134:
963:
46:
70:
878:
87:
173:
1010:
716:
325:
consolidated with
Western Flying Training Command on 1 November 1945, and was re-designated Western Flying Training Command. This reflected the massive demobilization after the end of the war, and the closure of the majority of the wartime training bases. On 15 December 1945 Western Flying Training
311:, Illinois. Other aircrew positions, such as B-29 flight engineers and RADAR operators were also trained later in the war as training requirements presented themselves. This included the first jet pilots in 1945.
232:
and
Western. Training schools were assigned to the Centers based on the geography of the United States. In July 1943, these Centers were re-designated as Eastern, Central and Western Training Commands.
220:
in May 1940, the United States began rapidly expanding its military forces, and with the large numbers of men entering the military, the training requirements of the Air Corps were drastically expanded.
982:
326:
Command consolidated with the
Eastern Flying Training Command. The single entity became Army Air Forces Flying Training Command on 1 January 1946, with its headquarters at Randolph Field, Texas.
720:
257:: Ground training for all air cadets. Successful completion meant being assigned to a flying school for training. "Washouts" were returned to the regular Air Corps ranks for reassignment.
275:: Single or multi-engine aircraft schools for cadets becoming fighter, bomber or transport pilots. After graduation, the successful Air Cadet received his "wings" and were commissioned
1030:
1040:
867:
1035:
948:
943:
279:. In addition, experienced pilots in the field were sent to Training Command "transition schools" to acquire additional single or mulch-engine flying ratings.
17:
371:
Air Corps Flying
Training Command (later Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Army Air Forces Training Command), 23 January 1942 – 1 November 1945
902:
860:
240:
to provide organizational command and control over them, based on both training types and geography. The schools operated by WFTC part of the
853:
987:
549:
486:
463:
434:
405:
27:
This article is about the
Western Flying Training Command of 1943–1945. For the Western Flying Training Command of 1945–1946, see
241:
933:
912:
907:
28:
263:: Taught basic flying using two-seater training aircraft. Usually taught by contract flying schools operated by the WFTC
977:
236:
By 1944, WFTC controlled a large number of training schools in the
Southwestern United States, and established several
881:
703:
Gunnery training schools flew A-33, AT-6s, AT-1s, B-34s, B-10s and RP-63s for air-to-air flexible gunnery training.
213:
193:
117:
938:
322:
251:: This was the stage where it would be decided whether the cadet would train as a navigator, bombardier, or pilot
229:
225:
237:
189:
91:
314:
WFTC was inactivated on 1 November 1945, being consolidated into the new
Central Flying Training Command at
831:
81st Flying
Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
822:
80th Flying
Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
813:
38th Flying
Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
804:
36th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
795:
35th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
840:
83d Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
1000:
447:
133:
928:
536:
511:
505:
453:
387:
197:
300:
224:
As a result, the centralized training of aircrew was divided into three Training Centers, the
611:
582:
499:
288:
962:
418:
308:
296:
8:
662:
645:
476:
172:
845:
45:
318:, Texas, as part of the consolidation of the Army Air Forces after World War II ended.
877:
764:
694:
276:
86:
681:
were used for pilots in training for C-47 transports along with bombardier training
678:
672:
156:
1014:
684:
615:
284:
216:
as part of the expansion of the training department of the Air Corps. After the
315:
304:
217:
212:
The West Coast Air Corps Training Center was established on 8 July 1940 by the
1024:
700:
L-2, L-3, L-4, TG-5 and TG-6s were used for glider and liaison pilot training
666:
381:
75:
269:: Formation flying, air navigation, cross-country flying skills were taught.
763:. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas.
649:
632:
424:
127:
565:
1104 W. 8th St., Santa Ana, California, 15 December 1944 – 1 November 1945
772:
768:
690:
675:
were used for pilots in training for two engine bombers (B-25s and B-26s)
50:
Locations of airfields controlled by the Western Flying Training Command
665:
were used for high performance two-engine training in perpetration for
619:
291:
were trained in flying skills. WFTC also operated aircrew schools for
201:
292:
687:
were used for two-engine pilot training and also navigator training
283:
In addition to the American Air Cadets, Cadets from the British
724:
321:
Shortly after the end of World War II on 15 December 1945,
875:
761:
History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002
1031:
Training commands of the United States Army Air Forces
998:
1041:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
562:
Santa Ana Army Air Base, California, 25 August 1943
1036:Military units and formations established in 1943
1022:
456:, California, 21 December 1943– 1 November 1945
353:Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command
186:Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command
489:Bombardier and Specialized 2/4-Engine Training
368:Office of the Chief of Air Corps, 8 July 1940
861:
427:, California, 11 September 1943 – 16 Jun 1946
791:
789:
585:, Arizona, 25 August 1943 – 20 December 1943
390:, California, 1 April 1942 – 1 November 1945
408:Basic/Advanced Flight Training (California)
868:
854:
514:, Arizona, 26 February 1945 – 16 June 1946
346:Army Air Forces West Coast Training Center
204:. It was inactivated on 1 November 1945.
786:
697:were used for four-engine pilot training
479:, Arizona, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946
466:Basic/Advanced Flight Training (Arizona)
539:, Nevada, 25 August 1943 – 16 June 1946
14:
1023:
755:
753:
849:
751:
749:
747:
745:
743:
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
168:Western Flying Training Comman emblem
29:Flying Division, Air Training Command
725:Air Force Historical Research Agency
399:
337:West Coast Air Corps Training Center
18:West Coast Air Corps Training Center
394:
24:
988:Western Technical Training Command
983:Central Technical Training Command
978:Eastern Technical Training Command
730:
25:
1052:
622:twin-seat, single engine trainers
602:
1008:
961:
882:Army Air Forces Training Command
876:
719: This article incorporates
714:
214:Office of the Chief of Air Corps
194:Army Air Forces Training Command
171:
132:
118:Army Air Forces Training Command
85:
68:
44:
913:Western Flying Training Command
908:Central Flying Training Command
903:Eastern Flying Training Command
508:, New Mexico, 10 September 1943
323:Central Flying Training Command
242:Aviation Cadet Training Program
39:Western Flying Training Command
834:
825:
816:
807:
798:
777:
362:
358:Inactivated on 1 November 1945
13:
1:
709:
552:Classification/Preflight Unit
190:United States Army Air Forces
138:World War II American Theater
92:United States Army Air Forces
502:, New Mexico, 8 January 1943
450:, California, 8 January 1943
421:, California, 8 January 1943
339:on 8 July 1940 and activated
188:(WFTC) was a command of the
7:
759:Manning, Thomas A. (2005),
375:
10:
1057:
329:
307:were centrally trained at
230:Gulf Coast (later Central)
207:
26:
970:
959:
921:
895:
888:
642:Advanced flight training
550:81st Flying Training Wing
526:80th Flying Training Wing
487:38th Flying Training Wing
464:37th Flying Training Wing
448:Victorville Army Airfield
435:36th Flying Training Wing
406:35th Flying Training Wing
384:, California, 8 July 1940
192:. It was assigned to the
167:
162:
149:
144:
123:
113:
105:
97:
81:
63:
55:
43:
38:
608:Primary flight training
588:(No units ever assigned)
572:83d Flying Training Wing
542:(No units ever assigned)
537:Las Vegas Army Airfield
454:Santa Ana Army Air Base
437:Primary Flight Training
388:Santa Ana Army Air Base
301:flexible aerial gunners
198:Santa Ana Army Air Base
721:public domain material
629:Basic flight training
659:Specialized schools:
612:Boeing-Stearman PT-17
583:Douglas Army Airfield
500:Roswell Army Airfield
289:Free French Air Force
663:Curtiss-Wright AT-9s
419:Merced Army Airfield
922:Specialized schools
646:North American AT-6
273:Advanced (Phase II)
101:Command and Control
971:Technical training
783:Manning, 2005, 33.
695:Consolidated B-24s
669:Lightning training
348:on 29 October 1942
277:Second Lieutenants
996:
995:
957:
956:
679:Beechcraft AT-11s
673:Beechcraft AT-10s
648:(single engine);
599:
598:
261:Primary (Phase I)
179:
178:
16:(Redirected from
1048:
1013:
1012:
1011:
1004:
965:
893:
892:
880:
870:
863:
856:
847:
846:
841:
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832:
829:
823:
820:
814:
811:
805:
802:
796:
793:
784:
781:
775:
757:
718:
717:
685:Beechcraft AT-7s
635:and Vultee BT-15
400:
395:Major Components
267:Basic (Phase II)
175:
157:Ralph P. Cousins
136:
89:
74:
72:
71:
48:
36:
35:
21:
1056:
1055:
1051:
1050:
1049:
1047:
1046:
1045:
1021:
1020:
1019:
1009:
1007:
999:
997:
992:
966:
953:
939:Glider Training
934:Contract Flying
917:
889:Flying training
884:
874:
844:
839:
835:
830:
826:
821:
817:
812:
808:
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799:
794:
787:
782:
778:
758:
731:
715:
712:
616:Fairchild PT-19
605:
600:
520:
397:
378:
365:
355:on 31 July 1943
335:Established as
332:
305:Radio operators
285:Royal Air Force
244:. These were:
210:
196:, stationed at
182:
151:
137:
69:
67:
51:
32:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1054:
1044:
1043:
1038:
1033:
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993:
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980:
974:
972:
968:
967:
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952:
951:
946:
941:
936:
931:
925:
923:
919:
918:
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910:
905:
899:
897:
896:Flying schools
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670:
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654:
653:
639:
638:
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626:
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603:Major Aircraft
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527:
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518:
517:
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512:Williams Field
509:
506:Kirtland Field
503:
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316:Randolph Field
281:
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252:
249:Classification
218:Fall of France
209:
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155:Major General
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83:
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65:
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41:
40:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1016:
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1002:
989:
986:
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766:
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750:
748:
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738:
736:
734:
729:
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726:
723:from the
722:
702:
699:
696:
692:
689:
686:
683:
680:
677:
674:
671:
668:
667:Lockheed P-38
664:
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584:
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579:
578:Headquarters:
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561:
560:
559:
558:Headquarters:
556:
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547:
541:
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534:
533:
532:Headquarters:
530:
529:
525:
524:
523:
521:
513:
510:
507:
504:
501:
498:
497:
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495:Headquarters:
493:
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478:
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473:
472:Headquarters:
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469:
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461:
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449:
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445:
444:
443:Headquarters:
441:
440:
436:
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432:
426:
423:
420:
417:
416:
415:
414:Headquarters:
412:
411:
407:
404:
403:
402:
401:
389:
386:
383:
382:Moffett Field
380:
379:
370:
367:
366:
357:
354:
351:Redesignated
350:
347:
344:Redesignated
343:
342:
338:
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333:
327:
324:
319:
317:
312:
310:
306:
302:
298:
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181:Military unit
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143:
135:
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88:
84:
80:
77:
76:United States
66:
62:
58:
54:
47:
42:
37:
34:
30:
19:
836:
827:
818:
809:
800:
779:
760:
713:
691:Boeing B-17s
652:(two-engine)
650:Cessna AT-17
633:Vultee BT-13
593:
577:
557:
531:
519:
494:
471:
442:
425:Minter Field
413:
352:
345:
336:
320:
313:
282:
272:
266:
260:
254:
248:
235:
223:
211:
185:
183:
128:World War II
114:Part of
33:
363:Assignments
309:Scott Field
297:Bombardiers
124:Engagements
1025:Categories
929:Bombardier
710:References
620:Ryan PT-22
477:Luke Field
293:Navigators
202:California
152:commanders
145:Commanders
949:Navigator
255:Preflight
59:1940–1946
1015:Aviation
773:29991467
769:71006954
376:Stations
163:Insignia
109:Training
944:Gunnery
330:Lineage
226:Eastern
208:History
150:Notable
90:
64:Country
1001:Portal
767:
594:
82:Branch
73:
56:Active
238:Wings
765:OCLC
693:and
618:and
299:and
287:and
184:The
106:Role
98:Type
303:.
1027::
788:^
771:,
732:^
614:,
295:,
228:,
200:,
1003::
869:e
862:t
855:v
31:.
20:)
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