◆ SpookStack

Brigade aircraft were not in the area. 51/* Lagas pointed out that after the D-2 strike -- and the loss of the dual-controlled planes -- a number of Cubana Air Lines pilots .showed up, requesting that they be given transitional training to fly the B-26's. Lagas said that efforts had been made many weeks prior to 15 April to get these pilots to take the transitional training, but none of them had taken advantage of the opportunity; and after 15 April it wasn't possible! Painting identical tail numbers on the Brigade B-26's -- as already noted -- did deceive Castro as to the actual number of planes that were involved in the attack; and painting the planes the same color as FAR aircraft made it possible for the aircraft at Libertad to come in low, as though they were making a landing approach, before beginning their actual strike against the airfield. In addition to the , damage to the aircraft and airfields, the 15 April , * Lagaswas a Chilean pilot who flew for the Castro Air Forces. He later became disillusioned, or was per- suaded to become disillusioned, and returned to Chile; \ I . \ Based on the other ev~dence ~a~v=a~~~I=a~b~I~e~,--th~=e=r~e~~~s~~I~~~t~t~Iereason to doubt the truth of what he had to say about the Bay of Pigs air opera- tion. - 217 -