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procedures for bringing the Air Force up to peak per- formance. Among other things that fell out of this discussion, was the selection of two Cuban B-26 pilots to go into the short field training exercise preparatory to the initial landings at the airfield at Playa Giron.* The C-46's were to be checked out for night for- mation proficiency; and as the cover plan to disguise the actual movement of the air oprations from MADD over to TIDE, gaggles of 5 to 6 aircraft were to fly with other training exercises on and off the JMADD air base. R&R's for both Cuban and American air personnel were to be cancelled as of 26 March 1961. 89/ On 31 March 1961 the use of Air National Guard pilots on C-54's as arpilots for the move from MADD to TIDE was approved, the subject apparently having been under serious dis- cussion since the first week of March 1961 when Col. Gaines had scheduled a visit to the base at JMADD "to check out procedures, possible use of US pilots." 90/ Thorsrud's arrival at JMADD raised the morale of Cuban air trainees because it was apparent that the * The author had been unable to ascertain the identities of the two Cuban pilots who were so selected. - 158 -