RELEASE NO. N.55/57
Three World War II German Fighter Pilots
Train At Canadian Base In Germany
METZ, France, July 16, 1957. – Three Second World War German fighter pilots have begun an eight-week course on Canadian-built Sabre jets at the RCAF’s No. 3 Fighter Wing, Zweibrucken, Germany, officials of Canada’s NATO Air Division announced today.
On completion of their training, the pilots will form the nucleus of jet instructors for the new German Air Force.
The German officers, Lt. Col. H Wehnelt, 39, of Lengries, Bavaria; Captain G Josten, 35, of Furstenfeldbruck; and Lt. HU Flade, 32, of Wetzlar, are all veteran fighter pilots, with combat experience flying Focke-Wulf 190’s and Messerschmidt 109’s on the Russian and home fronts during the Second World War.
Chief Instructor and "chase" pilot for the German pilots is Flying Officer Arnulf Leiter, 28, son of Mr. & Mrs. R. Leiter, Peerless, Sask. Besides ground instruction on the single-seat Sabre, F/O Leiter is responsible for air-to-air instruction. This means he flies in the "chase" position behind the German pilots and assists them with any difficulties they may encounter in the air.
Completing their course early in September, it is expected the German pilots will soon be flying the Sabre jets allocated to the Federal Republic of Germany under Canada’s Mutual Aid Program, plus a further number of F-86’s which have been purchased in Canada by Germany.