USAF Pilot Class 61-F

(This site created
and maintained by
“Pappy,” who is
solely responsible
for its content)

USAF PILOT CLASS 61-F

This site looks best
in Internet Explorer

with a screen

resolution of at

least 1024 X 768

!	*WHERE WERE YOU* 50 YEARS AGO? (March 17, 1961)**

Hint: These three pieces of machinery were in your recent history

I usually try to use pictures of aircraft in flight, but since time has grounded us all by now (Correction: Most of us, although I’m pretty sure that none of us earn our living in the air nowadays.), I thought these museum pieces in the same habitat in which we reside would be appropriate. Congratulations to all of us who are still around to celebrate this auspicious anniversary, and in honor of our classmates who have preceded us into that westernmost region a rereading of this poem by our classmate Mikey may be appropriate.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, CLASSMATES!

You Tube Videos

There were various incentives that the Air Force used (and still does) to recruit pilots. One, of course, was the television commercial. For one from the 1950’s promoting the Aviation Cadet Program, of which this class was one of the last, see this You Tube Video.

61-F Pilot Training Videos

(July 6^th, 2011)

After the commercial above had done its work and enticed us into the program, the videos below, converted from the original 8 mm film and posted on You Tube by our classmate Don Dugas, give a good summation of our progress through the course.

This video, converted from an 8mm movie, was shot during Cadet Pre-Flight at Lackland.

This one was shot during Primary.

This one was shot shortly before graduation during formation flying. It’s worth remembering that about 75% of our classmates shown in the first video had been eliminated by the last one.

Many thanks to Don for posting these videos for our enjoyment!

Click here for an MP3 file of the first verse of the Air Force Hymn (426 KB). Below are the words of the complete hymn:

Verse I
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly,
Through the great spaces of the sky;
Be with them traversing the air
In darkening storms or sunshine fair.

Verse II
You who support with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight;
Lord of the tempered winds, be near,
That, having you, they know no fear.

Verse III
Control their minds with instinct fit
Whene'er, adventuring, they quit;
The firm security of land
Grant steadfast eye and skillful hand.

Verse IV
Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with your saving grace;
O God, protect those who fly
Through lonely ways beneath the sky.

Here is a link to a YouTube video of The Air Force Song. The original words to the song, written by Col. Robert Crawford in 1939, are below.

Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun;
Here they come zooming to meet our thunder,
At 'em boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one helluva roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Additional verses:

Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder,
Sent it high into the blue;
Hands of men blasted the world asunder;
How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!)
Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer
Gave us wings, ever to soar!
With scouts before and bombers galore. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force

Bridge: "A Toast to the Host"

Here's a toast to the host
Of those who love the vastness of the sky,
To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly.
We drink to those who gave their all of old,
Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold.
A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force!

Zoom!

Off we go into the wild sky yonder,
Keep the wings level and true;
If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder
Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!)
Flying men, guarding the nation's border,
We'll be there, followed by more!
In echelon we carry on. Hey!
Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!

Note: Crawford didn't write "Hey!; he actually wrote "SHOUT!" without specifying the word to be shouted. Wherever they appear, the words "U.S. Air Force" have been changed from the original "Army Air Corps." Words in parentheses are spoken, not sung.

Addendum: For a “new” Air Force Song that debuted in 1957 (and didn’t catch on) see this YouTube video.

On December 7, 1959 (A Day Which Will Live In Air Infamy) a group of 400-odd 19-21 year old kids (along with a few grizzled old prior service veterans of about 25-26) reported for Aviation Cadet Pre-Flight Training at Lackland AFB, Texas. After three months of training conducted by disciples of the Marquis de Sade approximately 75% of them managed to complete that initial portion of the course. They were joined at their Primary Pilot Training bases by a number of commissioned officers fresh out of ROTC, the various service academies, and navigators who had convinced the military authorities that they should be pilots after all. After another year of training approximately 25% of the students who had enrolled received their silver wings and, in the cases of the Cadets, their commissions as Second Lieutenants. March 17, 2011 marked the 50th anniversary of that graduation ceremony, an event that will never be forgotten by any of the graduates.
These pages will present a few stories, poems, cartoons, pictures, etc. depicting some of the trials, tribulations, fun and games we experienced during our journey. This is but a small sample of our experiences related by some of the participants who came from farms, factories, cities and towns across the United States and several foreign countries. (Some of the links will take you off this site, so you will need to click the BACK button and/or arrow at the top left of your browser to return).

*61-F TRAINING AIRCRAFT*			*CURRENT TRAINING AIRCRAFT*
T-34	T-37	T-33	T-6	T-38	T-1A
(Click the respective thumbnails for details) *(For a recent air show picture of a T-33 click* *here*)

Your visit to this site will be incomplete without reading these four poems. The first was written by a young American serving with the Royal Air Force during WWII shortly before he lost his life, the second by a young WWII era pilot who I’m pleased to say is still with us, the third one was penned by our own inimitable Mike Larkin and the fourth by 61-E graduate and proprietor of the Aviation Cadet Museum, Errol Severe.