“We” · Chapter
Training at Brooks Field explained
Charles Lindbergh arrives at Brooks Field on March 15, 1924, and enlists as a Flying Cadet.
What happens
Charles Lindbergh arrives at Brooks Field on March 15, 1924, and enlists as a Flying Cadet. He describes the rigorous training environment, the camaraderie among the 104 cadets, and the high washout rate—only 18 of the original class eventually receive their wings. The chapter details the early days of instruction, including learning maneuvers like the 'three sixty' and 'one eighty,' the soloing process, and the daily routine of a cadet. Lindbergh reflects on the demanding yet rewarding nature of Army flight training, which he considers among the best in the world.
Themes in this chapter
Risk, Sacrifice, and Perseverance
The chapter emphasizes the intense physical and mental demands of flight training, the high washout rate, and the cadets' determination to succeed despite the risks.
Youth and Idealism
Lindbergh and his fellow cadets are portrayed as a 'carefree lot,' full of confidence and anticipation, embodying the youthful idealism of early aviation pioneers.
Technological Progress and the Future
The description of the Curtiss Jenny and the evolving training techniques highlights the rapid technological advancements in aviation during the 1920s.
Characters to notice
- Charles Lindbergh
Narrator and protagonist; arrives at Brooks Field as a Flying Cadet, undergoes primary flight training, and describes his experiences.
- Sergeant Winston
Lindbergh's flight instructor at Brooks Field; assigned to teach Lindbergh and five other cadets.
Key passages
“The training is rigid and difficult but there is none better. A cadet must be willing to forget all other interest in life when he enters the Texas flying schools and he must enter with the intention of devoting every effort and all of the energy during the next twelve months towards a single goal.”
The training is demanding and tough, but it is the best available. A cadet must be prepared to set aside all other pursuits and dedicate all his energy for the next year to a single objective.
Lindbergh underscores the all-consuming nature of Army flight training and its high standards.
“In our class of one hundred and four, thirty-three finished their primary training and only eighteen of us received our wings.”
Out of 104 cadets in our class, only 33 completed primary training, and just 18 ultimately earned their wings.
This statistic illustrates the extremely selective nature of the training program.
“The instructor would climb out of his cockpit, tie a white handkerchief on the rudder as a danger signal, indicating that the ship was usually out of control, and signal his student to take off.”
The instructor would exit the plane, attach a white handkerchief to the rudder as a warning that the aircraft was unstable, and then signal the student to take off alone.
Describes the soloing procedure and the symbolic use of a white handkerchief as a danger flag.