Another shot of the airplane that went down in that fatal plane crash, December 13, 1943. Pilot training was often more dangerous, WAVES tell us, than the actual battle combat.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Tag Archives: aviation
December 13, 1943
On December 13, 1943, an F SNV-1 (of Squadron 2B based at Saufley Field) crashed in the woods 100 feet north of the north end of Lyons Field, FL. Pilot D.H. Kaufman and his passenger were both killed in the crash.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Gunnery Instruction
From the December 1943 WAVES News Letter. Here, a WAVE at Pensacola Naval Air Station learns how to train men in gunnery skills.
The newsletter comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Twin Gun Mounts
WAVES in training at the Aviation Gunnery School in Pensacola, Florida, operate the simulator that operates like the twin-moutn power turret used by Navy gunners in aerial action with the enemy. The women will later serve as instructors at training centers throughout the country.
The November 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.
Pilot Training
WAVE Link Trainer Operator Katherine Dillon uses a radio range chart on the Link flight simulation machine at NAS St. Louis. If the pilot becomes lost on the chart, Dillon points out his mistake.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Radio Range Chart
WAVE Link Trainer Operator Sheila Macksey looks intently at the radio range chart on the Link flight simulation machine. The pilot is arriving at what is known as the “cone of silence” on his chart – indicating he’s almost at the end of his test.
The November 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.
Gunnery Instruction
Aviation cadets at NAS St. Louis use the range finder and other gunnery equipment to become skilled marksmen. They’re learning from Navy WAVES, who are showing the fighter pilots how to estimate correct lead time before opening fire on an enemy bomber.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Dismantling an Engine
WAVES Mary Catherine Henshaw and Dolly Elizabeth Hatch dismantle an engine supercharger at NAS Jacksonville in this October 1943 photograph.
It comes from the National Archives.
Engine Work
WAVES Kay Henson and Dolly Hatch work on a plane engine in October 1943 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Engine Maintenance
In this photo from October 1943, WAVES learn how to repair and maintain Navy fighting plane engines at NATTC, Norman, Oklahoma.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Hinges of History 