German Civilian to Military Pilot TransitionTraining 1914-1916

[Roadhog]

Dear Forum mates, How would the German military transition a civilian trained pilot who was certified under the Nationalflugspende program of 1912-1913 into the German Air service in say early 1916? I am certain that he would be required to deomonstrate his flying proficiency and navigational skills but what else?

What would decide on what type of an unit he would be assigned to? Would he received follow-on training and if so, where and for how long. I am sure this would differ from scout pilots to those destined to fly the recon planes.

Are there any written resources that would help me in this matter?

Thanks again for all of your help and concern in this matter and if I ever get this damn book finished it will truly be a group effort. VR, Scott Price

[Nieuport28]

Check out the Udet bio "Ace Of The Iron Cross'~ It was available at one time as a free download off the 'net'~ I think he had spent the time and expense to acquire a civil license prior to his enlistment. In his earliest period of transitining to a status as a military flier, he was under command of various line officers most of whom were still wearing their 'spurs'! and were completely unaware of the nature of the new art of flight~ and I recall he'd been sentenced to a term of imprisonment~ charged with~and I belive the exact term used in the accusation was~ 'for curving his Majesty's aeroplane'~ This, as an aftermath to his stalling out of a turn while trying to return to the field after a engine failure! When a new 'Eindecker' arrived at tne facility personally consigned to him~ with orders to take it onto his new assignment as a fighter pilot, they had to suspend his sentence~ Unfortunately, for Udet, he imediately wrecked the new ship on his take off attempt and had to spend an uncomfortable period of time among his scornful superiors while he awaited the arrival of another 'Einecker' He was a Corporal as I recall, at this period~ and not a very happy one!

[Roadhog]

Thanks sir, I will check it out. I just thought that there would be more writenon the Nationalflugspende program since it raised between seven and eleven million marks before the war that was used to advance the cause of aviation across Germany. Much of the money was used to train civilian pilots. VR, Roadhog

[rammjaeger]

Sometimes these early pilots had "private contracts" with the military. In the case of mobilisation they had to step into the Fliegertruppe and to do service there. Otherwise it could happen that these (often older) pilots were simply drawn into the Landwehr (kind of 3. line-troops) of the infantry.

Military pilots had to do "Auffrischungs-Lehrgänge" (refreshement-courses) every year (before the war) but if your heroe was a private person before WWI then this was not possible and he could have lost some of his skills.

If older pilots reported to duty in WWI then they did often "jobs" in administration, airplane production and airplane tests.

In general you can expect the candidate had to do some "Vorfliegen" - he had to show his flying abilities under observation of some pilots and officers.
As well it is very likely the candidate had only the International flight licence from pre-war times. This examination required the same exercises like the 1. examination (of 3 examinations) in the Fliegertruppe.
So from a bureaucratic point of view there were many flights and 2 additional examinations to do before your pilot could call himself "Flugmeister".
Additional frontline flights were required to get the pilot's badge!
(For details see my 2-part article about Training in the German Air Force in Cross & Cockade in 2003.)

Exceptions were possible. For example nobody demanded that Josef Suwelack (holder of a private contract) - a famous German pre-war flight pioneer - did any exercise etc. if he was mobilised in August 1914!

Hope that helps!

VBR
Rammjaeger

[Vic Diehl]

Rammjager:

You mentioned these civil pilots with "private contracts" with the military.
When working for the military during their contract, did they remain in civilian pilot dress or did they adopt a military uniform?

Thanks

Vic

[rammjaeger]

I can not generalize here but Josef Suwelack served with EFP 3 and FFA 24.
Photographs of FFA 24 show him wearing an uniform - and that is clear because he could have faced execution otherwise if he came down on enemy-hold area. (Nevertheless Britons shot him and his observer on the ground. The later famous Major Dowding called that an execution and was very upset.)

As well he was a military person after the mobilisation - only supplied with a contract which gave him a lot of money for his efforts.
Therefore the military bureaucracy tried to finish or ignore his contract.