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TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.

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140

It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document.

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)

This documeat was considered at c.0.5(1) 413a Meeting.

SECRET.

COPY NO. 33

0.0.S.(41) 716.

2nd December, 1941,

WAR

CABINET.

CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.

AIR BORNE FORCES REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING GLIDER PILOTS.

Note by the Vice-Chief of the Air Staff.

1.

This note is submitted in accordance with the Conclusion 3(a) of the 385th Meeting of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Training is divided into three phases:

2.

(ii)

(i) Initial training and elementary training

on light power aircraft

Training on training type gliders ...

12 weeks

6 weeks

6 weeks

(iii)

Conversion to operational type gliders

and operational training... ...

(iv) Combined training with troops and

practice flying.

The capacity of a glider-training organisation is limited by the difficulty of operating large numbers of gliders from one aerodrome, as they require a great deal of handling when on the ground. It is estimated that one glider-training unit cannot handle more than 32 trainees, in two staggered courses, at one time.

4.

The training organisation set out in the Annex to this paper is designed to have an output of 32 fully trained glider pilots every three weeks. It comprises one Elementary Flying Training School, two Glider-Training Schools, two Glider Operational Training Units, and an Exercise Unit. This organisation is based on the limited experience we have had to date in training glider pilots in this country. It is possible that we may wish to modify it in the light of further experience, but the numbers of instructors, aircraft and gliders required are likely to remain substantially the same.

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