312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
| 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron | |
|---|---|
|
312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron F-16D marked as "F-16D No. 1" | |
| Active | 1942-1944; 1984-1991 |
| Country |
 United States |
| Branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Insignia | |
| Patch with 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron emblem |
 |
The 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 58th Tactical Training Wing. stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It was inactivated on 18 January 1991.
Upon inactivation, the squadron's personnel, equipment and aircraft were transferred to the 311th Fighter Squadron.
History
The squadron was first activated in 1942 under III Fighter Command. It performed operational training and replacement training of newly graduated pilots on single-engine fighters. The 312th operated a mixture of Bell P-39 Airacobras, Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. The squadron was disbanded in May 1944 when the Army Air Forces reorganized its training units into AAF Base Units.
The 312th was reconstituted, designated the '312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and reactivated by Tactical Air Command in 1984 as the first F-16C/D training squadron in the USAF. The squadron once again acted as a replacement training unit. It was initially equipped with new Block 25 Fighting Falcons, but it converted to new Block 42 planes in 1990. Its aircraft carried "LF" tail code with a black tail stripe outlined in red. It was inactivated in 1991 and most of its aircraft reassigned to 308th, 309th and 310th Fighter Squadrons.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 312th Fighter Squadron on 16 Ju1y 1942
- Activated on 22 Ju1y 1942
- Disbanded on 1 May 1944
- Reconstituted and redesignated 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 October 1984
- Activated 1 October 1984
- Inactivated on 18 January 1991
Assignments
- 338th Fighter Group, 22 July 1942 – 1 May 1944
- 58th Tactical Training Wing, 1 October 1984 – 18 January 1991
Stations
- Dale Mabry Field, Florida, 22 Ju1 1942
- Perry Army Air Field, Florida, 13 Jun 1943 – 1 May 1944
- Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 October 1984 – 18 January 1991
Aircraft
- Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942–1943
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1944
- General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 1984–1991
References
Notes
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978-0-88740-513-6
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
- Rogers, Brian. United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications, 2005. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.