June 1966 / Fail-Safe

By Mark Albertson: At Fort Wolters, Texas, a captive training device is in use. A helicopter mounted on a ground effects machine (GEM), AKA Whirlymite, is shown hovering from the ground. The contraption enables a student to practice all manner of in-flight maneuver, safely. A test group of 100 candidates—without previous flying experience—are receiving three hours of Whirlymite instruction.