FIGHTER PILOT

[Music] I thought pilot the words conveys something of the spirit that lies in our squadrons something young and vigorous decisive wanting action at once and finding its expression in the struggle very on daily over our southeastern shores in many newsreels who have seen pictures of fighter aerodromes thick with aircraft towards which a swarm of mechanics and fighter pilots is making a determined rush [Music] you have been shown in other films the organization which controls the movements of the fighters in the air [Music] but you have not yet been let into the mind of the men who do the flying nor showing their feelings when in the air and going into a fight the long periods of waiting are a test of temperament some pilots occupied themselves actively others passed the time in sleep nor have you been shown the difficulties and discomforts in which the pilot suffers when he is seated in his aircraft let us look at the inside of a pilots cockpit with its massive instruments and then think of the hours of practice needed before the pilot can understand all their uses and employ them satisfactorily see the pilot in his kit it is bad enough to be in applying overall it cramps one's movements quite a lot but look at this the life belt used when flying over the sea it is called a Mae West rather unkindly now as a parachute it is impossible to the Pampas in a parachute [Music] and now having got our pilot into his seat complete with kept goggles and the rest of the outfit we have got to lash him in there so he will not fall out wouldn't you hate to be in a straight Wesker to this kind with only a small part of your face showing the radio telephone and oxygen masks are combined in one this has to be firmly clamped across the pilots face so that only the sound of his speech shall get into the microphone and also to prevent the oxygen leaking out and wasting itself now the takeoff throttle right forward stick central these are off the gong back to the thought of a normal boost [Music] and now up with wheels the leader looks round to see if the rest of his section are with you one is lagging a bit and he's told whist play on the radio telephone to close up and then they climb up to patrol height above the clouds it gets colder the pilot cuts off the air from his radiator to keep up the temperature and wriggles himself more comfortably into his seat five thousand people watch the needle of a height indicator up they go 10,000 [Music] still her 15,000 after that the real aircraft of the formation we've about so as to keep an eye on possible enemy attacks from the back [Music] while the leader searches the sky in front for the enemy it is bitterly cold and the curious depression and feeling of isolation that comes when flying at great height would insensibly affect the pilots fighting qualities if he were not helped by his oxygen supply [Music] suddenly the leader who has been keeping up a two-way conversation with the ground control which is directing him onto the enemy site something hey-ho there they are Jenny's depart the stream of lead from the guns and he's got him that's one down conjugation number two Jenny's bailed out but the bikes still on [Music] [Music] and that's that [Music] and sell that to the aerodrome stiffin curled but very pleased with life the pilot is brought back to realities by depressed looking Airmen pointing to a large hole in the wing the inference being that he is a bad pilot to allow himself to be shot up when you read in your morning paper that our fighters have brought down 10 or 20 enemy aircraft please visualize what you have seen today wish them luck happy landings and a good rest after Labor [Music]