Opening scene shows a fuel gauge reading half empty in a U.S. Army Air Forces Stearman Boeing PT-17 “Kaydet” bi-plane trainer aircraft. Closeup of pilot with helmet and goggles in open cockpit of the airplane. Narrator says rules require pilot to return to base immediately. View of the aircraft descending toward the field. Animated diagram showing proper entry into left traffic for the active runway. View of PT-17 on final approach to the runway. Closeup of pilot in the cockpit. He makes a three-point landing on the first third of the runway and rolls without braking. Next, assisted by a wing walker, the pilot taxis to an open slot on a line of aircraft and stops on a parking line. The pilot steps from the cockpit, wearing a seat pack parachute, and begins walking to the field office, when he stops to converse with the narrator. He complains, somewhat about the restrictive rules for pilots in training and expresses desire to fight the Germans and Japanese in World War 2. Narrator defends the rules of safety, first, saying "You can't fight until you can fly." Scene shifts to four pilot trainees who "washed out" of the program for various infractions of the trainin safety rules. They are carrying their belongings in duffle bags and wait at a bus stop for transportation away from the base. Camera focuses on each of the men in turn, as narrator describes their failures to follow rules. Scene shifts to the airdrome where successful student pilots are seen walking toward the camera. Series of scenes showing student pilots performing various preparatory actions before flying their planes. One standing on a wing, checks the "Form One" that contains aircraft maintenance record. Another sitting in his cockpit notes that his gas, oil,cockpit switches, and flight controls all check OK. Another pilot is fastening leg straps of his seat pack parachute and comments about need to keep checking when taxiing down the line for takeoff. Closeups of pilots addressing the camera with admonitions about rules to follow. View of massed parked PT-17 training planes. Views of current war planes in flight, including Bell P-39 Aircobra, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and Martin B-26 Marauder bombers. Many good views of such airplanes in takeoffs, formations and aerobatic maneuvers. (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
Office of Strategic Services officers on a mission in Cairo, Egypt during World War II. Cadets practice field tactics. Training in hand-to-hand combat, use of small arms, mapping and demolition is given at Security Officer Training Camp. The cadets and an instructor standing beside aircraft. The instructor explains about parachute jumping and commando assault technique. The cadets practice somersaults. The U.S. flag at mast. The cadets play handball. Tents in the camp.
African American girls learn household chores at a household training institute set up by Works Progress Administration in United States during the Great Depression. African American women making pastries inside a kitchen. A woman cuts a dough with a diamond-shaped cookie cutter. She coats the cookie with butter. An instructor watches the woman bake cookies. Black woman prepares a salad. Another woman takes a tray of muffins out of the oven. Two African American women turns a mattress over. They make a bed together. An African American nurse demonstrates using a dummy. The nurse massages the baby dummy’s legs. African American nursing students demonstrates with a patient. They put a patient to bed and serve food. They also undergo health care training and learn first aid, child and sick person care. African American and White women sewing together during a class. An African American woman helps a White man put clothes into a bin. A Black woman wearing glasses sewing a dress.
New recruits receive military haircuts at the U.S. Great Lakes Naval Training Center in World War 2. Views of them taking swimming tests at a swimming pool. They line up outside a Training Center Chapel and march inside. A large group takes academic tests. Petty officera interview recruits, as they each are screened to see what specialties they are most suited for in the Navy. Several sit on a bench, comparing their job evaluations. A large formation of recruits doing pushups and other exercises, outdoors.
United States Marines at a Marine Cold Weather Training Camp in the Arctic region. Hot food for the Marines is brought by trucks. They sit on a snow covered surface. The Marines pray in a make shift chapel at the camp. An instructor takes a class. They also learn to care of the wounded. The Marines cross a net bridge and walk on a rope as a part of their training.
The Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Training Center at Melville in Rhode Island, United States. Trainees undergo diving training. An instructor explains how to work with a helmet. One of the trainee dons a diving helmet and goes into water. The trainees learn to repair the motor of a boat. They learn sign language. An officer reviews the trainees and sailors standing in a line.
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