Out on the field, Hal went from week to week through the different grades of flying. Although he had done a deal of actual flying before he ever entered the school, the precise, thorough routine training of the Rand-Elwin took no account of this. With flight, as with engine study, he was made to start at the bottom and was then given the "whole works." He had to begin with learning the controls, pass from that to their application, then to straight and even flying, climbs, banks.