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Show Base ttlkePilot eratioms-QiProtectie- g Behind Each Flight Are Careful Plans Dispatcher Section Checks Flight Plan : By Larry Evans ,' .... Located in the quadrant formed by two giant runways over whose broad, cement surfaces zoom the fastest, toughest, fighting ships in the world, the base operations hangar provides everything for the pilot everything from an engine change to information on the number '. . . i V 1 '1' is; hell-for-leat- of water towers at Deadwood, S. D. It is Utah's Grand Central Station with dignitaries a dime a dozen, plus Tokyo raiders, Flying Tigers, movie stars, and Secretary Morgen-thapassing through at all hours of the day and night. There are no no trainmen bawling departure hours through' metallic-soundin- g loud speakers, no anonymous multitudes frantically straining iron station gates; instead, there is the deafening roar of against engines, the taxiing down the runway, the sense of abandonment and exhileration at the takeoff. One couldn't count on two hands the number of times lives have been saved, to say nothing of, in many instances, a quarter of a million dollar airplane by the timely relaying; of weather and topographical data from operations to a distracted pilot blown off his course by high winds or lost in a raging blizzard. One probably couldn't count on of destination will also be suptwo hands the times the Almighty has been thanked from the bottom plied. If they are bad at Boise, the of some grateful pilot's heart for weather station will designate an the operations hangar at Hill Field. alternate port for landing. In this Watching one of the big ships case the pilot would be required take off with easy, grace, one is to carry enough fuel for a return inclined to see the glamorous side, Hill Field to if necessary. meticulous miss to the plantrip apt If visibility is limited to less ning behind it. than three miles the pilot may not Not Done This Way not equipped A pilot doesn't just say to him- land if the field is Thus, the instrument for landing. run a self: "Well, guess I'll take . alternate field for an Then necessity up to Boise. Hot dawg!" conditions allow where atmospheric on out taxi his in any plane, jump contact landing. When runway taking his fancy at the for weather conditions exist moment, and take off into the at Hill Field flashes a red wild, blue yonder, free as a canary on the control board inlight weather the matter of As a a out of cage. fact, for section, also in the dispatcher's proceeding in that manner office. It means planes arriving to him cinch would a be put long go on to another field, in the "wild, blue yonder" for here must Salt Lake City. usually good. rne weather When a pilot leaves this field section receives for any destination he must, first weather reports of all, file a flight plan with the via teletype "from dispatchers' section. This flight all over western itinerary. It plan is his proposed America. It sends contains the names and initials by teletype and crew of the plane's passengers, weather reports destination, air speed, serial numof this vicinity to ber and type of aircraft, altitude, stations. other observaweather data, and pilot's signature. Hourly contact is to be a flight, If it tions are made one of the dispatchers may sign, on visibility - and instruan If the plan. okaying ceiling. At inter- officer ment flight, the operations vals Boyd during the Capt instruor one qualified to fly by balloons are hydrogen-fille- d ments must authorize it. A con- day released and observed with a theotact flight is one made in clear dolite to determine wind flies weather where the pilot by velocity and ceiling. If direction, an overlandmarks. When visibility is any- cast is at an altitude of 9750 feet where from poor to zero the pilot or above it is referred to as CAVU, makes what is called an instruceiling and visibility unment flight during which he relies meaning limited. on instruments and radio inforPUots are required to check conmation as to his position and di- ditions available at the weather rection. before a flight plan. section filing Before the flight plan is filed with Nicholas Bardoulas is NCO the dispatcher's office, weather MSgt in ( non - commissioned officer) route data along the proposed of the station, manned encharge must be secured from the weather tirely by enlisted personnel. Sgt control section. The data furnished has been in the army the pilot here is vital and indis- - Bardoulas about three years and comes from pensaDie. 11 is oiien me uiiiercutc Chicago. Typical weather man is inbetween life and death. For Otto Bynum, student forestance on a flight to Boise the SSgt who's been in the army caster, indicate the would section weather 18 months and comes from about be met conditions likely to along Texas. the way high winds, rain, low When Pilot John Doe has comclouds, heavy overcast, or what pleted his flight plan he takes it have you. to the dispatcher's, office for checkProvide Alternate Fields ing. The dispatcher's section is a tlf..lL.. yv earner luiiuiuuna i .ft... iuiiih kind of clearing house for all sorts u, red-cap- s, Deiow-minimu- m - 1 1 A 1 ' s ... 4- : - call Salt Lake City for other words, in the base operation flight information. minutes towhich is relayed to the hangar, manned by enlisted per) clearance soiineL -- First and second echeloe Dispatchers on Their Toes pilot who is ready to go. jobs are performed, which include Headed by chief dispatcher, Verdi tower takes control Now 'the from inspection to en Powell," veteran operations emplpye. over, telling John which runway anything electrical and radio changes, gine use. to another is he plane work. Maybe these dispatchers must really know i a It in for may landing. coming their business. Suppose the alter- is In the base operations office are: not see John and well, thats one of miscellaneous 4 nate ; port listed on the plan is enveloped in a low overcast making a landing hazardous. The dispatcher must note it and find another alternate. It must be clear or CAVU. If the dispatcher allowed the ship to proceed to Boise with an unsatisfactory . alternate) a crash might result. As far as Pilot Doe would be concerned it would be like reaching for something and not finding anything there. When John's flight plan has been checked thoroughly he goes, to his plane and prepares to take, off; Meanwhile, the dispatcher calls the ATC (airways traffic control) office in Salt Lake City for clearance. This office furnishes information as to the condition of the particular airway to be traveled, such as: other planes flying it, ceiling visibility, and whether or not the altitude John has proposed to fly is okay. If clearance is granted, off he goes into the wild, blue yonder with a reasonable amount of assurance. . If not, he waits till he does get it. Especially in bad weather, aircraft must fly at least 15 minutes apart which would be around 50 miles. They fly at different altitudes to avoid air collisions. It only takes two or three . . Plan Closed Cabs For Train Drivers Cabs for eight weapon carriers will constructed soon in the wood- work deoartment of not ichnni The carriers, when eaulnned with cabs, will be used to pull elephant Y. !OW''i':WMSSSSlStSBSSBJSSJ Get set for a flight are Phyllis Painter, dispatcher, and HELPING A FORMER FLYING TIGER Verdi Powell, chief dispatcher. The pilot is 1st 1. W. K. fticJauiey, lormeny a iiyer in Major General Claire Chennault's renowned Flying Tiger group. In background, left to right, are Sgt. Ralph T. Cornell, chief duties of dispatcher dispatcher, Efie B. KUIus, dispatcher, and Ed Watson, dispatcher. One of ' is to check flight plans submitted by pilots preparing to take-of- f. section : oe Minor Repairs Done Here ' ' ;,4y ... of the reasons there is a control tower. When John returns to Hill Field the control tower will contact him as he approaches. The control tower operator will tell him which landing strip to come in on and when to land. In case another plane id coming in. too. Capt. Hammond the operator will indicate who is to land first. When the incoming plane is not equipped with radio, the control tower operator communicates with the pilot by means of light signals. The pilot wags his wings to indicate he has received the in , structions. Sergeant Heads Control Tower NCO in charge of the control tower is genial TSzt. Harold Briggs. He has been in charge since December, 1941. He has been in the army about two and a half years. Among other enlisted personnel who operate the control tower are: Cpl. John S. Packnick and Pfc. Glenn McNaul. Packnick is from New York, has been in the army a year. McNaul's home is in Philadelphia, Pa. He has been in the army about 10 months. Minor repairs on Pilot John's plane may be done in the base aircraft maintenance section or, in Maps Capt, William G. Boyd and Capt Kenneth C. Hammond. Capt Boyd is the base operations officer; Capt. Hammond is the assistani base operations officer. These mei determine policy and issue ruli and regulations for flying at th field. Records of all pilots are kej in this office.. Besides Capts. Boyd and Ham mond, there are other administ: tive officers performing outstand! ing jobs. In charge of base ai maintenance is Capt Rudy Bara assisted by First Lt Roger Tern plin. Base' maintenance remain open 24 hours a day, providinj service for all transient aircraft, About 103 enlisted personnel dv the work. ) w. sorter u ot ficer in charge of the weatto control section. His assistant Lt William C. Peters. In chargi of the communications section Lt .Blair D. Baylor. As communii first lie of the control tower. J Assistant base operations officer in charge of operations personnel administration, and operations ois fice is First Lt Mary (buci Roeers. WAG. The conscientious job being do: by all personnel of the operatioi section has been in srreat measui rrannnsihlff for the fact that at fl as pilots and crews are concernsd no fatal aircraft accident has occurred on this field. And it go without saying that if these peopk have anything to do with it, then never will be one. ' Prepared In Weather Office trains. Capt. T. E, Wherry, assistant motor DOOl Officer, said caha wan necessary in the winter in order to protect tne drivers or the trains. He added .that every available train is in use at the nresent time. As ... an two-trail- er . ! Q V S?" 5bl safety measure i i t i trains. Invite EM, Civilians To USO Sunday Choir war workers and soldiers are invited to attend the concert to be presented Sunday at the 24th street USO by the Osdea hiirh nrhnni a capella choir. The mixed choir is under the direction of Glenn I AH ( -- XT ATTACKING A BOMBER . . . With tool, left to right, are 8Sgt Harold W. Bryant, Pfc II. R. Dickenson, and Cpl. Charles E. Kuehn. nas been in the service about two years. Is crew chief of urysnt 5 attack bombers, rente from Pueblo, Colo. Dickenson comes front Burnt, Ore., has been in the army about a year. Kuehn comes m Lwe uiy, Minnesota, entered the service 17 months ago. A-1- added oraKes are going to be installed in one of the trailers as an experiment. If successful, they will be Installed in the first trailers of all A Hansen. Composed of 80 voipoa th rhiti has gained national recognition for us outstanding ability. Following the concert, which will begin at 3:30, refreshments will be served by the daughters of Utah Pioneers. i ne program Ls a part of the regu- lar Sunday open-hou- se at the USO ... PREPARING SYNOPTIC MAP studrnj Is . Bynum, . . Otto 77 forecantpr. .!.. .I " w m. .Dsse w earner ' " ., control seen"" --- mhown ' ,n iKTOtind gSgt are changed every mup' one ' hour oM . (t.. eighteen hours. Bynum K..n vssv sss mmuj ssr'w nd comes from Texas. h. houT' mT .k.. . 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