By Land and By Air

I sat there and got all the words, but when l was through the fellow sitting beside me took my paper and shoved his paper in its place. When the instructor came down and took the papers, he told the class that he really was giving a test to a fellow who had failed it in the past course. I kept my fingers crossed, hoping he would not find the error, although the young airman gave me a grateful smile as he left the room, as the instructor congratulated him on his excellent improvement. I also got high marks in aircraft recognition due to my efforts in Jarvis. Then it came to

the Link Trainer1 lessons which were to be five hours when added up. It was an old model and very simple, as compared to the one in Jarvis. This one had gauges, and a straight stick to be held in one hand, instead of the wheel type in the one I was used to. When I got in the Link for the first few minutes, it took me time to adjust myself

- think of all the other classes who were seeing the Link Trainer for the first time. The instructor could not figure out how I was able to handle the Link with such assurance and skill. He asked me if I did much flying and I told

him I never was up in a plane. As a result, I was offered pilot training. Ninety-nine per cent of airmen would have given their eye teeth for that chance, but I wanted to be a Navigator, not a ”taxi driver.” I could not see how flying a plane would ever help me to get into university, but I had learned in the educational branch that the government would give a day in university for each day in the armed service.

On discharge, they offered me the chance to be a wireless operator, due to my skill in Morse. I realized that both my skills in Morse and Link Training were due to hours of

1. The Link Trainer was like a small plane and had all the mechanisms ofa plane.

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