An article I found online about my dad, "Aviation Enthusiast's Corner" aero-web.org, author unknown:
"It is amazing that more folks haven't responded here about the double-breasted bug-crusher!
MANY! Naval Aviators had instrument training in this venerable ol' beast while in the Pensacola area. If I remember correctly, they were based at Forest Sherman Field as part of METG -- multi-engine training group.
I don't have my log books handy but I believe we learned to fly at Saufley Field, in the Beech T-34B, went out to Whiting Field for mucho fun-flying in the North American
T-28B and C's.....formation, night flying, cross-countries (day VFR), very elemental gunnery and.......carrier quals!
From Whiting Field, we moved our residence back to Main Side and began training in the SNB, out at Forest Sherman.
My co-pilot was another NavCad, Kirk Stubbs, and our (superb!) instructor was a USMC Captain by the name of Earl Lovell (spouse Alda).
"Solo' in the SNB was two student pilots going up in the ol' crates without an instructor also on board. On Kirk's and my first solo hop, we had wandered around the PNS area for a few minutes when the tower transmitted an immediate 'Weather Recall' -- all aircraft return to their respective bases ASAP due to foul weather forming up. Before Kirk and I got even close to getting back to home-plate, the weather throughout the panhandle of Florida had turned to s***.
We were in a bit of a bind, even worse than we knew at the time. Fortunately, Capt. Lovell was up in another aircraft and heard the radio chatter so he came up on the air.
He told us to listen closely to the instructions we were going to receive from the ground and follow them as precisely as possible. He then got us set up for a GCA, of which Kirk and I knew absolutely nothing about! We had previously had NO training or even ground school about the procedure!
The guys on the ground knew they/we had a situation with two very green student pilots up there, but they talked us down, never letting on how serious the ops had become. We were zero/zero, PURE IFR (even though we did not have any real idea of all that that entailed). They talked us down and we greased the ol' tail-dragger onto the strip about 300 feet past the numbers.......... Sure as hell made a believer out of me as far as instrument flying was concerned.
Up to this point, we were still in 'basic/primary' training.
From the SNB and basic training, we went our separate ways to advanced training. I went out north of PNS to Ellyson Field for helicopter training.
Incidentally, I think the nickname 'Bamboo Bomber' was more aptly applied to an earlier Cessna twin-engine trainer."
Military Information: LT COL, US MARINE CORPS
"It is amazing that more folks haven't responded here about the double-breasted bug-crusher!
MANY! Naval Aviators had instrument training in this venerable ol' beast while in the Pensacola area. If I remember correctly, they were based at Forest Sherman Field as part of METG -- multi-engine training group.
I don't have my log books handy but I believe we learned to fly at Saufley Field, in the Beech T-34B, went out to Whiting Field for mucho fun-flying in the North American
T-28B and C's.....formation, night flying, cross-countries (day VFR), very elemental gunnery and.......carrier quals!
From Whiting Field, we moved our residence back to Main Side and began training in the SNB, out at Forest Sherman.
My co-pilot was another NavCad, Kirk Stubbs, and our (superb!) instructor was a USMC Captain by the name of Earl Lovell (spouse Alda).
"Solo' in the SNB was two student pilots going up in the ol' crates without an instructor also on board. On Kirk's and my first solo hop, we had wandered around the PNS area for a few minutes when the tower transmitted an immediate 'Weather Recall' -- all aircraft return to their respective bases ASAP due to foul weather forming up. Before Kirk and I got even close to getting back to home-plate, the weather throughout the panhandle of Florida had turned to s***.
We were in a bit of a bind, even worse than we knew at the time. Fortunately, Capt. Lovell was up in another aircraft and heard the radio chatter so he came up on the air.
He told us to listen closely to the instructions we were going to receive from the ground and follow them as precisely as possible. He then got us set up for a GCA, of which Kirk and I knew absolutely nothing about! We had previously had NO training or even ground school about the procedure!
The guys on the ground knew they/we had a situation with two very green student pilots up there, but they talked us down, never letting on how serious the ops had become. We were zero/zero, PURE IFR (even though we did not have any real idea of all that that entailed). They talked us down and we greased the ol' tail-dragger onto the strip about 300 feet past the numbers.......... Sure as hell made a believer out of me as far as instrument flying was concerned.
Up to this point, we were still in 'basic/primary' training.
From the SNB and basic training, we went our separate ways to advanced training. I went out north of PNS to Ellyson Field for helicopter training.
Incidentally, I think the nickname 'Bamboo Bomber' was more aptly applied to an earlier Cessna twin-engine trainer."
Military Information: LT COL, US MARINE CORPS
An article I found online about my dad, "Aviation Enthusiast's Corner" aero-web.org, author unknown:
"It is amazing that more folks haven't responded here about the double-breasted bug-crusher!
MANY! Naval Aviators had instrument training in this venerable ol' beast while in the Pensacola area. If I remember correctly, they were based at Forest Sherman Field as part of METG -- multi-engine training group.
I don't have my log books handy but I believe we learned to fly at Saufley Field, in the Beech T-34B, went out to Whiting Field for mucho fun-flying in the North American
T-28B and C's.....formation, night flying, cross-countries (day VFR), very elemental gunnery and.......carrier quals!
From Whiting Field, we moved our residence back to Main Side and began training in the SNB, out at Forest Sherman.
My co-pilot was another NavCad, Kirk Stubbs, and our (superb!) instructor was a USMC Captain by the name of Earl Lovell (spouse Alda).
"Solo' in the SNB was two student pilots going up in the ol' crates without an instructor also on board. On Kirk's and my first solo hop, we had wandered around the PNS area for a few minutes when the tower transmitted an immediate 'Weather Recall' -- all aircraft return to their respective bases ASAP due to foul weather forming up. Before Kirk and I got even close to getting back to home-plate, the weather throughout the panhandle of Florida had turned to s***.
We were in a bit of a bind, even worse than we knew at the time. Fortunately, Capt. Lovell was up in another aircraft and heard the radio chatter so he came up on the air.
He told us to listen closely to the instructions we were going to receive from the ground and follow them as precisely as possible. He then got us set up for a GCA, of which Kirk and I knew absolutely nothing about! We had previously had NO training or even ground school about the procedure!
The guys on the ground knew they/we had a situation with two very green student pilots up there, but they talked us down, never letting on how serious the ops had become. We were zero/zero, PURE IFR (even though we did not have any real idea of all that that entailed). They talked us down and we greased the ol' tail-dragger onto the strip about 300 feet past the numbers.......... Sure as hell made a believer out of me as far as instrument flying was concerned.
Up to this point, we were still in 'basic/primary' training.
From the SNB and basic training, we went our separate ways to advanced training. I went out north of PNS to Ellyson Field for helicopter training.
Incidentally, I think the nickname 'Bamboo Bomber' was more aptly applied to an earlier Cessna twin-engine trainer."
Military Information: LT COL, US MARINE CORPS
"It is amazing that more folks haven't responded here about the double-breasted bug-crusher!
MANY! Naval Aviators had instrument training in this venerable ol' beast while in the Pensacola area. If I remember correctly, they were based at Forest Sherman Field as part of METG -- multi-engine training group.
I don't have my log books handy but I believe we learned to fly at Saufley Field, in the Beech T-34B, went out to Whiting Field for mucho fun-flying in the North American
T-28B and C's.....formation, night flying, cross-countries (day VFR), very elemental gunnery and.......carrier quals!
From Whiting Field, we moved our residence back to Main Side and began training in the SNB, out at Forest Sherman.
My co-pilot was another NavCad, Kirk Stubbs, and our (superb!) instructor was a USMC Captain by the name of Earl Lovell (spouse Alda).
"Solo' in the SNB was two student pilots going up in the ol' crates without an instructor also on board. On Kirk's and my first solo hop, we had wandered around the PNS area for a few minutes when the tower transmitted an immediate 'Weather Recall' -- all aircraft return to their respective bases ASAP due to foul weather forming up. Before Kirk and I got even close to getting back to home-plate, the weather throughout the panhandle of Florida had turned to s***.
We were in a bit of a bind, even worse than we knew at the time. Fortunately, Capt. Lovell was up in another aircraft and heard the radio chatter so he came up on the air.
He told us to listen closely to the instructions we were going to receive from the ground and follow them as precisely as possible. He then got us set up for a GCA, of which Kirk and I knew absolutely nothing about! We had previously had NO training or even ground school about the procedure!
The guys on the ground knew they/we had a situation with two very green student pilots up there, but they talked us down, never letting on how serious the ops had become. We were zero/zero, PURE IFR (even though we did not have any real idea of all that that entailed). They talked us down and we greased the ol' tail-dragger onto the strip about 300 feet past the numbers.......... Sure as hell made a believer out of me as far as instrument flying was concerned.
Up to this point, we were still in 'basic/primary' training.
From the SNB and basic training, we went our separate ways to advanced training. I went out north of PNS to Ellyson Field for helicopter training.
Incidentally, I think the nickname 'Bamboo Bomber' was more aptly applied to an earlier Cessna twin-engine trainer."
Military Information: LT COL, US MARINE CORPS
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