My Young years in the French Air Force.( 9)

My years as a pilot
1-Learning to fly

Avord

In Avord, we will be going through the second half of our training that results in the pilot certificate for twin engine transport. The plane used during this training is the Dassault Flamant (flamingo). With this aircraft in all three different versions, I will fly most of my hours in Avord, Bangui and Boufarik. Half of our class is made of newly graduates from Marrakech. The rest come from various other training classes. We are once again two trainees for one instructor but this time we'll be in the aircraft together. One in the front behind the stick while the other sits in the back. The Dassault is equipped with Renault engines that have high rpm and thus are quite noisy. But after a while, we find the aircraft rather pleasant and enjoyable to fly. Why its tricycle landing gear, you're in flying attitude for takeoff and it doesn't have a tendency to pull to the side like the T-6.
Flight training starts by getting acquainted with the Flamant and ends with a solo flight. After that we graduate to instrument flying with no visibility or under a canopy hood hiding the outside view. We must quickly be able to complete a full flight from startup to engine to landing on another field and back without any visibility, relying only on instruments and radar navigation. These flights require careful preparation. Once in the air is not the time to look for a map or a radio frequency. Everything is written down on a rolling notepad that we carry on our knee. Any changes decided by the instructor are to be handled the best way possible.
Just like in Marrakech, we also have a fair amount of classes about the plane, navigation, Morse code, meteorology, radio procedure in English and other pertinent classes. All are sanctioned by tests. The hands on test is a radio guided night flight.
During six months we are off Saturday afternoon and Sunday. We go out to Avord and Bourges (20 km away). Although I have a motorcycle, I decide to purchase a car. I found a used 4CV Renault. My good friend Flaubert (we've been together since 52) gives me a couple lessons and I signup for the road test. On that day I drove myself to Bourges for the test. Unfortunately, I failed to pass on my first attempt. I engaged the clutch in a curve in town. I had to drive back with my car. I had to be careful not to be seen driving away by the inspector. I passed on my second attempt.
Towards the end of our training I had both the bike and the car in Avord. I decided to bring the bike home. With my friend Flaubert, we left on Saturday afternoon heading for Louhans. Shortly after Autun, the bike broke down in the middle of the countryside. After leaving it in the nearest farm, we walked in the middle of the night to the village of St Emiland. On Sunday morning the local mechanic took a look at the engine and found that the rocker had broke. This meant that the bike was immobilized for good. Finding this type of part for a 1936 BSA didn't seam like an easy task. We had to find a way to get back to Avord by train. With the nearest station far and no mode of transportation, getting to the station was an adventure in itself! Much later, the mechanic was able to weld the rocker back together and repair the bike.
Our training ended early December. We now are proud licensed pilots. My number is 36239 dated December 9th 1954. Two and a half years have passed since the medical examination in Paris and my admission to flight school. I'm 27 and have largely passed the age limit of 25. At the graduation ceremony, we are handed our wings. It is made of a star, wings and a reef. "The star guides you, the wings carry you and the reef awaits" (although it is not clear if it is a winner or a condolence reef!)
The ceremony with the base personnel ends with an official luncheon. In the evening, we dine with the squadron personnel, including some mechanics, in a Bourges restaurant.

Avord: Photo of our graduation class, July 1954 (Click to enlarge)

 

 

Avord: Briefing before flight. (photo "Avord, l'ère du Flamant")

 

The cockpit of Flamant MD.312 (Photo: Avord, l'ére du Flamant)

 

Flying IFR under the hood. (photo Avord, l'ère du Flamant)

Flamants in formation flying at Avord (Photo M.Laverdet)

The traditional photo at class end (unfortunately, I do not have a photo of my own class graduation. This one is post dated. I'm the first on left, standing)

 

The coveted French pilot's wings. The famed pilot's "macaron" first issued in 1917 to the WW1 pilots.

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