Page 69 - Appendix A

Ivan: Got you.

Bill: So I soloed in five and a half hours.

Ivan: So it means that that thirty-six hours was ample time to get you to solo before
you went into pilot training.

Bill: Well, no it wouldn't necessarily get you… well hopefully get you to solo.

Ivan: OK.

Bill: OK. And I think most people did solo. Most people were soloing between 10 and
15 hours, or 10 and 14 hours. And there was one African-American, the one that
went to Moore with me; we were there together, and I'm sure he soloed. I was
the only one to get a private license, so I got my private license in thirty-three
hours.

Ivan: OK. Wow. OK.

Bill: I took my private pilot check ride in 31 hours.

Ivan: Now this 36 hours was not unique to your ROTC detachment, it was something
that was common to all ROTC detachments at the time?

Bill: Yes, it was common. It wasn't something that was special. I think it was common
to universities that had flight training programs.

Ivan: OK. And that's the reason again you said that you selected SIU (Southern Illinois
University) in the first place.

Bill: No. I selected SIU in the first place because I've got a football scholarship down
there for four years.

Ivan: Ah, so it was fortuitous!

Bill: That's right and at that time, the first two years were mandatory in ROTC. And
then I elected to go into advanced ROTC my junior and senior year, because I
planned to go in the Air Force, and then when I got the opportunity to fly, that's
what I wanted to do.

Ivan: OK; so you didn't go to that school with an idea with the end game of becoming
a pilot?

Bill: No.

Ivan: OK. OK.