- Source: 36th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)
The 36th Flying Training Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 1 November 1945 at Santa Ana Army Air Base, California.
The wing directed flying training units of the Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Victorville Army Airfield, California for most of its operational service, it controlled contract pilot schools primarily in California and other western states.
There is no lineage between the current United States Air Force 36th Wing, established on 17 June 1948 at Howard Field, Canal Zone, and this organization.
History
Until 1939, the Army Air Corps provided all flying training with military instructor pilots. Beginning in 1939, it contracted with nine civilian flying schools to provide primary flight training. Primary training consisted of a three-month course of 65 hours of flying instruction. As the United States prepared to enter World War II by expanding its number of flying squadrons, the number of contract primary schools increased.
According to the contract, the government supplied students with training aircraft, flying clothes, textbooks, and equipment. The Air Corps also put a detachment at each school to supervise training. The schools furnished instructors, training sites and facilities, aircraft maintenance, quarters, and mess halls. From the Air Corps, schools received a flat fee of $1,170 for each graduate and $18 per flying hour for students eliminated from training. The Primary Pilot Training used Boeing PT-17 or Fairchild PT-19 two-seater single-engine training aircraft. Also, the wing controlled specialized schools for Liaison Pilots using the Stinson L-5 Grasshopper, and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) primary training was conducted exclusively at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.
Following the fall of France in 1940, the Air Corps upped its pilot production goal to 7,000 per year. To meet that goal, the Air Corps increased the capacity of its schools and added more contract primary schools.
The contract primary pilot schools ended their operations in October 1945.
= Lineage
=Established as 36th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942.
Activated on 8 January 1943
Disbanded on 1 November 1945
= Assignments
=Army Air Forces West Coast Training (later, AAF Western Flying Training) Command, 8 January 1943 – 1 November 1945.
= Stations
=Victorville Army Airfield, California, 8 January 1945
Santa Ana Army Air Base, California, 21 December 1943 – 1 November 1945.
= Training aircraft
=The primary aircraft used were Boeing-Stearman PT-17 and Fairchild PT-19 twin-seat, single engine trainers. However other aircraft were used at several schools. Those were:.
The PT-13, PT-18 and PT-27s were the basic Boeing-Stearman with different engines than the PT-17, with varying horsepower ratings. The PT-19 also could have the student pilot covered with a hood for "Blind" instrument flying training. Due to the proximity of Ryan Aircraft Company in San Diego, it's PT-22 trainer was also purchased and provided to several schools in California
= Assigned schools
=See also
Army Air Forces Training Command
Other Training Command Primary Flight Training Wings:
29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Eastern Flying Training Command
31st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Central Flying Training Command
Other Western Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:
35th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic/Advanced Flight Training (California)
37th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic/Advanced Flight Training (Arizona)
38th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Bombardier and Specialized 2/4-Engine Training
81st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classification/Preflight Unit
Desert Training Center
Victorville Army Airfield auxiliary fields
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- 36th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)
- Army Air Forces Training Command
- 35th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)
- 38th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)
- Andersen Air Force Base
- United States Army Air Forces Contract Flying School Airfields
- Keesler Air Force Base
- United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa
- Korean People's Army Air Force
- Osan Air Base