often had to be trained "from scratch" on the complicated electronic
equipment used in the drones,
Also, there was serious shortage of
"beeper" pilots to control the drone aircraft.
Officers who had experience
with drone aircraft operations were called back into service and others
were put into training for drone operations,
An excellent aircraft pilot,
the drone unit soon discovered, might be unable to develop proficiency
as a "beeper" pilot.
Therefore, a large number of pilots entered into
the "beeper" training.
There also was a problem in securing and training maintenance
personnel for the drone unit's communications and electronics equipment,
Besides a lack of qualified persennel, there was not enough space to
conduct the training, equipment was lacking or inoperative, and power
supplies for the equipment on hand was inadequate.
In some cases
individuals had been assigned to the unit for maintenance training after
the outfit had packed up for the move overseas to the test site,°<
The drone unit's training program also caused a security problem,
No information had been given out regarding the impending Operation
SANDSTONE tests,
However, Colonel Kilgore searched the entire Air Force
to locate all personnel who had helped operate drones during CROSSROADS,
When these "old hands" arrived at Eglin Air Force Base they recognized
the preparatiotBoon enough and concluded that another nuclear test
operation was under way.?>
Twenty-four B-17 aircraft were prepared for SANDSTONE sampling, half
of them drones and half of them control planes,
per cent spares in the program.
|
Each of the B-17 drones carried two
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