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Flying Solo

By Wayne Smith

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WAYNE SMITH

Instructor Paul Stoner, second from left, stands next to student Wayne Smith, third from left. Life as an aviation cadet at
Bainbridge Air Base in Southern Georgia consisted of hot days, good meals and keeping your eyes on the skies.

This day started just like all my Cadet Wayne Smith I was nervous
other days had for the last five because just the day
months. Rudely awoken by the in- and well prepared and none of the before, I had loused
tercom at 07:00 hours, I arose quickly, “square meals” that I had endured dur-
trying to beat my three roommates to the ing pre-flight training at Lackland. up almost every
communal bathroom. We had to shower, maneuver that
shave and make our beds in order to get I’d attempted.”
to a 07:30 breakfast. Even though we
were to make our beds “tight enough During breakfast, the Cadet Corps
to bounce a quarter,” getting dressed Squadron Commander announced that a
was the hardest part. It was May in stray dog on the base – who we had taken
Bainbridge, Georgia, and the morning to calling “Damnit” - had just given birth
was already getting warm. After a quick to a litter of puppies. He suggested leav-
formation for roll call, we went to the ing a bit of extra food outside the mess
dining hall for breakfast. hall for Damnit and her pups. When I
went to leave them some eggs and milk, I
After 12 weeks at Lackland Air Force encountered enough food on the walkway
Base in San Antonio, the atmosphere at
Bainbridge seemed like a country club.
The dining hall was a major plus, with
good Southern food that was plentiful

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