Author Topic: who commands a bomber? (Read 241 times)

udet · « **on:** June 20, 2003, 08:46:20 PM »

I've found mentions that in some air forces, like the Luftwaffe and perhaps the French Air Force, bombers were commanded not by their pilots, but by another crewmember (bomb aimer maybe), that was the highest ranking officer on board (or the only officer,as the Luftwaffe had many enlisted pilots), and was trained to fly the plane, navigate it, and basically do the job of each crew member.
Do you guys know anything of this? Any websites dealing with the matter?

Hawklore · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2003, 09:11:14 PM »

I do not know but the "Bomb aimer" your talking about is called a Bombadier; as I have been told.

udet · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2003, 09:21:45 PM »

thanks, I knew that hawklore

I've think both terms are/were used.

Hawklore · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2003, 09:43:09 PM »

Gotta meet my post quota some how...

Karnak · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2003, 12:15:14 AM »

British and American bombers were commanded by the pilot.

SELECTOR · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2003, 08:04:43 AM »

it is true that LW planes were not commaded by the pilot, but by the bomb aimer, the pilot still had charge over safty matters and the buck stopped with him weather to drop, rtb, etc