 Proudly, we hail. From New York City, where the American stage begins, here is another program with a cast of outstanding players. Public service time has been made available by this station to bring you this story, as proudly we hail the United States Air Force. Our story is entitled, The Flying Trapeze. It tells about an air research and development project called FICON, and about a triangle that was formed by FICON, and Captain Charlie Davis, who flies a special reconnaissance plane, and Lucy, his girl, who isn't sure whether he loves her as much as he loves the Air Force. Our first act curtain will rise in just a moment, the first. Men, your Air Force offers you an open door to a specialized career, good pay and adventure. Find out now how you can become an airman and open the door to a whole new, colorful world. As an airman, you'll be given highly skilled technical training that is second to none. You'll step out in a handsome blue Air Force uniform, and you'll be assigned to one of the many Air Force bases at home or abroad. As an airman, you'll have an opportunity to visit many of the colorful places you've dreamed about, and you'll be doing a job that offers increasing prestige and advancement. Yes, it's the opportunity of a lifetime, and you can share in it if you begin today. Visit your local Air Force base, or your nearest Air Force recruiting station, and get the facts on the career opportunities in the Air Force. Serve with the Air Force, and you serve with the finest. And now your United States Air Force presents the proudly we hail production, The Flying Trapeze. The Flying Trapeze we're talking about isn't the kind you see in a circus. It doesn't swing an acrobat. It launches and catches a plane in midair, and is called FICON. It was developed by the Wright Air Development Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, in conjunction with engineers from Convair from Republic Aircraft. Of course, the men of the Air Research and Development Command, who worked up FICON, had no idea what trouble he would cause Captain Charlie Davis, United States Air Force, and his girl Lucy. No, Lucy, no, I won't be able to get home. Charlie, why not? You see, another fellow and I, we fly an FB 120. What's that got to do with it? We each fly our own plane. He flies a Convair, a B-36. I fly a Thunderflash, an RF-84, and add them together. Charlie, you said you were coming home on leave. The B-36 makes 120, F and B makes FB. You get it, FB 120. That's not official. ARDC calls it FICON. What's ARDC? What's FICON or whatever? Air Research and Development Command, it's full title. FICON stands for Fighter and Convair. The B-36 is the big Convair intercontinental bomber. Yeah, that's the huge thing with propellers and jet engines. My little Thunderflash, it hitches a ride on a reconnaissance bomber, an RB-36. When we get to a place where I can work, they drop me off and away I go. But why can't you get home? I can take my pictures or whatever and then I come back and fit a special part on the nose of my plane into a piece that's lowered in a boom from the bomber. Charlie. When it's locked in place, I'm just being pulled along by the bomber. But what? Then a trapeze is lowered from the bomber and it grabs my plane just aft in back of the cockpit. And that locks on too, and they pull me plane and all up to the bomb bay and partly into it. All but the wings go in. Now when I want to be ejected, just the opposite. That sounds horribly complicated. It isn't. Now that it's all been worked out, I go off and do my job and I come back and show my thumb to hitch a ride and they pick me up and stow me in the bomb bay and take me home. Biggest tax he ever saw in the fastest. Charlie, before we get married, we have to get engaged officially. Huh? When will you get your next leave? They said the end of next month. How would the 26 do? For what? It isn't about flying. Oh, the 26, fine. All right, the 26 then, and no slip-ups this time. Oh, honey, how could you? You know what happened last time. How did I know they'd send me to Bermuda? It wasn't where you went, it was that girl. Girl, now listen, there wasn't any girl, it was a general. And the weather, you know I wouldn't look at another. And while Charlie Davis is proposing to his girl on the phone, Colonel Beatty of the Air Research and Development Command is having a talk with Major Andrew White, who's been working closely with ARDC. Major White is aircraft commander of an RB-36, a reconnaissance conveyor bomber. He's listening as Colonel Beatty is talking. And it'll be called Operation Surprise, Major. That seems fitting. It's a joint effort to the Strategic Air Command, the Air Defense Command and ARDC. Air Defense Command has some new radar installations to be tested, incorporating some features ARDC worked up, so we want to test them too. Naturally. How many planes will participate, Colonel? Oh, quite a few from different bases. Medium and heavy bombers from SAC, both jet and reciprocating engine craft. You and your FICON will be among the planes in the test. Will the Air Defense Command know it's an exercise or think it's the real thing? Well, they'll be tipped off, of course. But only at the last moment. They won't have time to get set for anything, you know, just as though it was the real thing. But they'll be warned so their interceptors will be shooting you down with cameras instead of with guns, just the way the attacking force will be bombing with cameras. Good, good. I'm curious to see how FICON works in action. When is this to be? Well, as of the moment, it's scheduled for the 26th. Fine. Who'll be flying the Parasite? Well, Captain Davis. He's been flying with you right along, hasn't he? That's right. Well, what's the matter? Any complaints? No, no complaints. Charlie Davis is as good a fighter pilot as there is. As a talker, he's quick and breezy. But as a flyer, he's just as careful and conchy inches as they come. He certainly is. Now, let's see, as I get it, we'll take off at about 4 a.m. from here and fly north and meet others. Look, honey, I know, but I can't. Not this weekend. Charlie, not again. Why can't you get here? What happened this time? It's just... Well, I can't come home this weekend. That's all there is to it. They canceled my leave. You know, if you're so important, the Air Force can't get along without you for one weekend while we announce our engagement. It's a wonder you're not a general by now. Oh, now, Lucy, don't be mad. You know I'd do anything in the world to get there, but something came up. Something always comes up. Look, honey, you know, you're not a general by now. You're not a general by now. Look, honey, you know how I care. Not enough, Charlie. Tell people I'm having a party and then I have to call it off. I can't even say why, except I've been left in the lurch. Well, I can't either, but I don't expect the U.S. Air Force to change its plans just because I'm in love. If you were, you'd get here. Lucy, my orders were changed, and I can't get away. You call that an explanation. You should understand, and that's about all I can say. I know you're worn out. Yeah, I'm still under orders. You know that. I know if you... Lucy, you don't mean that. Lucy! I understand. Lucy should know there are some things I can't... Oh, it's you, Charlie. What's wrong? Excuse me. I didn't mean to bump you, Major. What's the matter? You look upset. Couldn't be a girl, could you? The girl, Major. This exercise, this operation surprise, it sure surprised everybody, didn't it? Oh, that's it. What's wrong? You have a heavy date? Just a party to announce our engagement. That's all. Looks as though that's off now. The party or the engagement? I'm not quite sure. Maybe both. You know, women set a lot of store by that stuff. Don't they, though? I don't know what I can do for you. I can't change the way a woman figures. And there are too many people in planes involved to change the date of the test, even if I try. No sense in trying the impossible, not that way. Just forget you ever saw me, Major, today, I mean. I'll try, until later. I'll be seeing you and Sergeant West, the trapeze operator in a couple of hours anyway after I see Colonel Beatty to check on orders. Yes, sir. And let me know right away if the whole thing's called off, won't you? You are, Major. Well, now everything's all set. Now, here are the plans. The general outline and your part in it. Air Weather Service has given us a long-range forecast and is following it up. Looks good. Uh, your crew all set? We're all ready, Colonel. Except... I wonder if we couldn't use someone else to fly the parasite plane instead of Captain Davis. Well, what's the matter? Don't you two get on? Get on? Of course, we get along fine. Well, what is the trouble then? You mentioned Captain Davis before, as though you'd rather have somebody else. Well, it's that... I don't know if Davis has his mind on this. He had other plans for the weekend. Oh, no. He's too good a man to let a change in plans hamper his work. I'm sure of that for ordinary flying. But something like this, which is really a precision job, it's like an athlete who has to be in perfect shape physically and he has to be in the right frame of mind. No, no, no. Don't give Captain Davis a second thought. He'll be okay. I suppose you're right. I hope so. But... I wonder. Roger West. Well, nearest I can tell, Major White. We just do it the way we've done in practice. You tell me to when to let the little plane down, and I do, and that's all. When Captain Davis and his RF-84 come back and want to lift, I pick them up on the trapeze just as always. Right. You, Davis? Oh, nothing at all, just a breeze. You drop me and I scoot ahead and get pictures of the target and get back to you without being seen or shot down, theoretically. I'll meet you if everything goes well at almost the same spot you're going to drop me. In other words, you'll come back to point A and so will I. Right. We'll be approaching the launching point in a few minutes. Captain Davis, man, your plane. Report to me when ready. Operator West, back to your trapeze. Captain Davis, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep me informed of each step until you're released and on your own. Roger. Fighter pilot to aircraft commander and strapped in battery radio on. Roger, fighter pilot. Trapeze operator, check in. Trapeze operator here. Roger, approaching drop point. Fighter is ready for extension any time. Whatever you want. Trapeze operator, are you ready? Trapeze ready. Starting trapeze down now. Fighter pilot to aircraft commander, reporting as requested. Box released. Trapeze is being lowered. My craft half out of Bombay. All the way out of Bombay now. Trapeze fully extended, starting engine. Point is scheduled at 300 knots. Fighter pilot to aircraft commander. Engine running, flap set. Inverter on normal, trim set at zero. Ready to go to launch in position. Operator to fighter pilot. Releasing half latches and starting boom down. Now, my craft coming out of latches. You are out of latches now. Coming down slowly. The track flaps as desired. Roger, flaps up, ready to launch. You're listening to the proudly we hail production, The Flying Trapeze. We'll return in just a moment for the second act. Are you interested in a career with a promising future? There are hundreds of jobs ranging from administration and accounting to electronics and construction open to you in the United States Air Force. A handy new 84-page booklet entitled, Pocket Guide to Air Force Opportunities, gives you the complete story. Everything pertinent to an Air Force enlistment is covered from basic training to promotion and travel information. And there's a special section where more than 100 technical training courses are described and illustrated. For these and many other interesting facts of what the Air Force can mean to you, pick up your absolutely free copy of Pocket Guide to Air Force Opportunities from your nearest Air Force recruiting station. You're listening to proudly we hail, and here we present the second act of The Flying Trapeze. Captain Charlie Davis in his parasite, RF-84 Thunderflash Reconnaissance Fighter plane, was dropped by Major White from the big RB-36 in order to get pictures of certain installations and return safely to the mother ship if possible. As we pick up Captain Davis, he is approaching the point where he should find his flying carrier. He's using radar to search for the bomber, and radio silence under simulated war conditions. That blip must be my carrier right where she's supposed to be. Just stay on course. Ah, there she is. Biggest life now and twice as big. Davis here, would it be the Shangri-La I see going my way? If you want to lift, come along. You're ready to retrieve at any time. Take up position. Roger, coming in. Right. The remaining presence speed and steady on course. Come on in, Captain. Happy landings. Your position is fine right now. About 100 feet behind us, matching our speed. You can approach whenever you want. It's all yours. Right. Coming now, you should make contact in a few seconds. You're steady as a rock. I'm about ready to make contact. Any time now. Now. Rapese operator to fighter. You're in good shape. Locked in. Roger. Power reduced to idle. Ready to come up anytime. You're coming up right away. Starting the boom up now. We'll be ready to catch you with the half latch pins in a minute. Keep straight as you are. Little left rudder. No, that's too much. Right rudder now. Just a little. That's right. Fire as you are. That's it. That's right. You're doing fine. Flaps. That was a fine job. Glad you liked it. We tried to oblige. Service with a smile, you know. You can hold me up in the bomb bay whenever you want. I'm all set. Engine off. Flaps up. Inverter on alternate. Two degrees nose down trim. Ready for retraction. Roger. Starting trapeze up now. Seems to be coming fine. Canopies inside farmer now are most of it. I guess all of it now. Very smooth. That's as far as you go. Your plane is in stout position. You can get out and join us whenever you want. I'm coming after join you. Roger. Ready to come dock to the major. Turning off radio. Switching off batteries. And that's the way it went. Generally the air defense command has every reason to be proud and pleased. You Captain Davis got through to get the pictures you were supposed to get but you were spotted and charted by radar. An only fast evasive action on your part saved you from being shot down. That is theoretically of course. Even so the pictures show that you would have received serious damage. As for your reconnaissance bomber Major White the chances are your attacker got in and shot you out of the air before you could get him. Of course that big bomber can take a lot of punishment Colonel. You know I've been thinking ever since Charlie Davis told me an F-94 came after him it seems natural, almost inevitable that he'd be spotted. I hope so. But why? Well ADC didn't have to pick up just one small plane they were alerted because they had spotted a whole group of planes. Now suppose it were just one fighter plane instead trying to get through. Hey you have an idea. Yes go on. I think I know what the major is driving at sir. If I were to leave that big bomber earlier farther away and scoot off at full speed for some target maybe I could get through and back without being discovered or without being discovered in time. Suppose we should try it again just this FICON unit. It would be a realistic surprise. ADC wouldn't be expecting another test so soon. Yes that's right they wouldn't. Now suppose you were to let them know that a bomber will be making a routine flight. So once they've checked me in and on course they won't be paying too much attention. And then when Charlie cuts loose and heads for the target fast and at a low altitude they'll have to be on their toes to nab him. I'd like to see that myself. We'll plot your course Major and let air defense know it. But we won't tell them in advance about Captain Davis. You know just time enough so that he won't be shot at and earnest. Now some ARDC improvements or in those particular radar installations I'd like to see how they react to this. We'll get going on this fast. Now you'll be ready to go at any time. You've got it all down pat haven't you Captain. We're going to fly view east at 300 knots. Your heading from the drop point will be 150 degrees. Your return course after you've reached the target will be 60 degrees. Your speed should stay at 500 which means we'll need it exactly two hours. That's the way it's figured. I'm going to dive and hug the ground all the way except to climb for that one range of hills right there. Right. Good luck. This will be interesting. I'll see you in a couple of hours. I have time I got into my plane. Things that happen to me I can't even get to my own engagement party. Lucy's not talking to me. Maybe I could get her understand I was engaged in exercises with the whole public. She might have seen something about it in the papers and figured it out. But this can't get to her to explain and why just because some eager beaver of an officer's bucking for a silver oak leaf and has to get a bright idea to show how smart he is. If you're a through griping captain maybe you'd like to fly. Huh? Isn't that what you came for? Oh. I guess my mic button stuck. You mean it was open all that time? Never mind. Don't tell me. Let me guess. Yes, major. I came to fly. I'd be glad to do it at once right away. Pronto. I'm strapped in. Battery and radio on. Worst luck. Operator, I'm ready for extension. Operator, check in. Roger. Starting the trapeze down. Now. It's hard now. The way I figure it probably miss low the curvature of the earth will hide me from radar detection this by country until I'm within 50 or 60 miles of an installation. At this speed that means just about five minutes. The only advance warning they could have had would be from the GOC. If I fly over uninhabited areas like this maybe the ground observer corps isn't organized well enough to spot me. Ah, there's the primary target now. Quiet and peaceful with no idea I'm coming, I hope. So far I have nothing to tell you. ADC is still collecting information. And they'll be in touch with me as soon as their reports are gathered together and evaluated. That should show something, Colonel. Captain Davis says all went according to plan. I did everything we'd figured. If I'd been flying any lower I would have taken off the top branches of the trees where there were any and scorched the grass where there weren't any trees. I wonder. Well, what's the matter, Captain? You look like a man waiting for his first child to be born. Just want to know how those tests came out. Oh, maybe that's the report now. Oh, yes, yes. Yes? Oh, hello, Colonel. Yes, I've been waiting to hear from you. Uh-huh. Now, that's good. Yes. Oh, interesting. Yes, it was good, then interesting. I wonder what that means. We'll find out soon. Oh, yes. Yes, thank you, Colonel. I'll be waiting for the complete reports. Thank you. Yes, as soon as possible. Yes. Well, what's the verdict? The reports aren't complete yet. Well, of course, Napper. What'd you find out? Well, nothing definite. The picture's confusing to put it mildly. The Air Defense Command knew the route of the 36 and they tracked the plane by radar to make sure. You know, in a normal way. Uh-huh. The GOC reported to the big plane they were checking it either launched a smaller one, like a fighter, or it had a fighter or a reconnaissance plane hiding behind it. The small plane set off on a south-easterly course. That's according to schedule. They should have been able to spot that by radar without any trouble. What about the rest? Reports from the ground observer corps are too spotty in that area to be able to tell much. There are reports of a small, unidentified plane from two different GOC stations. Now, they seem to be the only two that saw reported anything unusual. So what does it mean? Only those two report... It means, unless more sightings are reported, that your bright idea worked. In other words, without prior warning, it would be difficult if not impossible for us to stop a plane like Captain Davis's on such a mission. Oh, they wouldn't have spotted me then. I could have gotten through. Yes, it looks that way. Well, Charlie, you look as though the weight of the world has just descended on you. It has, I guess. Aren't you pleased that your mission was a success? I suppose I am in a way. But on my way back here, I got the thinking what it would mean if I made it. If I could do it, the enemy could, too, the same way. What I was doing became more important than an exercise or a war game. If I could get through with my plane and a camera, the enemy could do it with another plane and a bomb. Well, I don't know of any enemy who has a setup like ours. He doesn't, he will. And if he could get through, it would mean that our radar network isn't enough. Our ground observer corps doesn't observe. Our air defense system has a loophole. I got the thinking about it, and I guess I got keyed up, picturing what could happen all over the country if I was able to get through. Yes, of course. That's why the test. Well, I was on the other side at first. Now, for the first time in my life, I'm sorry I did. Yes, you're right, of course. But all the reports aren't in. And as I said, that's what tests are for to show us our weakness as well as our strength. We were testing a number of things in addition to the effectiveness of FICON. Some new methods ARDC has been working on, for instance. And how well the ground observer corps can handle such a situation in that area, in which radar isn't fully effective in giving advance warning. I guess it showed all right. Yes, it showed that the ground observer corps undermined in that area may not give us a warning in time. The efficiency of the GOC varies in different areas. If people would only realize the importance of the volunteer ground observer corps, I'm sure there would be more volunteers and could be used instead of being under man as it is now. If people just realized that this vital defense chain is only as strong as its weakest link, that each link is an individual volunteering, a civilian. You don't have to tell me, sir. I can see it better than anyone. Now, you shouldn't feel discouraged. Your mission was a success, and that's a help, not a hindrance. It shows how useful FICON can be to us, and also shows us what we need to do to jack up our defenses. We're always working to do that. To make our country safer from attack and better able to retaliate in case we are attacked. Lucy, it's your guy, Charlie. You remember? What do you mean, remember? I'm all set now, honey. Next weekend, is that all right? Charlie, that's wonderful. That is, if you still want me. Won't you? I guess I knew you couldn't help it, but I had to lash out at somebody. That's all right. Oh, no, it isn't. And when I saw the papers about Operation Surprise... Well, I thought you'd figure it out eventually. Well, I did. I was thoroughly ashamed of myself a minute after I hung up, and the papers just confirmed what I had already figured, although I didn't know exactly what it was you were doing until then. Well, I've been doing something else since. Didn't you wonder why you didn't hear from me afterwards? Well, at first I thought maybe you were mad at me, and then I decided that although your mission was over, you had to stay around to get the results or be debriefed or whatever it is. Anyway, I got over about having to postpone our engagement party, and I realized none of that was important. All I wanted was you. You can say that again, sweetie, because that's the way I feel, too. And I like to hear you say it. I'm not giving you much warning this time. I'll be there soon, but it won't be soon enough for me. Ten minutes isn't one. And so do I. I've put in a request of the Air Research and Development Command to have my assignment made permanent. And I guess I'm asking for a permanent assignment to you, too. Air Force Blue is the sign of the finest. It marks you as an important member of America's greatest flying organization, performing vital work, keeping America's planes in the air. As an airman, you're a key man. Visit your nearest Air Force Base or Air Force Recruiting Office for complete details on how you can serve your country and yourself as an airman. This has been another program on Proudly We Hail, presented transcribed in cooperation with this station. Proudly We Hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center in New York for the United States Air Force Recruiting Service, and this is Mark Hamilton speaking, inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hail.