Papa's friend sent this:
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Hello, Art.
Family OK. Your's too, I hope. As you can see in this PT-19 Cornell http://christian-john.com/primary.html the instructor was in the front cockpit. But in the AT-6 I instructed from the rear cockpit. From there I had eye contact on the student, but it was really for the student's learning benefit. Once I required a forced-landing of a new student by cutting off the engine (most instructors just hollered, "Forced-landing" and throttled down). That new student immediately threw open the canopy and started to bail out. I made him get back in his seat and go through the proper procedure. Now, what if the instructor had been in fhe front cockpit??!! And, as for that one rubber tube --- it was unreliable in slow rolls and in inverted flight.
Give my regards to Chuck and Marion.
John
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"