KEEP EM FLYING

[Music] [Applause] [Music] Behind These daily headlines lies the story of the men behind the Flyers The Men Who keep them flying what's their story now let's see take this Advanced American aird drone besides the pilots who fly these ships let's have a look at the other highly trained soldiers who help to get the planes in the air and keep them there it takes metal workers welders Machinists and mechanics to keep the motors turning weather observers to tell the pilots when they can take off these and many others not so long ago they'd never felt the weight of a GI shoe or the scratch of an OD shirt yet now see how naturally they go about their routine jobs jobs without which no air combat Mission can leave the ground in life he was already a mechanic so of course there wasn't much of a problem assigning him to this work or in putting this man into radio because as plain John citizen in the Acme radio repair shop he learned to do this job with his eyes shut and this armor wased for his job in the Air Forces by uh-uh what's this this is just the point here's what your expert armor was doing a few short months ago and don't think he's any exception either to the Daily classification problems of the Technical Training command you take salesman soda clerks entertainers these men in thousands like them will become specialists at highly technical jobs looking for an opportunity huh Joe trying to fit yourself for something well don't get any gray hairs worrying son because the Army will be taking that problem off your shoulders pretty soon now it happens every day starting at basic training centers like this all these men have been in the Army a fast week and have been assigned to the Air Force for three whole days they've just completed their preliminary examinations you know mathematics mechanical movement and aptitude tests and are about to have individual interviews with the men who are already skilled the process of classification is comparatively easy but it's quite a problem with the unskilled men the fells like well here's Joe again suppose we stick with him for a while and see how it's done that's the list of schools in the Technical Training command there's certainly a wide enough Choice isn't there Joe he your work now you men know that you have three schools to choose from if possible we try to give you a first choice if we can't then we try to give you a second choice and if we can't do that well we hope that the third choice will be okay but you'll find that out when you begin your individual interviews now about the test you've been they tell the interviewer what you are most capable of learning and indicate what job you might be best suited for the test of fair remember that our job here is to help you men so here are a couple of friendly tips the Army isn't trying to talk you into anything that's why you have your choice of schools but uh don't take for example radio simply because you fellas might have a a girlfriend in Chicago and you think you're going to be sent to the Stevens hotel and don't look for soft courses because there are no soft courses in the Technical Training command if one job takes less Brawn it'll require more brains and you can forget about the safe spots too cuz wherever our planes are fighting you'll be there with them and finally bear in mind that the interviewers do care what happens to you that's why they're here so tell them the truth don't listen to a lot of and Bull stories about how to get ahead in the Army there's just one way and that's work work hard for the duration in 6 months all right man let's begin the interview as you were Summers Joseph Albert Baker sit down Joe thanks cigarette no thanks relax this is the end of into the line I've been wanting to ask a million questions but I I know I know and and nobody would listen to you just wait a minute while I transfer these grades onto your form 20 this form travels with you wherever you go in the army Joe how did I make out on those Tas pretty good Joe what did you do before you got into the army oh little bit of everything I guess uh delivery clerk with the express company and a job at my uncle's leather goods Factory had any Machinery there no just sort of a general helper I didn't stay at the leather factory long though spoil my appetite for steaks and then uh one summer I worked on a a riverbat sort of a steward and a mess boy but uh that doesn't mean I want to do permanent KP no I know I know I um I see here you're a high school graduate were you a good student oh fair you know about the middle of the class Joe um what did you want to do before the war came along frankly I don't know just sort of marking time eh sort of I see here that your your hobby is gardening yeah I um I put that in because when I got to thinking about it I really didn't have a hobby you know the Army's had me doing a lot of thinking lately about things I can't do and things I don't know that way with a lot of us Joe I was just about to get my teaching degree in college when I came in the army well I see that uh photography is your first choice any particular reason well tell the truth I I don't know that either when I saw that list of schools on the Blackboard I I suddenly realized I didn't know a darn thing about any of those places and well see I I used to take pictures with a little brownie camera of mine but but that's about as far as I ever got well that's not quite far enough Joe the the Army prefers professional photographers they have an ample Supply and more coming in every day I think you better forget that one well that's okay with me now your next choice is clerk well you you type if I use the hunting PEC system yes well I use that myself but that's not quite good enough for the Army they prefer the Touch system well my uh third choice is Radio I know what you're going to say because I've been trying to say it all along I don't know what I'm doing in the Air Force in the first place that's easy you're here because the Air Force needs you and we don't expect a man to fit into a job just one two three that's why all these tests and applications and waiting and that's the purpose of this interview now I see by your grades that uh you're good enough to go to Radio school but I don't know if I want to go to Radio school I just put that down because I had to choose three I guess I'm just a dumb guy who can't make up his mind no Joe you're not a dumb guy I can tell tell by talking to you you're intelligent and you have the aptitude to study any one of a number of the subjects that are taught in those schools but suppose I should decide on a school and and you don't think I'm suited to go there well then I'd have to pick one for you but we'd rather that you made the choice and if it's at all possible the men get the choice well we're right back where we started from because I don't know enough about these different schools to pick anyone in particular besides I I didn't join the Army to go to school again in heck there's a war going on if I were going to be a pilot or something I know I know exactly what you mean in the first place you're not just going back to school again you'll be trained for highly important combat duties in the second place that that pilot you spoke of he couldn't even get off the ground if it weren't for the men in the Technical Training command and in the third place well maybe it'll be a little clearer if we take a look at this list of schools and see just what happens in each one now if you pick airplane mechanics for instance here's the kind of school you'd be going to that might be you Joe marching to class after morning cha a regular school with with classes well it's not just books and paper it's the real thing you work with the actual parts from propeller to Rudder from cylinder to bomb rack whatever it is you touch it you handle it and that's how you learn first the name of your tools and how to use them and second the different parts of an airplane the various systems which make a plane fly are taught on mockups or demonstrator boards like this one of the electrical system from which you progress to the actual installation of these systems on the planes themselves the hydraulic system which operates the Bombay doors breakes Wing flaps and landing gears such as this one used on a big four engine bomber boy what a wheel imagine that when it hits the dirt here's where you learn about it Joe and see that man way over there on the right yes well he knows more about Fuel and oil systems and engine induction and he can teach it to you even though you do start from zero and a mechanic doesn't just work on engines either far from it you'll know every part of a plane take variable pitch propellers they'll tell you just how they work you learn how to break them down and down again until see this you get to the very core and not just propellers either but airplane structures such as wings flaps aerons and after a student has the combined knowledge of airplane structure and engines he uses it on all types of planes well I know that one it's a P40 that's right it was fished out of the ocean but it will fly again when these men are finished with it or here big bombers like this B25 or specialized jobs like this observation plane here's a motor on a testing block the instructor has deliberately screwed it up it's the mechanic job to discover what's wrong and fix it if they can stand up long enough the air force figures if they can pass this test they can handle any problems that come up in actual combat because that's where these boys are headed and there are no instructors out there that looks like the real thing it is on combat Fields like this you have to work fast under tough conditions but what of it you're trained to get that plane in shape the whole crew Bombadier Navigator Gunner pilot have faith in you Joe when that plane hits the sky it better be perfect and it is the mechanic isn't the only one at the combat field the sheet metal worker has plenty to do and to learn how he starts off with mechanical drawing he actually draws those Blueprints and that's how he learns to read them then he makes the actual parts from the blueprint like this piece part of the trailing edge of a wing you learn about metal and all that stuff sure you handle the metal yourself get the feel of the tools that mold and shape those hundreds of parts put them together that spells airplane you learn how to rivet fast those rivets hold the plane together he learned to do electr plating to protect working parts against rust and corrosion the natural enemies of metal you repair radiators that have flown thousands of miles mil bounced up against machine gun slugs an enemy Flack he learned to take a few stitches in the plexiglass that protects the Gunners and bombadiers not to mention plugging up those bullet holes in the fuselage itself next time they're doing this it may be on a combat field anywhere from Egypt to Alaska of course you you never get this many bullet holes from Real Enemy fire these are just practice sections that uh I beg your pardon those are the real thing made by Jack BS you've got to keep on your toes on a combat field because you never know what'll happen yeah I see what you mean uh-huh one more job for the ground crew including the metal worker that plane must be repaired in a hurry she's got plenty of fighting still ahead boy the metal worker sure sees action all right and the welder he's the metal worker's pal and Buddy he handles the hot stuff and Joe it's hot the welder being part of the team naturally has got to learn the properties of different Metals but most of his time is spent in getting right down to actual welding the more he's done the better he'll be by the time a fellow has completed the welding course he knows the two types A settlin and that's the process of gas weld welding and brazing welding with electric Arc this welder may have to repair a gas tank that's been badly hit he has to be plenty careful some Pilots going to need that gas and while he's working at that job another man the airplane machinist has learned to make a whole new part for that tank and now does it fit perfect with The Machinist work related to the welder and metal worker it's obvious that he too be trained in maintenance supplies and mechanical drawing but soon you're using these machines yourself machines that make vital parts for planes blades grinding machines Milling machines Shapers and here's another thing the process of heat treating metals that gauge reads over 1500° yep and when the metal is nice and warm you'll quench it plunge it into a liquid to cool this process is called tempering it hardens the metal now if you think those machines that you've seen so far have been big just take a look at these jobs and by the time a soldier finishes his course at machinist school he can operate every one of those big babies man that's a skill you can always use even after the scraps over yes Joe that's true of every job in the Technical Training command see this part it has to be accurate to 1 10,000th of an inch or else yes sir a pilot must know that his ship can take it boy look at that baby go and who put her up there the mechanic the metal worker the welder The Machinist they're only part of a big team these are the men who actually handle the planes but the Air Force needs thousands of others skilled technicians can't get along without them take teletype for instance that's the real nerve system of the army right in this school you learn how to adjust and how to take care of that teletype machine it's just a typewriter plus but that plus means electrical wiring you take them apart and now can you put them back together again without any pieces left over yes you can that's what they teach you here and you don't have to be Superman to learn it either and of course the teletype maintenance man can also learn how to operate his machine thus make himself a mighty important man than air basee on his skill depends the speed and accuracy with which vital commands are transmitted now take this message what's that that's code Joe combat stuff supplies needed at the front and here they are these urgently needed supplies and equipment and there's an aircore Supply clerk an important guy if there ever was one he makes sure that the right item gets to the right spot at the right time and he learned all that back at school learned to type 30 35 40 words a minute and that's good just like all the other schools you learn by actually doing the job offices are reproduced just as they are at a regular Air Base here's operations a room the pilots visit every day before taking off here's the orderly room top Sergeant null this is a typical air core supply room completely stocked from handkerchiefs to blankets but a clerk those boys really get to see much action take a look Joe here's a clerk typing a message a message that starts a whole Air Attack message delivered clerk to radio man and the enemy is going to get that message compliments of the US Army Air Forces and working right in the middle of that action and every action are the radio boys they start right here with this expert instruction many a man discovers he has an aptitude for radio work and for all those radio hams this is a real chance to become a professional you learn right here how to send and receive International Morse code someday you may Tap Out words that will become immortal cited sub sank s ever hear that Joe here you learn the principles of the loop antenna or directional finder and when you're out somewhere Over the Ocean your gas supply running low overcast so thick you can't see 2 feet ahead of you then every man on that plane relies on you the radio operator and in order to get home safely you'll rely on what you learned back in school on this bench is the complete Communication System you'll find every time you get into one of those bombers you'll learn procedure Radio phone and Telegraph and a lot of it secret you'll find mockups or demonstrative boards in Radio 2 just as in the other schools the radio man gets to know each individual part so that he can easily recognize trouble in the completely assembled set like this one then when something goes wrong radio man can take it apart start troubleshooting and put the set together again now those messages can get through this is just practicing radio communications on the ground but it's exactly as if these men were in Flight in an element of b7s the actual flying conditions are reproduced even to the cold weather these radio men will soon experience on the big bombers gunner school is a must for radio operators mechanics and armorers provided they're physically fit and brother if you're looking for Action this is it a chance to fly and get your hands on those 50 caliber machine guns you have eight flying missions and plenty of aerial Gunnery not to mention taking care of your own equipment and when you graduate you're a real part of the Army Air Forces with a buck Sergeant's rating and a pair of those Silver Wings this is it Joe somewhere overseas that's a zero well it was and the Fellas who knocked it down graduated from Gunnery school not so long ago that bomber up there is a long way from home it's almost nighttime there's no radio beam in this territory the pilot will depend on his knowledge of blind flying to get that ship back safely and he first learned how to do this from a link trainer instructor these link trainers look like sought off airplanes don't they but right here in this hanger men are taught to fly by instruments let's watch this instructor put a pilot through his Paces he's telling him to Center the needle Center the ball that's to keep the plane straight and level this recorder traces the Pilot's path in flight and enables the instructor to show him when he goes off course the link instructor learns navigation radio range orientation meteorology air traffic regulations and since these trainers are in use day and night and when you're the know how to keep it in perect perfect working order so you see Joe it's in these funny looking Little Ships nailed to the ground that a pilot really learns to fly in all sorts of weather when the going is tough and the pilot can't see beyond the windshield in front of him he thanks his lucky stars he had a good link trainer instructor and speaking of weather here's another school in the Technical Training command that works directly with pilots and Navigators Believe It or Not we've got all kinds of weather in this room Fog rain hail sleep know only it's all down on charts luckily for the soldiers who are taking this course but weather Observer school doesn't keep you in the classroom you learn to use the instruments that make those weather charts possible you learn how to repair those instruments right out in the field now this tank measures rainfall those gadgets being swung around back there are sling pyrometers no no I don't get the idea those boys are in their second childhood playing around with toy balloons these and all the other complicated instruments foreign as they may seem to you now are easily understood once you get the hang of it who what's that guy doing there the one climbing up the ladder in the back he's repairing an anomer which measures wind velocity meanwhile these pilot balloons are inflated with hydrogen and carefully balanced to achieve the proper buoyancy which varies from day to day according to existing air pressure pilot balloons are sent into the upper levels of the atmosphere to determine the direction and velocity of the wind you follow the ascent of the balloons through these theodolites you measure how fast they go at a certain height and that's how fast the wind is moving from these calculations wind Toof charts are plotted they are a must for every pilot in preparing flight plans they show him how to dodge the bad storms and get into favorable Tailwinds so you see Joe what a big part the weather Observer plays in keeping those pilots flying safely and speaking of safety that's where the parachute rigger comes into his own ever figure the time and patience and care that goes into a parachute take a look basic instruction begins with the making and packing of parachutes and not just shoots either but all sorts of flotation equipment and aircraft clothing men with experience in tailoring and handling of fabrics would do well at this work packing a shoot is the most delicate and precise sort of job and the rigger must constantly bear in mind that every crease every fold every shroud line must be in exactly the right position here's how you test your handiwork see how easily it opens if it's been packed correctly of course if this shoot isn't packed right this man can always get down off the table but how about this man mhm good packing job now these men happen to be paratroopers so so they pack their own shoots but for everyone else in the Air Force who may have to come down suddenly you'll pack the shoots parachutes are not only used for saving men's lives but also in the delivery of vital equipment and Military information strategic photographs like these are dropped by Parachute they're a bird's eye view of enemy operations and intelligence wants them at headquarters in a hurry so a Jeep Picks Them Up rushes them to the laboratory for and that takes us back to you and your Kodak Joe when you see what they do in this school perhaps you'll realize why using a brownie camera isn't quite enough you've got to learn Optics how light bends when it goes through a lens or how it hits the sensitized film and what happens there how that image is developed and fixed when to use plates when to use roll film you get to be a military photographer you learn how to take care of your cameras for these are your weapons the final work is done in the photographic laboratory you learn the basic chemistry of Photography you learn how to print pictures that contain Vital Information for Air Force intelligence and how to bring those pictures to life in the developer pictures taken in high altitude flight are enlarged so that by this Aid you can become familiar with every detail of foreign terrain and when you've become proficient as a laboratory technician you go out into combat zones in portable Labs like these or you go on to get your wings as an aerial photographer day or night on reconnaissance flights High over enemy territory he can bring back his photos he does it by dropping a flare bomb then covering the area in a series of overlapping pictures these pictures are rushed to Advanced Laboratories skilled technicians put them together like jigsaw puzzles the final Mosaic is used by intelligence and shows them what to bomb and where x marks a spot this information is taken to the bombers along with enough Dynamite to wipe it off the map Dynamite Joe that's the armorer's job and armor as you probably know handles all the guns and bullets and bombs and Cannon other weapons that our planes carry when you come right down to it a plane is just a flying gun at Armor School you get to know how to repair and service those guns and Cannon and how to handle bombs and shells and belts of ammunition classroom work is mainly devoted to handling the guns themselves the most important weapon used in our bombers and pursuit ships is the 50 caliber machine gun that's why so much time is taken to instruct men in their operation and and maintenance men with hunting as a hobby should do well in this they'll have a chance to bag the biggest game of their lives here's an instructor demonstrating to the students how the 37mm cannon functions are those bullets those are baby shells Joe when those shells hit goodbye jck they call this the malfunction laboratory sort of like final exams Joe students are tested to see how quickly they can locate the trouble on machine guns that have jammed or gone Haywire another job for the armorer is to make sure that machine guns are synchronized perfectly to fire through the propeller one slip up in installing any of these guns you'd save the Germans and the Japs a lot of trouble because your pilot would find himself shooting up his own propeller now watch this Joe that's the top turret of a big bomber two guns go in there but that's only one turret underneath where you least expect it there's another pair of deadly twins 50 caliber machine guns nothing soft about that belly that's what makes a fortress a fortress okay with the small stuff here are the bombs you learn how they're released from racks and all types of bombers these are just practice bombs but these aren't from the time you receive them from ordinance then load them on the truck to be driven to the plane is only a matter of minutes if you're an armorer you place them carefully in the bomb racks and you know that those bombs and bullets are going to be delivered on time and where they'll do the most good you see Joe these men started from zero just like you and yet today they can send a bomber Squadron on its Deadly Mission because it takes more than Pilots Joe to fly those ships it takes men like you you and you men who have been trained men who can look up into the sky and say that's my plane yes that's my plane you you're the men who keep them flying well Joe you think you'll be able to make up your mind now and how Mister how about you fellas well how about you fellas listen to what your Commanding General has to say not very many years ago I knew almost every man in the Air Forces personally that is impossible today there are almost two millions of us but I know you by reputation it's a good reputation and it's been won the hard way way by your brothers fighting in the field you have a tough job ahead as graduates of the Tactical training command the performance of a fighting ship depends as much on you as it does on the pilot the Navigator the bomber or the Gunner you'll spend long hours sweating out your ship yours is a responsibility for getting her there and bringing her back with no thoughts in the mechanics of the flight learn all you can you'll need every bit of knowledge you can acquire to keep our great new ships flying you are The Men We depend on it's a pleasure for me to welcome you personally into the Army Air [Music] Force