encore
Gutsy Gliders
Gliders are put to the test when these airmen take to the skies.
It’s a good thing most airmen have stomachs of steel, because
these pilots might be needing them!
I
was a glider pilot from the 442nd Being last, we were unable to
Troop Carrier Group, traveling on TDY fi nd a good place to set down.
from England to a dry lake bed about There were gliders going in
40 miles north of Grossett, Italy. Much of all directions and — oh, yes
our time in those days was spent prepar- — anti-glider stakes.
ing for the invasion of South France. I told my copilot we’d have
On this particular mission, each glider to land in an orchard. Lin-
was to have a pilot and a copilot. We were ing up to go between the tree
paired off beforehand. rows, we entered the orchard.
My assigned partner was not the run- The wings came off, the nose
of-the-mill glider pilot — he was quite a bit caved in, and dirt was fl ying.
older and far more experienced. He had a I heard my copilot frantically
pilot’s license in the early ’30s and had been say, “Looks like I’ve fi nally had
a barnstormer, stunt pilot, wing-walker, and it!” Luckily, we weren’t hurt.
anything else you could think of — so long as When we got back, several
he made a buck. He was recruited to engage gliders that had not been
in combat against the German and Italian used had to be ferried back
airplanes. He survived all of this, and when to Naples. My copilot and I
World War II came along (being too old for were selected to ferry one. This time, my
cadets), he joined the glider program. partner insisted it was his turn to pilot.
When we went to the fl ight line to We were on the downwind leg at the air-
mount our glider, we fl ipped a coin to see port when we cut off. Normally you retain
who would be the pilot. I won. the same position, cut your airspeed, and
We were the last glider in our group, and land. But my partner started a loop. At the
we started out over the Mediterranean for top of the loop, he shoved the control col-
Southern France. After about 30 minutes, umn forward so we were upside down on
the lead glider was having problems and the downwind leg. He completed this ma-
cut off. The lead pilot thought he had noth- neuver, and at this point we were too high.
ing to deliver and started a 180-degree turn He said, “Watch this!” We went into a fall-
back to our base. There was radio silence ing leaf. I had never done this before, and
and other pilots followed, not knowing for me it was pucker-up time. To my sur-
what was going on. We soon realized our prise, he landed us safely. He then turned to
mistake and completed a 360-degree turn me and said, “Now, we’re even.” MO
and continued. The group following us
caught up, so we were all together.
— Carson Crabtree is a retired Air Force
We reached the landing zone, and gliders
major. He lives in Sunnyvale, Calif. For submis-
frantically were trying to fi nd space to land. sion information, see page 18.
88 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2007 ILLUSTRATION: ELWOOD SMITH
DDec_Encore.indd
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