67964 “THE SECOND SEAT” 1960s U.S. NAVY AVIATION OFFICER RECRUITING FILM PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

The first shot of this United States Navy recruiting film circa the late 1950s to early 1960s is a plane taking off from a navy ship runway. Two seat F-111 Aardvarks, T-34 Mentors, A5 Vigilantes, and F-4 Phantoms are among the naval aircraft shown in the film. The Naval Aviation Officer who sits in the “second seat” runs all the complicated systems that the pilot cannot handle alone, including serving as navigator and bombardier (01:35-2:05). A shot of the U.S. Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Florida is followed by a detailed history of U.S. Navy fleet aviation operations and the learning curriculum of naval aviation officer candidates (04:06-06:12). Starting from 08:30 the audience is given a pilot’s view inside a T-34, which was developed by Beechcraft and introduced in 1953. Aerial footage of the plane maneuvered by its pilot with rolls and loops is displayed (09:15-10:16). Multi-engine aircraft, combat flights, and other training is provided. At 11:55, the narrator details the different paths a pre-flight student can take. An operational flight trainer provides advanced technical training (13:52-14:00). Flight coordinates are called out and drawn on a grid at 17:17. An S2D pilot takes over contact and calls in destroyers plus a bogey as long-range radar on the Warning Star uses detection mechanisms (19:50-21:00). The Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star was a U.S. early warning and control radar surveillance aircraft that was operational in the 1950s. At 21:02, a navy FB-4 Phantom Interceptor takes flight. The aircraft is called the fastest fighter in the world and is featured as a radar intercept officer takes second seat and participates in destroying enemy aircraft (21:12-23:07). The A5 Vigilante is depicted at 23:28 with counterattack measures. The film concludes with naval aviators and officers socializing as the narrator describes their bright futures together in the future navy air team (27:21-28:23).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

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