The Lincoln Times

Pilot Training Program For College Men

The Marine Corps in Washington has announced a new flying program for college undergraduates.

To be known as the Platoon Leaders Class (Aviation), its major features will be that members belong to it at the same time they attend college and are guaranteed flight training as officers immediately upon graduation from college. No Marine Corps training takes place during the college year, however.

College-time training will consist of six-week indoctrination sessions during two summer vacations from school. These will be held at the site of most Marine officer training, the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia.

Upon completion of training and coincident with graduation from college, members will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps Reserve. At this time they will be designated student aviators and immediately begin the 15 to 18 month Flight School at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.

This will be the first major change in the Platoon Leaders Class since its inception in 1934. The Platoon Leaders Class has been the largest source of Marine officers since that time. About 80 percent of the officers commissioned from colleges each year are graduates of the program.

The new course will incorporate the methods of the ground Platoon Leaders Class. Members of both programs will attend the same preliminary training at Quantico where they will receive basic Marine Corps training. During the second Quantico session aviation candidates will undergo indoctrination flights and receive the aviation mental and physical examinations.

Although graduates of the ground Platoon Leaders Class are required to attend the Officers Basic Course upon graduation from college, this requirement will be waived for aviation graduates. They will go directly to flight training.

Upon completion of flight training, assignment will be as a pilot in one of the three Marine aircraft wings or other aviation units, flying jets helicopters, or other type planes. All training and assignments will be for flying. No non-flying applications will be accepted for this program.

Unlimited quotas have been set. Applicants must be college undergraduates majoring in fields other than art, music, theology and medical and dental subjects. They must be of good moral character, of commissioned officer caliber and physically and mentally qualified for aviation duty. Candidates must be at least 17 years of age. They must be less than 26 on July 1 of the year in which they will graduate from college. There are no restrictions on marriage.

Applications are being accepted in this area by Captain Francis A. Hittinger, Marine Officer Procurement Officer. Captain Hittinger's address is Room 537 Peachtree-7th Building, 50 Seventh Street, N. E., Atlanta, Georgia.