Museum Audio Tour 05: Early Years Gallery: World War II Begins

DAYTON, OH, UNITED STATES

12.31.1969

Audio by NMUSAF PA 

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

In 1939 Europe again plunged into war, and the U.S. was soon training new pilots for combat. The experience of many a raw recruit learning how to fly is depicted in the BT-14 training diorama. It shows the common BT-14 trainer of the day, nose down, prop bent, mechanics puzzled and the instructor delivering a lecture … all in recognition of the Air Corps' ability to train 250,000 pilots during World War II! When the Second World War began in Europe, Americans generally supported a policy of isolationism. But, in a similar fashion to World War I, there were men who left home to fly with the Allies. Many flew as pilots with the Royal Air Force, banding together in the Eagle Squadrons. The museum’s Eagle Squadron diorama depicts what life was like on the flight line, as a pilot stands-by waiting to fly his Hawker Hurricane into battle with the German Luftwaffe. During the early years of aviation, these aviation pioneers were testing new designs, new technology and new concepts. The brave airmen took great risks to advance aviation, paving the way for the Air Force as we know it today.

• Date Taken: 12.31.1969
• Date Posted: 09.02.2015 12:14
• Category: Newscasts
• Audio ID: 41884
• Filename: 1509/DOD_102704017.mp3
• Length: 00:01:23
• Album: Museum Audio Tour
• Track #: 05
• Location: DAYTON, OH, US