Training Second World War glider pilots?

Question

How did the US Army Air Force train glider pilots during the Second World War? Did it use small gliders, then move pilots onto large and larger craft? Or did it start them out in relatively large machines like the Waco CG-4?

Answer 1

started pilots on larger crafts

Answer 2

First, they went up in trainer aircraft, just like any other pilot.  Only after learning how to land, they instructors would cut out the engines.  After that, they would move up to trainer gliders, not so big but big enough to get the idea.  It was only pre-invasion training when the glider pilots got their hands on the full sized gliders.

If you want an excellent book to read on this read "Silent Invaders"  It was written by a glider pilot who crash landed in both Overlord and Market Garden.  Excellent story about the training, D-Day, Market Garden and capture.

Answer 3

They used small training gliders then moved the pilot trainees to the larger assault gliders for advanced training. The training gliders were generally two-seaters and designated TG-1, TG-2, TG-3, and so on. I have actually flown a Schweitzer TG-2 and TG-3.

Because there was a shortage of training gliders during the war, they actually modified various small airplanes such as the Taylorcraft L-2 and Aeronca L-3 into primary glider trainers by removing their engines, extending their fuselages, and installing large canopies. This turned out to be a very good move because these airplanes were readily available, inexpensive to modify, and provided very similar glide performance to the large cargo models.

There are many good books on the use of gliders in WWII. "Those d**n Glider Pilots" is one,  and "Silent Wings" is another. There is also a WWII Glider Pilots Association with some good photos of what I have described at http://www.ww2gp.org/training.htm

Answer 4

i believe they used small gliders, i seen it on pbs. maybe some trained on the troop carrying gliders. i remember they had pilots talking about it and they said the big ones crashed, you dusted off the matchsticks and then got another.

  btw i think the small ones were yellow and blue,1wheel etc dont remember though,other than an oldtimer went up in 1 for a last flight.Ibelieve they trained at 29 palms, but not sure,i couldve got the cavalry mixed up with it.