At first, the main problem encountered during the training period . was coordination between the ground controllers, who landed and launched the aircraft from control jeeps, and the airborne controllers who flew - the drones from other B-17 control airplanes, During the training on Eniwetok the ground drone operators controlled 12h takeoffs and made 1L0 landings with the B-17 drones, The airborne controllers totaled 89 flights during the-same period.” During all these practice missions a safety pilot sat in the drone aircraft, On one occasion the safety pilot prevented the drone B-17 from crashing on takeoff. On another occasion the drone went into a steep climb just after clearing the runway and the safety pilot straightenedit out before the airborne controller, in a control Bel7, took over the flight of the drone. On another occasion a corroded antenna snapped on a drone, which would have been lost had the safety pilot not been aboard to land the aircraft. malfunctions Ci As these occurred, the drone unit technicians and mechanics corrected the trouble and experienced what to watch for in other drones .°" Sampling ABLE Shot. On the last day of June 1946, word circulated that the first atomic bomb of the series was to be dropped the next morning. During the night, crews swarmed over the drone aircraft, making final adjustments; At about 0130 on the morning of 1 July 1946, the first of some 85 aircraft took off to participate in the test. On Eniwetok, ground control pilots in radio jeeps sent the four B-L7 drones off on schedule. The four control B-17 aircraft took over the drones and climbed them to their assigned altitudes, where, they began a 8 WISHO SWEH-2-003) 4 iLSWR