Word: take-off
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...Most favored grasshopper is called the L4, a military adaptation of the ubiquitous Piper Cub with the cockpit enclosed in plastic. The observer rides backwards to watch for planes attacking from the rear. His other jobs: 1) operating the radio; 2) keeping his weight down to 170 (to shorten take-offs); 3) studying targets and fire with naked eye (the grasshopper jiggles too much for field glasses). The L-4 cruises at 70 m.p.h., is powered by a 65-h.p. engine - far less than artillery pilots would like for a quick take-off and climb. Eventually helicopters may supplant...
...First Men. The paratroops, fit and bulky as bears in their equipment, got a final briefing just before take-off time. They knew their assignments. Some of the leading pilots had already been over the target to have a look at the lay of the land. The jumpers climbed into their planes, listened quietly as the colonel in command gave a refresher talk on things to bear in mind during the jump. In one of the planes was Photographer Robert Capa (Collier's) who took pictures and later described the flight to a TIME correspondent...
...sitting down. A young lieutenant, settled on the benches running fore & aft on both sides of the glider, checking parachutes, barely got out in time. He lit running as the big 15-man glider, suddenly an amazingly skittish, lightfooted creature, lifted off the runway. To a glider novice the take-off was startling; we were airborne and climbing on the rope while the heavier tow plane was still soaring down the runway, picking up speed for its own takeoff. We climbed rapidly to 700 feet, circled to get into formation...
Brother Atkinson gave a demonstration entitled "Private Observations"--nuff said. The evening's review ended with a take-off on the Company Commander and his Aide-de-Camp...
...Mile Field is a barren place. Its main building is a grass-roofed, gravel-floored operations hut, where crews are briefed before their combat missions and interviewed when they return. A stilt-legged control tower stands near the upper end, from which take-off and landing signals are blinked to the bomber crews. There are no hangars; planes are serviced, bombed up and repaired in revetments around the field, built up with 20-ft. walls as a protection against bomb blasts. Beyond the flight strip, on both sides, are low, scrub-covered hills...