Flight Procedures

After stowing the survival gear nearby, I checked that a flak mat, flak vest, flak helmet and one man life raft or dinghy were located at my station. Flak gear and dinghies were normally left at each crew member’s position in the airplane. Flak was a slang term for fragments resulting from antiaircraft projectile bursts.

Next, I strapped on my parachute over the Mae West, snapped on the dinghy, located in my seat, onto my parachute, fastened my lap belt and put on my throat microphone and headset. Crew members were required to have their headsets on and connected to the interphone system when at their duty stations. Meanwhile, the auxiliary power unit, called the “putt-putt”, because of its rhythmic stutter when running, was started by the tail gunner, Charles Jones, on his way to the tail compartment. The putt-putt, located in the aft unpressurized compartment, furnished power to the aircraft systems and power for starting the engines.

In accordance with the Before Starting Engines Checklist, I checked the oxygen system for proper operation and normal pressure. I placed the master and battery switches to the on position and checked that the putt-putt was on line. I checked that all panel lights and indicators were working.  I opened the fuel shut-off valves, turned the fuel booster pumps on and checked that the fuel transfer switch was in the off position. Next, I checked that the mixture controls were set to the idle cut-off position and that the throttles were closed.  I  also  checked  engine, fuel and electrical gauges for  proper  indications  and  that  other  appropriate aircraft and electrical switches, such as engine  cowl  flaps  and generators,  were set to the proper positions for starting the engines. I opened the cabin pressure valve and I determined the amount of fuel on board via the fuel quantity gauges, which I logged in the flight engineer’s log, hereafter called the “Flight Log”.

UPON COMPLETION OF OUR CHECKS, EACH CREW MEMBER REPORTED IN TO ROCKY VIA INTERPHONE ON THE STATUS OF THEIR INSPECTION IN A PREARRANGED SEQUENCE

The pilots performed their required checks, including their oxygen systems, brake and nose gear steering pressures, operation of the flight controls (aileron, elevator and rudder), and proper positions of switches and status of flight indicators. Rocky also operated the parking brake lever, thereby engaging the brakes. Other crew members performed the required checks for their stations. Upon completion of our checks, each crew member reported in to Rocky via interphone on the status of their inspection in a prearranged sequence.

I NOTIFIED ROCKY THAT I HAD COMPLETED MY CHECKS, THAT THE ENGINES WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AND THAT I WAS READY TO TAXI

Upon receiving a signal from control tower personnel, Rocky told me to start the engines. Woody confirmed that a ground crew member was in position with a fire extinguisher at the front of the right wing. I turned the panel fire extinguisher switch to the number three engine position, cracked the engine throttle, moved the mixture control from idle cut-off to auto-rich and actuated the starter switch. After several revolutions, I flipped the magneto switch to the both position and the mighty engine wheezed, coughed, chugged a few times and started with a roar as the airplane began to vibrate and shake. I moved the throttle to the idle position and the engine settled down into a low and steady rumble. I scanned appropriate engine instruments, such as fuel flow and pressure, oil pressure and temperature, cylinder head temperature, and tachometer, noting that the engine was operating normally. I switched power from the putt-putt to the aircraft electrical system and started the remaining three engines. After all engines had been started and were idling, Rocky conducted the propeller and feathering motor checks. Then he advanced the number one throttle to obtain the prescribed revolutions per minute and I conducted the magneto checks. I verified that the magnetos were operating normally. The other engines also checked out okay. I notified Rocky that I had completed my checks, that the engines were operating normally and that I was ready to taxi.

WHEN ROCKY RECEIVED THE SIGNAL, HE DIRECTED THE GROUND CREW TO REMOVE THE WHEEL CHOCKS, RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLES

Meanwhile, Woody lowered the wing flops to the takeoff position as Denis closed the bomb bay doors. The wing flap and bomb bay door positions were verified by the gunners. We waited for the signal from the control tower indicating that it was our turn to join the B-29s that were taxiing to the runways for takeoff. When Rocky received the signal, he directed the ground crew to remove the wheel chocks, released the parking brake lever and advanced the throttles. As the B-29 started to lumber forward, he reduced power to keep the airplane moving at a slow rate as ground crew personnel directed him onto the taxiway where we joined the parade of bombers heading for the runways. We proceeded to the west end of the designated runway for takeoff to the east, where we joined preceding B-29s holding nose-to-tail waiting to takeoff.

There were potential problems for airplanes taking off to the west. The end of the runway was only a few feet higher than the surface beyond the runway. The flight path was over land for some distance prior to reaching the ocean and there was a cemetery located a short distance from the end of the runway. We were fortunate in that we never had to takeoff to the west. During my stay at Tinian, I only saw a few airplanes take off in that direction and I saw one B-29 plunge into the ocean after taking off to the west.

AS WE NEARED THE RUNWAY, I RECHECKED THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE SET TO THE AUTO-RICH POSITION, THAT THE FUEL BOOSTER PUMPS WERE ON AND THAT THE COWL FLAPS WERE OPEN.

As we neared the runway, I rechecked that the mixture controls were set to the auto-rich position, that the fuel booster pumps were on and that the cowl flaps were open. Meanwhile, Rocky asked for another crew report as he told them to standby for takeoff. At the next signal, Rocky turned the B-29 onto the runway, using the outboard engines to steer the airplane and stopped the B-29 at the end of the runway. Takeoff of a Superfortress required the coordinated effort of the two pilots and the flight engineer to coax the huge airplane aloft. As Rocky advanced the four throttles to obtain full power while he and Woody stomped on the brakes, the mighty engines roared and the B-29 started jumping with the nose gear bouncing up and down, raring to go. I carefully checked the instruments for any sign of engine malfunctioning. When the engines were developing full power, the pilots released the brakes and the airplane began to move, slowly and ponderously at first and then accelerating until we were speeding down the coral runway.

MOST PILOTS OF OVER LOADED B-29S USED THIS BUFFER ZONE, BY LETTING THEIR AIRPLANES SETTLE TO WITHIN SEVERAL  FEET  OF THE [OCEAN] SURFACE AFTER TAKING OFF, THEREBY GAINING A FEW EXTRA FEET PER SECOND OF FLIGHT SPEED.

Rocky deftly guided the B-29 along the center of the runway as Woody called out the airspeed. This was my first check of the engines at full power and I constantly monitored the instruments for any indication of abnormal operation. All engines continued to operate normally. Soon we passed the decision point for safely aborting the takeoff roll and we were committed to taking off. When the airplane reached takeoff speed, Rocky pulled back on the control column, thereby applying up elevator, and the B-29 lifted off, several hundred feet from the end of the runway. Woody retracted the landing gear and slowly raised the flaps as the airspeed increased. We passed over the edge of the island which was located approximately one hundred feet above the ocean. Most pilots of over loaded B-29s used this buffer zone, by letting their airplanes settle to within several  feet  of the surface after taking off, thereby gaining a few extra feet per second of flight speed. I recorded the time of takeoff, duration of the take-off, fuel used and engine cylinder head temperatures in my flight log. I closed the cowl flaps and turned the fuel booster pumps off. I asked Charles to shut down the putt-putt and checked that the panel light was extinguished, indicating that it had been shut down as we transitioned into the climb phase.