Interesting but deserving of so much more. Did anyone consider using Pathfinders to mark the LZ at night or why weren't the gliders dropped at much greater altitudes and range to take advantage of the silent approach? There is so much more that could have been discussed besides just personal accounts. Silent Wings Museum - Lubbock International Airport. straight airdrop from a C-47, how did they communicated between towed and towing aircraft? Rooney mentions "Saving Private Ryan," but there is no mention if the overloaded glider incident was a real problem in real life. Check the Silent Wings Museum website for more information on the progress of the Silent Wings Museum. How was the glider pilot training different from powered aircraft pilot, why two pilots, how did towing a glider affect the C-47 airspeed across the battlefield, what was the advantage of using a glider vs. But so much more could, and should have been discussed. The video also does a fair job of describing the result of each operational use, but otherwise is very vague on the glider program and equipment. Narration and personal stories, such as from W. In fact, one pilot interviewed said - the 'G' in their emblem didn't stand for glider it stood for 'guts.' Features include: - Virtual walk-through tour of the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, Texas - Interview with Robert Child about the project and putting the film together - Inecom Entertainment Company Thousands of lives were saved and battles won because of their efforts. It was their task to repeatedly risk their lives landing the men and tools of war deep within enemy-held territory, often in complete darkness.
For these glider pilots every mission was do-or-die.
During WWII, 6000 young Americans volunteered to fly large unarmed cargo gliders into battle. Through rare archival footage and photographs, the film places the audience right at the center of the action in the dangerous world of the American glider pilot. From the early race to build gliders to the D-Day invasion at Normandy and Nazi Germany's final surrender, "Silent Wings - The American Glider Pilots of WWII" narrated by Hal Holbrook, reveals the critical role gliders played in World War II offensives.