Page:The Fun of It.pdf/49

Rh tors about the conventional ten hours, but my student period contained stunting before I soloed.

Perhaps I should explain what stunting is.

The Department of Commerce defines it as “any manœuver not necessary for normal flight.” This is a very inclusive definition. I am sure at least a hundred others would be necessary to explain it. Let’s try another approach. Just which stunts do flying schools teach? The answer to that query sounds more promising.

The fundamental stunts taught to students are slips, stalls and spins—three S’s instead of R’s. Loops, barrel rolls and variations and combinations of many kinds are included depending on the in­struction desired. The Army, Navy and Marines practise intricate and specialized manœuvers, per­forming many of them in formation.

A knowledge of some stunts is judged neces­sary to good flying. Unless a pilot has actually re­covered from a stall, has actually put his plane into a spin and brought it out, he cannot know accu­rately what those acts entail. He should be familiar enough with abnormal positions of his craft to re­cover without having to think how.

I have always regarded stunting as somewhat similar to driving in traffic. That is, it is a skill at­tained through practise in order to master a vehicle under as varying conditions as are likely to be en­countered. One can choose to drive only on de­serted country roads and one can fly only on good