35th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)

35th Flying Training Wing

Locations of airfields controlled by the 35th Flying Training Wing
Active 1942–1946
Country  United States
Branch   United States Army Air Forces
Type Command and Control
Role Training
Part of Army Air Forces Training Command
Engagements

World War II


  • World War II American Theater

The 35th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at the Minter Field, California.

There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 35th Fighter Wing, established on 10 August 1948 at Irumagawa Airbase, Japan, and this organization.

History

The wing was a World War II Command and Control organization which supported Western Flying Training Command Flight Schools in California. Most of the assigned schools provided phase II basic flying training for Air Cadets, although the wing also commanded both contract basic (phase I) and advanced single and two-engine Army schools. In addition, an advanced navigation school at Mather Field for Air Cadets selected at the Santa Ana Classification Center was controlled by the wing. Graduates of the advanced schools were commissioned as Second Lieutenants, received their "wings" and were reassigned to Operational or Replacement Training Units operated by one of the four numbered air fores in the zone of interior.[1]

As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.[1]

Lineage

Activated on 8 January 1943
Disbanded 16 June 1946.[2]

Assignments

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing used a wide variety of planes to support its numerous training needs:[1]

Beginning in late 1944 the USAAF (as well as the USN) began replacing the Vultee BT-13 / BT-15 Valiant from the Basic phase of flight training with the North American AT-6 Texan[1]

Assigned Pilot Schools

Chico Army Airfield. Chico, California
Army Flying School
97th Basic Flying Training Group
Opened: September 1941, Closed: March 1944 (BT-13)[3]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "M" Fuselage code "M" was originally assigned to Moffett Field when it was a USAAC base. In 1942 Moffett Field was returned to the USN and the USAAC transferred its assets to Chico. The BT-13's retained the fuselage code of "M";[4] Transferred to IV Fighter Command, May 1944, became P-38, P-63 Replacement Training Unit; closed September 1945
Dos Palos Airport, Firebaugh/Dos Palos, California
AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary)
13th Flying Training Detachment
Opened: June 1942, Closed: November 1944 (PT-13, PT-22, BT-13)[5]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "B";[4] Operated by: Coast Aviation Corporation
Gardner Army Airfield, Taft, California
AAF Basic Flying School
98th Basic Flying Training Group
Opened: August 1941, Closed: February 1945 (BT-13)[6]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "F"[4]
Santa Maria Army Airfield, Santa Maria, California
AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary)
1st Flying Training Detachment
Opened: September 1939, Closed: February 1945 (PT-13, PT-27)[7]
Operated by: Hancock College of Aeronautics, one of the original nine civilian contract Army Primary Training Schools; transferred to IV Fighter Command, May 1944, became P-38 Replacement Training Unit; had five auxiliary airfields, closed July 1945
Lemoore Army Airfield, Lemoore, California
AAF Basic Flying School
97th Basic Flying Training Group
Opened: January 1942, Closed: August 1945 (BT-13, BT-15)[7]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "R"[4] Also operated advanced two-engine flying school (AT-17, UC-78), November 1943; both schools closed August 1945
Mather Field, Sacramento, California
AAF Advanced Single-Engine Flying School
AAF Specialized Two-Engine Flying School, also Two-Engine Transition
AAF Navigation School
Opened: May 1941, Closed: August 1945 (AT-6)[7]
Former World War I flying training airfield, reopened May 1941; also AAF Navigation School, August 1941 (AT-7, AT-9); Specialized Two-Engine Flying School, June 1943 (AT-18, B-25); Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "T" and "I", "I" for aircraft assigned to the Centralized Flight Instructors Program;[4] became permanent training airfield after World War II as Mather Air Force Base; Closed 1993.
Merced Army Airfield, Merced, California
AAF Basic Flying School
AAF Advanced Single-Engine Flying School
Opened: September 1941, Closed: October 1944 (BT-13)[8]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "E"[4] Advanced Flying School (AT-6) opened June 1944; became permanent airfield after World War II as Castle Air Force Base; Closed 1993.

Minter Field, Shafter, California
AAF Basic Flying School
AAF Specialized Two-Engine Flying School, also Two-Engine Transition
Opened: June 1941, Closed: June 1944 (BT-13)[9]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "L"[4] Basic Flying School closed June 1944; Two-Engine Flying School opened June 1944 (AT-6, AT-17, UC-78. B-25), closed December 1945.
Palo Alto Airport, King City, California
3d Flying Training Detachment
Opened: March 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-22)[10]
transferred to Navy April 1945
Rankin Field, Tulare, California
AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary)
4th Flying Training Detachment
Opened: March 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-13, PT-17)[11]
Operated by: Rankin Aeronautical Academy
Sequoia Field, Visalia, California
AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary)
8th Flying Training Detachment
Opened: September 1941, Closed: September 1944 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-22)[11]
Also known as Visalia Army Airfield; Operated by: Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics; primary flight school closed September 1944, transferred to IV Fighter Command and became P-61 Black Widow Replacement Training Unit
Stockton Field, Stockton, California
AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine
AAF Basic Flying School
AAF Advanced Flying School, Two-Engine
316th Two-Engine Flying Training Group
Opened: December 1940, Closed: December 1942 (AT-6)[11]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "M";[4] Opened initially as single engine school; May 1942 added Basic School (BT-15) two-engine school opened November 1943 (AT-9, AT-17, UC-78); closed February 1945; Transferred to Air Transport Command as a C-47 training base, March 1945; closed January 1946.
Victorville Army Airfield, Victoville, California
AAF Advanced Flying School (Bombardment)
AAF Advanced Flying School, Specialized Single-Engine
AAF Advanced Flying School, Specialized Two/Four-Engine Transition
AAF Glider Flying School
98th Basic Flying Training Group
Opened: February 1942, Closed: August 1945 (AT-6, AT-9, AT-11, AT-17, BT-13, B-24, CG-4, C-47)[12]
Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "V";[4] had at least four auxiliary airfields; remained open after the war ended, became George Air Force Base; closed 1992

Stations

See also

29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Eastern Flying Training Command
32d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Central Flying Training Command
36th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training
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

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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