Summary of John C. McManus' Deadly Sky

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The airmen who fought in World War II were volunteers, and they were from nearly every town, city, and state in America. They were the sons of the elite, the impoverished, and everyone in between. They all volunteered to fight the war in the air against America’s enemies.

#2 The Army General Classification Test, given to all recruits, was a forty-minute written exam designed to measure intelligence and general aptitude. The Air Force received a high proportion of men who scored in Class I or II, while the Army Ground Forces received a high proportion of men who scored in Class V.

#3 The American military, like much of society, was segregated in World War II. However, there were a few exceptions to this rule. The majority of combat airmen were white and from middle- and upper-middle-class families.

#4 The American military had a well-defined classification process for its future airmen. Anyone entering the air cadet program had to have at least two years of college, but this requirement was waived in 1942.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822545205

IRB Media

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Insights on John C. McManus's Deadly Sky

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The airmen who fought in World War II were volunteers, and they were from nearly every town, city, and state in America. They were the sons of the elite, the impoverished, and everyone in between. They all volunteered to fight the war in the air against America’s enemies.

#2

The Army General Classification Test, given to all recruits, was a forty-minute written exam designed to measure intelligence and general aptitude. The Air Force received a high proportion of men who scored in Class I or II, while the Army Ground Forces received a high proportion of men who scored in Class V.

#3

The American military, like much of society, was segregated in World War II. However, there were a few exceptions to this rule. The majority of combat airmen were white and from middle- and upper-middle-class families.

#4

The American military had a well-defined classification process for its future airmen. Anyone entering the air cadet program had to have at least two years of college, but this requirement was waived in 1942.

#5

The classification process meant being subjected to a battery of psychological and motor tests. The tests measured your proficiency in one of three jobs: pilot, bombardier, or navigator. The higher your score, the better.

#6

The Air Force used three criteria to determine whether you would be a pilot, bombardier, or navigator: your job preference, your test results, and the needs of the Air Force. The service usually assigned you an aircrew job on the basis of your test scores and preference, but beginning in 1944, the needs of the service were the deciding factor.

#7

If you were among the lucky ones chosen for pilot training, the process was long and tortuous. You went through preflight instruction, primary flight school, and acrobatic training.

#8

After primary training, cadets were sent to basic flight training, where they learned to fly heavier, more complicated airplanes. Those who made it to the end of basic were classified as single- or two-engine pilots, based on their preferences and aptitudes.

#9

The road to becoming a pilot in the Navy or the Marines was similar, although the Marines placed greater emphasis on single-engine training because the majority of their combat aircraft were not equipped with multiple engines.

#10

The American military was extremely picky about the pilots it sent into battle, and would wash out many of them. However, they were always trying to make the best pilots in the world.

#11

The Air Force could be more restrictive in choosing its future navigators than it was in choosing future pilots. Only those with extremely high test scores in relevant areas were chosen to go on to navigation school.

#12

The American Air Force was not interested in training its pilots to be team players. They wanted them to be individualists, ready for adventure.

#13

Fighter pilots were typically very self-involved people who were used to taking care of themselves. They were not very comfortable accepting responsibility for anyone else’s