Page "Erich Hartmann" Paragraph 6

Hartmann's flying career began when he joined the glider training program of the fledgling Luftwaffe and was taught to fly by his mother, one of the first female glider pilots in Germany.

The Hartmanns also owned a light aircraft but were forced to sell it in 1932 as the German economy collapsed.

The rise to power of the Nazi party in 1933 resulted in government support for gliding, and, in 1936, Elisabeth Hartmann helped set up a flying school at Weil im Schönbuch, where 14-year-old Erich became an instructor.

In 1939, he gained his pilot's license, allowing him to fly powered aircraft.