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WW I Pilot Training
Shot at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas in 1917 and 1918, Aviation Training in the United States is a rare documentary record of World War I pilot training. In this slightly edited version of the silent film, cadets are shown working on airplane rigging inside a hangar; looking down on “targets” from a balcony-like Artillery Spotting Classroom; field-stripping a Lewis machine gun; making small plaster practice bombs using wooden molds; receiving instruction on bomb release operations; using Morse code to identify enemy planes; practicing marksmanship on the firing range; and studying the bomb release mechanism in a mockup of an airplane fuselage. The action then shifts to flying as the cadets are dismissed from their classroom, sign out their flying gear, and climb into Jenny trainers. As the student pilots fly, other cadets sit watching from bleachers while an officer grades the aerial maneuvers. After landing, cadets inspect the airplanes and move the control surfaces. This is followed by a closeup of a cadet during takeoff and climb from the airfield, and scenes of soldiers fastening aerial bombs under the fuselage of a Jenny. After a practice bombing run and shots of a cadet practicing with a machine gun mounted on the airplane, there are scenes of Jennies flying in mock dogfights, performing aerobatics and landing. The film ends with the cadets back on the ground, standing and marching in review. (09:55)
Video: National Archives and Records Administration
Related Article
How They Trained
Rare archival footage shows Army pilots learning to fly Jennies in 1917.
By Phillip W. Stewart
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Comments (2)
I am curator at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. Montrose was the first operational military air station in Britain, set up by No2 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps in 1913. It was used to train pilots and found new squadrons throughout the First World War and again from 1936 to 1945. American pursuit squadrons trained here in 1918. It is great to see pictures of Curtis Jennies in flight. They were used at Montrose.
We are setting up a series of Interactive displays on the theme of "Training Pilots for war", covering training in both world wars. Is there any possibility of us getting a copy of the video?
Posted by Daniel Paton on June 28,2011 | 08:32 AM
Put me in!
Posted by Leighton on January 13,2012 | 08:21 AM