Since we seem to be covering a number of those 'back in day' videos I thought I would add this one. We've all heard the expression simpler times. After seeing this training film you will see how complex those times really were when it came to flying a B-26. Lots of good remarks in the comment section as well.

 

KP duties, eh? The ending scene will never pass the mustard today. Thanks for sharing.

 

Oh, so true, and in a training film no less. I will be the first to admit I don't fit into the pc world of today. I still

PS: The wife said if I stop looking I must be dead.

 

Dave, Thanks for sharing.

I only watched the first six minutes as it is late tonight, and will revisit at another time as I am an aviation geek.

Referring back to your original comments about a simpler time. I could not help but think of my recent stay at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in NYC and having drinks on "The Connie". A refurbished Constellation that now serves as a cocktail lounge. A friend of mine that flew F-4 Phantoms off of a aircraft carrier during the Vietnam Conflict went to work for TWA as a Flight Engineer on a Constellation upon returning home. (He had three job offers before he ever sent out his first resume, as the airlines tracked him down as a returning "Jet Jockey"). I was amazed when he told me that taking the test to become a Flight Engineer on a Constellation was the hardest thing that he has ever done. This comes from a guy that did carrier landings in a war zone at night! As a Flight Engineer one of his responsibilities was monitoring all ninety-six spark plugs on the four twelve cylinder engines that had two spark plugs per cylinder for redundancy. He retired as a 747 Captain, and essentially became a data entry person. Recently when we had lunch with another long time friend we got into a discussion about the useless stuff that one still remembers. My other friend and I remembered SKU numbers from where we worked together back in the 70's. The pilot remembers the Longitude & Latitude coordinates of JFK, Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, etc.

 

After watching this again and seeing that the person in the pilots seat during the check list was a Corporal I was reminded of the old adage that military pilots have a hierarchy:

• Pilots in the military have a Bachelors Degree
• to fly planes that were designed by people with PHD's
• That are maintained by people with a high school education.

 

It is very slow at the start but well worth seeing it through IMHO; glad you did.

 

Think that the man in co-pilot seat (right side) is either first or second Lieutenant (B&W film, hard to tell color of bar). Pilot (in left seat) is Captain. I believe that is the usually arrangement, during WW2, for bomber crews.

I've read that the B-26 had a reputation as a "widow-maker." High landing and take-off speeds. Difficult ground handling. Higher stall speeds, than the B-25, A-20, and A-26. But, these inherent stability issues made it have quick maneuvering, once in the sky. Once the pilot mastered its traits.

 

My father and crew likely a Ferry Mission to the South Pacific in 1944 in a B-26

 

I was referring to the very beginning of the video when the student pilot and the instructor were doing their "walk around" outside of the plane.

 

Sorry, I missed that part of the film.