The Icelandic connection - 01.12.2020, Side 15

Vol. 71 #4
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
157
aircraft. (which he maintainedfor the rest of
his aviation career)
Monday January 21st: Arose at 5:30
am. Went up with Smith for 30 minutes.
Was launched (soloed) for 26 minutes,
made 2 landings. Printed bunch of pictures,
retired about 9:30.
Wednesday January 23rd: Arose at 6
am. Went up with Smith for 11 minutes.
Then solo for 53 minutes. Made good
landings. Read until tea. Went down to
Ismailia for pictures. Had dinner and
retired at 9 pm.
Thursday January 24th: Up first for
5 minutes. Had to land, throttle control
loose. Up for 60 minutes after repairs. Had
breakfast. Up again for 25 minutes. Bumpy,
(air turbulence in the desert)
Fridayjanuary 25th: Arose at 5:30. Up
for 42 minutes then 36. Finished Rumpety
(Maurice Farman Shorthorn) solo, {see
Figure 2, page 156)
With a total of 10 hours and 2 minutes
in the air, I graduated from No. 21 Training
Squadron, Ismailia on January 26th and
was recommended for advanced training
on Gnome Avros, at No. 58 Training
Squadron at Suez.
Saturday January 26th: Arose at 7.
Got my Log Book and transfer card and
left for Suez at 2:15 pm. Arrived at 4:50.
Reported to Orderly room. Slept on floor
in Davey’s room.
Here my actual flying training started.
The Rotary Gnome engine was a tricky
engine to control, and fortunately I, with
the previous experience of engine running
and adjusting the motorcycle carburettor,
took to it like a relative. These old 504K
Avros with either Gnome or Monosoupape
rotary engines were a delight to fly, “sensitive
and reactive” to the slightest touch of the
controls. Graduation from No. 58 T.S. was
all too soon, however trainees were piling
up and could not be accommodated for lack
of aircraft and Instructors.
Monday January 28th: Arose at 7:30
AM. Did an hour’s buzzing (Morse Code on
the radio whileflying) in Avro. Fixed up new
room. Retired about 10:15 pm.
Tuesday January 29th: Arose 7:45 am.
Did an hour’s buzzing & machine guns.
Printed some pictures in afternoon. Read,
had dinner and retired about 9:30 pm.
Wednesday January 30th: Arose
at 7:15. One hour’s buzzing, two hours
machine gun. Cleaned buss (the airplane).
Printed pictures in afternoon. Figured up
my Pay Book to date. Retired about 9 pm.
Thursday January 31st: Arose at
7:15. Two hour’s MG, one hour buzzing.
Cleaned Busses, read bunch of (Winnipeg)
Tribunes that Dad sent. Retired about 10
pm.
Friday February 1st: Arose at 7:15.
Two hour’s MG, one hour buzzing. Passed
buzzing test. Read papers from home.
Went up for first ride in Avro {504), did
couple of Immelman turns, up for 20
minutes.
Sunday March 3rd: Arose at 6:30.Up
with West-Whyte for 30 mins. He calmly
jumped out and sent me up alone, (after
about 3 hours of dual instruction in an
Avro with West-Whyte over the past 3
weeks) I did 2 circuits, first landing rough,
second landing average, up for 10 minutes
solo. Retired about 9 pm.
Tuesday March 5th: Arose at 5:30 am.
Up at 6:00 on ’82. Petrol feed broke, forced
landing. Time up 5 minutes. Up on ’76
for 25 minutes. Inlet valve went {failed) at
4000 feet over Tewfik. Got back to camp.
Tuesday March 12th: Hung around
Tarmac, went to Ranges. Attached to
Parnell for instruction.
Wednesday March 13th: Up for 45
mins dual with Parnell. Did turns steep
& shallow, 8000 ft. Did a spin and 4
cartwheels. Read all afternoon, played
violin in evening.
Saturday March 16: Up for 50 mins