Two young pilot trainees arrive for primary flight training and meet their instructor, Navy pilot Lt. Taylor. Lt. Taylor talks to the men about the necessity of becoming practiced in the way of the aircraft in such a way as to enable them to rely on their senses much of their time in the air, as reliance on instruments can be confusing for beginning pilots. He explains that, at first, flying will be like walking or riding a bicycle were first learned -- by trial and error and following strict instructions. But with practice, eventually the pilot's senses will take over and much of the process of flying will rely more on his feel for the plane and less on rote following of instructions.

This documentary short film is one of a series of U.S. Navy training films instructing new pilots on flight technique. In this, an instructor lectures (with live and animated film footage) pilot trainees on the initial techniques of maintaining proper aircraft attitude while in flight. Straight and level flying, climbing, turning, gliding, and slow flying all require the plane to maintain the correct physical attitude, and proper methods and the possibility of mistakes are demonstrated.

In this documentary short film for the U.S. Navy, proper spin and stall techniques for pilot trainees are explored. After Cadet McDribble nearly collides with a squadron of Navy planes because he has practiced spins through clouds, Lt. Taylor shows his student the proper way to deliberately stall the aircraft and to recover from spins.

In this documentary short film from the U.S. Navy, a naval flight instructor demonstrates to a pair of cadet pilot trainees the proper means of maintaining stable flight without danger of stalling. He explains the principles of lift versus weight, and how the angle of attack determines the speed and attitude necessary to avoid stalling.

This documentary short film is intended to instruct U.S. Navy pilot trainees in the proper preparation of their airplane and their equipment prior to flight. A chief flight instructor demonstrates the correct method of holding, carrying, and wearing the parachute, but Mac, a trainee who thinks he has all the answers already, fails to pay attention and finds himself in deep trouble. Lt. Taylor, another instructor, shows a more attentive pilot trainee through the process of inspection of the plane and engine. But for every step this trainee learns well, Mac is elsewhere showing what can happen when one doesn't pay attention.

In this government documentary short film, a Navy lieutenant explains the proper procedures for standard "stall" landings. Illustrating the nose-up attitude of a proper landing by means of footage of birds landing in a similar attitude, the instructor points out how wind direction is vital to landing decisions. Warnings against both "ballooning" (allowing the nose to come up too high before the plane is close enough to the ground) and "landing into the ground" (allowing the plane to lose lift before it is in the proper three-point landing attitude) follow, as well as instructions for keeping one's attention moving constantly in order to take in all variables.

In this government documentary short film, a U.S. Navy flight instructor demonstrates to a young pilot trainee the proper methods for taxiing an aircraft at an airfield. He also illustrates proper take-off procedure and many of the common mistakes made during both these activities. The dangers of getting too close to other planes whose engines are running are also show. A young cadet named McDribble is presented with evidence of his failures to follow procedure and given punishment duty.

In this continuation of a prior government documentary short film, a pilot trainee continues his first flight instruction. His instructor demonstrates the use of ailerons, elevators, and rudder to control the plane in banks and turns, and illustrates the necessity of using them simultaneously in a coordinated manner. Occasionally, a less attentive pilot, McDribble, is shown failing properly to execute the maneuvers in the prescribed manner.

In this government documentary short film for the U.S. Navy, pilot trainees are instructed in the basics of take-off preparation, including the plane captain's inspection and the checklists of notations from prior flights of the same aircraft. Instructor Lt. Taylor gives one trainee a lesson in the aerodynamics of wing construction and how airflow creates lift on the wings when the engine propels it through the air.