Silent Wings Museum

Just outside of Lubbock, Texas (next to the airport) is where you will find the Silent Wings Museum.  This museum is dedicated to the WWII glider program (thus the "silent wings").  This is a very interesting museum and I learned quite a bit about a program I did not know anything about prior to this visit.  Basically the glider planes were designed to ferry soldiers and equipment into enemy territory during the war on the European front.  To silently glide into the war zone and not be detected was their advantage.  The disadvantage was that these missions were basically one-way missions because the planes could not be relaunched once they were on the ground.  The planes were generally damaged on landing and the pilots and soldiers scrambled to retrieve as much of the plane as possible for further use before the enemy arrived.  The gliders were lightweight and were constructed with a wood frame and a thin fabric skin.  Improvements were made to the design to help protect the pilots during landing.  I watched a short film in the theater that told about the glider program and the pilot training.  One of the former pilots stated that his job basically was to crash a plane every day.  Putting that statement into perspective made me realize how heroic these pilots were.  Thank you so much for your service.  This museum is really worth seeing.  Aircraft buffs will enjoy the many planes and helicopters on display.  But you don't have to be knowledgeable in aircraft in order to enjoy this museum.  The Silent Wings Museum is a gem.  It's a place for learning and enjoying.  Please stop by.