This Day In Norwood History-April 8, 1945-Teen Age Flyers

Norwood HIGH is believed to be the first in the East, and perhaps in the country, where every student in the aeronautics class, if his parents consent, has actual flight instruction as a part of his aeronautics course, without cost.

Under an arrangement with Wiggins Airways, Inc., students go to the airport two at a time, in the morning, accompanied by their principal, Leighton S. Thompson, who teaches navigation in the aeronautics class, or their science and aeronautics teacher, Everett Learned. Each boy—and the one girl flyer in the class—gets a briefing by a Wiggins Airways flight instructor so that he is thoroughly familiar with the airplane and its operation. Then, with the instructor, he takes off in a training plane.

In the next half-hour he pilots the airplane through all the normal maneuvers of flying (with the instructor at a set of dual controls). He flies straight and level, he banks and turns, climbs and glides. And he goes through the more delicate motions of landing and taking off.

Two of the students, Bob Wohler and Jack Bouchard, are receiving a complete solo course through a scholarship fund established by the Norwood Rotary Club and Wiggins Airways.

Below: Barbara Woodbury (the only girl flyer in class) gets a briefing from Chief Instructor Jack Phillipps through the interphone in a Fairchild PT-I9A, Army-type training plane.

Below: Flight Scholarship Winner Jack Bouchard gets a word of cheer from Link Instructor Eleanora Spillane as she seals him into the Link Trainer. The trainer, which it is claimed “flies more like an airplane than an airplane does,” of course never leaves the ground. But flying conditions are simulated by the movement of the trainer on its cradle, and the student, watching his instrument board, operates the controls as if he were actually in flight. The instructor who gives him operating instructions by interphone, can read his progress on a chart. The primary purpose of the trainer is to teach blind flying and air navigation.

Below: Flight Scholarship Winner Bob Wohler checks the instruments with Instructor Lydia Rotch just before takeoff. Bob is nearly ready for his solo flight.

Below: Fairchild PT-I9A, formerly an Army Air Forces trainer and now a Wiggins ship, is easy to fly as Instructor Harry Achorn is explaining to Barbara Woodbury. Near nose of ship are Joseph Garside, president of Wigging Airways; Harry Korslund, chairman of Norwood Rotary Club Scholarship Committee, and Rotary President Carroll Nead. Others, left to right, are Scholarship Winner Bob Wohler, Francis Fitzmorris, Norwood High- Science Instructor Everett Learned (in front of wing), William Kendrick, William Legge, Vincent Kasauskas, Scholarship Winner Jack Bouchard, Leo Dolaher, Edward Tarutis, George Oelschlagel and Principal Leighton S. Thompson.

Below: After the outdoor session, group steps inside to learn operation of Link Trainer. “Crab” on desk follows path of imaginary flight. Left to right: Link Instructor Eleanora Spillane, Everett Learned, Norwood High science teacher; Barbara Woodbury, Francis Fitzmorris, George Oelschlagel, Principal Leighton S. Thompson of Norwood High School, and Leo Dolaher.