The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-14
Experts See Two Years Necessary To Building Military saane corps

look forward to tropo- carrying and cazgo-carrying sliders."
 Ea pointed out that while Ger- many wisely encouraged the sport Ing side of gliding flight for years it is impossible for us now to do likewise. A U. 8. training program must also train men to become glider pilots, he emphasized, not power pilots to glide. Plane pilots don't make the best glider pilots, for one thing, and if gliding has any military value it's in action, not training.
 ARMY NOW HAS
 TRAINING GLIDER
 The decision as to Rliding's Q. s. future will soon be made. Major Dent has just taken delivery Of the army's first glider "a TG-2, two place Schweizer trainer, first of three ordered from the Schweiz- CT Elmira plant. Constructed of the finest materials -- chrome molyb- denum steel tubing for the fuse- iage and aluminium alloys with steel fittings for the wings and tall surfaces -i it is. more rugged than most light airplanes, yet weighs only about 460 pounds. A shpi like 1t holds the national dis- tance record of 2l6 miles as well as the 14,100 feet national altitude record. Three more gliders, TG-ls, have been ordered from the Frankfort, Mich, Sailplane Corp. If experi- ments prove successful, the skies may soon swarm with TO (train- er-glider) ships end eventually with the 20-place transports the NaN are rpeorted to have used on Crete.
 The army Is not convinced of the sailplane1s use, but tt Is at least open-minded. Glider experts argue that in ct least . great many cases simply constructed transport gliders would prove more practical than parachute troops. They are convinced that the cost per man in equipping glider troops would be far less than that of equipping parachutists, declare that glider borne soldiers can land with more equipment ready for action.
 To train pilots for the proposed troop transports would, according to experts, take only about 90 hours of actual training. The trouble is the small number of instructors and ships now available.
 TWO WEARS NEEnEn
 TO TRAIN CORPS
 Glider conscious Elmira would like to take over the training of 200 glider-pilots but would find 20 ships, plus five in reserve, necessary for the task. Glider experts estimate that if plans are immediately made and groundwork laid In places such as Harris Hill, the U. 6. might Have Q glider corps by i0z3.
 There are few fields in the Q. s. SO well equipped or geograph phically placed for gliding as Harris Hill, but gliding has reached great heights at such centers as Frank. fort, Mich, Joliet 1ll., Sun Valley. Idaho, and Arvin, Calif. There are over 100 glider clubs in 30 states. Alter all. soaring necessary for glid- ing is enthusiasm.
 So much attention has been showered on soaring in the past few months that glider advocates don dare look too far ahead. They fear that if gliders fail the army. the public will soon forget them.
 But that gliders do have Q pos. sible commercial, as distinct from military future after the war Is over was suggested by Brig. Gen. Donald H. Connolly, administrator Of civil aeronautics, ct Earl Southee Day." Gliders may, Ee said, be used for the transporta- ton of hrst-clasS mall and air ex. press. The advantage would lie in the fact that airplanes would not have to. stop at every airport on their route in delivering less than full loads of mail and freight.
 Letting their iinaginations roam the airways, glider pilots can even visualize the day when plane-tow- ed soaring machines will be used l.. A.. .Aa-svnrha kiN,a nf fAQsGANQefE