Flight to Europe
BT-13 “VULTEE VIBRATOR”, THE BASIC TRAINER USED AT PERRIN FIELD, SHERMAN TEXAS
altitude and smoothness of control.
5. Steep Banks - Student pilot put airplane in a bank
of 40 to 60 degrees, had to maintain it until
a smooth turn was achieved, then return to
straight and level flight. A smooth turn,
constant altitude and safe air speed were
required.
6. Glides - Student pilot put airplane in a power
glide without flaps, with appropriate air
speed, safely above stalling speed, and made
a 90-degree turn in each direction and had to
maintain constant air speed and vertical
speed.
7. Position Plotting By "Intersection" - Student pilot
would take bearings on two stations (three if
possible) and plot position on chart.
8. Radio Range Orientation - Position was unknown
to student pilot and within 10 minutes of a
radio range station. Student had to tune in
the radio, bracket the beam, follow it to the
station, and recognize the station and
letdown using standard procedure for
range and station.
9. Radio Compass Low Approach - Using radio
compass, student pilot would follow
needle to station, turn to reciprocal of
station to field course, lose 2/3 thirds of
excess altitude out-bound, execute turn,
lose remaining excess altitude, cross
station and make a final descent to
minimum altitude over field.
10. Stalls - Student pilot placed airplane in a glide
without flaps, engine completely throttled, and
slowly reducing air speed to a complete stall and
then had to regain normal gliding speed.
Proficiency was based upon avoidance of
tendency toward a second stall during recovery
and ability to hold plane from turning or dropping