TRAINING OF CIVIL AIRLINE PILOTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A046400480001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 15, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
C-O-N-F.-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
COUNTRY
Poland REPORT
SUBJECT
Training of CITii l Airline Pilots DATE DISTR.
0 JAN 109
NO. PAGES
51
REFERENCES
RD
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE AC
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report.containing information on the
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STATE # ARMY # NAVY AIR
jfl
FBI
AEC
0
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COUNTRY.- Poland
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SUBJECT: Civil Airline Training in Poland
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DATE: 16 December 1958
PAGES: 4
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Civil Airline Training in Poland
General Information
There was no official school in Poland where complete training
was given to future air crew members of Poland's one civil
airline, LOT. With very few exceptions, all personnel who flew
civil airliners were former military personnel who had received
their initial flight training in Polish Air Force schools. A
small number of individuals became airline pilots without the
benefit of military training,; however, they had to be licensed
pilots prior to applying for a position with the airline. Latter
personnel received flight training in aeroclubs and were generally
hired by. the airline because of political or personal influence.
Stewardesses had no military training. Although LOT d.d not
possess a school where complete pilot, navigator, or radio-
operator training was given, it had a small training department
located at its headquarters at Warsaw/Okecie Airfield (N 52-10,
E 21-58). A branch of this training department was located at
Bielsko Airfield (N 49-48, E 19-00) where it was operated in
cooperation with the Polish aeroclub organization.
Selection of Personnel
2. Former bomber pilots constituted the majority of airline pilots.
Because-of the gradual reduction of the:Polish Bomber Force
throughout 1955 and 19560 a great number'of bomber aircraft crew
members were released from active duty and were subsequently
hired by LOT, which was under expansion. Individuals who had a
substantial number of hours in multi-engine aircraft and possessed
a clean military record upon being discharged from either the
{ air force or the navy, received first priority; Second priority
was given to any pilot who had any experience in multi-engine
aircraft. Fighter pilots received last priority. If for example,
a fighter pilot had about 500 hours to his credit and a multi-
engine aircraft pilot had only 100 hours, the latter individual
was selected. Except as stated above, whereby some personnel
who had no military training or experience were hired because
of certain connections, as a general rule civilians were, not
hired because aeroclub experience was not considered sufficient.
Those who were hired were generally trained to become mail pilots
and seldom became crew members of passenger airplanes.
3.
All applicants, on the other hand, had to show membership in an
aeroclub. When a military pilot was released from active duty
and contemplated-an airline position, his first step was to join
an aeroelubo Only then could he proceed with his application .
For aeroclub membership, a candidate had to pass a flight physical
examination and had to be mentally and politically acceptable.
The medical examination administered by an aeroclub was auto-
matically accepted by the airline. These medical examinations
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tions (Civil) (Centralny Instytut Badawniczo-Lekarsko Lotniczy .
(Cywilny), All aeroclubs in Poland were served by this institute
and all prospective members were compelled to travel to Wroclaw
at their own expense to take the flight physicals 50X1-HUM
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were administered in Wroclaw, on Ulioa (street) Generala ,
Swierczewskiego, at the Central Institute for Air Medical Examina-
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The institute was manned
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The last requirement to become a LOT pilot was documentary proof
of flying experience. No flight test was administered. If a
pilot met the above requirements, he was hired, provided of
course that a position was available, However, being hired was
no guarantee of a position; an individual still had to success-
by civilian personnel.
,fully complete the airline's training phase and be cleared. by
Training
Training for future airline pilots was conducted at Okecie and
Bielsko Airfields. The latter field was used for basic training
whereas advance training was conducted at Qkecie. If the trainee
had a substantial number of hours in multi-engine aircraft and
was dust recently discharged by the air force, his initial train-
ing merely consisted of several touch-and-go landings. If he
executed those successfully, he then made several trips aboard a
liner as an observer and then was given a position as a do-pilot.
Training periods had no specific lengths of time but rather de-
pended on-an individual's past experience.: Pilots who had little
or no experience in multi-engine aircraft,..or those who had a
longer break in flying, were first sent to:Bielsko Airfield where
they received a refresher course conducted by experienced LOT
pilots. However, aeroolub personnel were administratively re-
sponsible for all courses conducted at Bielsko. When a pilot
completed-the training phase here, he,_.was.then transferred to
Okeoie where he received his final check flight.
engine transport - Douglas; and a twin-engine, transport.; Also
a emall.Czeohoslovakian twin-engine transport- ANT-2; a single
at Okecie.or Bielsko, were the property of LOT. The following
types of airplanes. were utilized for training purposes: Aero-45;50X1-HUM
Aircraft
All aircraft utilized to train prospective airline pilots, whether
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Summary
conducted at Bielsko or Okecie, were simple affairs--where a
certain LOT pilot was assigned one or two:'',individuals and was
required to teach them whatever he thought they should know.
Since LOT was a small organization and candidates far outnumbered
job vacancies, the airline was not pressed for crew members, and
could therefore select "the cream of the crop",
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the LOT training courses, whether
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