Radio-TV mirror (Jan-June 1952)

Blimp flying was Arthur's goal, arriving at Lakehurst (N. J.) Naval Air Station for added flight training. GODFREY'S BRIGHT WINGS windmills that can go straight up, straight down, frontwards or backwards. His next stop was Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Navy's All-Weather Flight School. This school, as the name implies, teaches qualified pilots to navigate in every type of foul weather including pea-soup fog. It teaches the technique of taking off and landing with the aid of instruments only. In the weeks that followed, Commander Godfrey followed the rigid program set down by the school in his try for the coveted green card qualifying him as a full-fledged all-weather pilot. Out of the sack at six-thirty every morning, Godfrey jumped under a brisk shower, then to the mess hall for some good Navy chow. After breakfast he took his turn with the other pilots on the day's flight schedule. Flights began at eight o'clock and continued most of the day. Like the others, Godfrey climbed into one of the Navy's twin-engined Beechcrafts, the powerful monoplanes used in the course. During the first part of the training, an instructor goes along while the pilot makes practice landings on instruments. As the course progresses, things get more interesting and at the same time more dangerous. But to Godfrey, who has fully qualified in Navy jets, taking off into the wide blue yonder is safer than Arthur Godfrey Time is heard M-F, 10-11 :30 A.M. for Toni, Ovaltine, Rinso, Pepsodent, Pillsbury, .Nabisco, Chesterfield on CBS; simulcast 10:15-10:30, CBS-TV. King Arthur Godfrey's Round Table, Sun., 5 P.M. on CBS for Kingan. Arthur Godfrey and His Friends, Wed., 8 P.M. on CBS-TV for Chesterfield, Pillsbury, Toni; and Godfrey's Talent Scouts, simulcast Mon., 8:30 P.M. for Lipton. All EDT. Commander D. N. McNaull (left), in charge of reserve at Lakehurst, helped give him the lowdown on lighter-than-air croft. crossing Forty -second Street and Broadway. He smiled genially as the colored Plexiglas hood was fitted over the plane's cockpit in the last stages of the program. He smiled even though the hood prevented him from seeing anything outside the cockpit. He was strictly on his own now with nothing but the little dials on the instrument panel. This was the final test. No instructor, and visibility zero. Over his radio came a signal from the tower and Godfrey gunned the engines; a moment later he roared off the field. It was a perfect take-off and, once airborne, half the danger was past. The other half, of course, was bringing her down again. After a brief flight under the dark-Plexiglas hood, Godfrey nosed his plane around and headed Doctor's checkup proved Godfrey was in the pink, despite a flying course even more rugged than his radio-TV schedule. for the air field. At least, where he hoped the airfield would be when he came down. He switched on his equipment for a ground control approach and signalled the tower that he was coming in. The tower radioed the wind direction and Commander Godfrey swung the plane that way, cutting altitude in a slow glide. So far, he was literally on the beam and mentally, his.fingers were crossed. In a few moments the landing gear touched the ground and Godfrey promptly cut the power and slowly applied brake pressure which brought the plane to a halt. He had done it! Godfrey was promptly awarded the prized green card signifying that he was an all-weather fly boy. It meant that he could now (Continued on page 81) And his oppetite was just as husky os any sen j, mans, Immg up for chow in the general mess halll 30 The shows must — and did— go on, during Arthur's leave of absence, thanks to "all the little Godfreys." Frank Parker went on singing duets with Marion Marlowe, also took over as emcee for Godfrey and His Friends. 31