MY NEED TO FLY, PART II

Upon entering the air force, the first plane I flew was the T-4, a Cessna 172. After that aircraft came the Cessna T-37, a small straight winged twin engine jet which would be my downfall.

Flying a jet is totally different than flying a propeller aircraft. The major difference, other than speed, is throttle management. You see, with a propeller aircraft you push the throttle forward and the power is available instantaneously. With a jet it takes time for the engines to wind up and provide the power you need. I also had trouble with trim management. You use the trim to help maintain control of the aircraft. Trim tab are small panels on the primary control surfaces. My instructor could take his hand off the stick in a turn and the plane would complete the turn. When I was in control if I took my hand off the stick, while flying straight, the results were somewhat less than control.

So, I washed out of pilot training, but did fulfill my dream of learning to fly. From flight training I entered the Titan II missile program and became commander of a four-man crew for the rest of my air force career.