Western Flying Training Command

This article is about the Western Flying Training Command of 1943-1945. For the Western Flying Training Command of 1945-1946, see Flying Division, Air Training Command.
Western Flying Training Command

Locations of airfields controlled by the Western Flying Training Command
Active 1940-1946
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
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Major General Ralph P. Cousins
Insignia
Western Flying Training Comman emblem

The Western Flying Training Command (WFTC) was a command of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command, stationed at Santa Ana Army Air Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 November 1945.

History

The West Coast Air Corps Training Center was established on 8 July 1940 by the Office of the Chief of Air Corps as part of the expansion of the training department of the Air Corps. After the Fall of France 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.[1]

As a result, the centralized training of aircrew was divided into three Training Centers, the Eastern, Gulf Coast (later Central) 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.[1]

By 1944, WFTC controlled a large number of training schools in the Southwestern United States, and established several Wings to provide organizational command and control over them, based on both training types and geography. The schools operated by WFTC part of the Aviation Cadet Training Program. These were:[1]

In addition to the American Air Cadets, Cadets from the British Royal Air Force and Free French Air Force were trained in flying skills. WFTC also operated aircrew schools for Navigators, Bombardiers and flexible aerial gunners. Radio operators were centrally trained at Scott Field, 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.[1]

WFTC was inactivated on 1 November 1945, being consolidated into the new Central Flying Training Command at Randolph Field, Texas, as part of the consolidation of the Army Air Forces after World War II ended.[2]

Shortly after the end of World War II on 15 December 1945, Central Flying Training Command 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.[1] On 15 December 1945 Western Flying Training 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.

Lineage

Redesignated Army Air Forces West Coast Training Center on 29 October 1942
Redesignated Western Flying Training Command on 31 July 1943
Inactivated on 1 November 1945[1]

Assignments

Stations

Major Components

Headquarters:
Merced Army Airfield, California, 8 January 1943
Minter Field, California, 11 September 1943-16 Jun 1946[3]
Headquarters:
Victorville Army Airfield, California, 8 January 1943
Santa Ana Army Air Base, California, 21 December 1943-1 November 1945[4]
Headquarters:
Luke Field, Arizona, 8 January 1943-16 June 1946[3]
Headquarters:
Roswell Army Airfield, New Mexico, 8 January 1943
Kirtland Field, New Mexico, 10 September 1943
Williams Field, Arizona, 26 February 1945-16 June 1946[5]

  • 80th Flying Training Wing
Headquarters:
Las Vegas Army Airfield, Nevada, 25 August 1943-16 June 1946
(No units ever assigned)[6]
Headquarters:
Santa Ana Army Air Base, California, 25 August 1943
1104 W. 8th St., Santa Ana, California, 15 December 1944-1 November 1945[7]
  • 83d Flying Training Wing
Headquarters:
Douglas Army Airfield, Arizona, 25 August 1943-20 December 1943
(No units ever assigned)[8]

Major Aircraft

Primary flight training
Boeing-Stearman PT-17, Fairchild PT-19 and Ryan PT-22 twin-seat, single engine trainers[1]
Basic flight training
Vultee BT-13 and Vultee BT-15[1]
Advanced flight training
North American AT-6 (single engine); Cessna AT-17 (two-engine)[1]
Specialized schools:
Curtiss-Wright AT-9s were used for high performance two-engine training in perpetration for Lockheed P-38 Lightning training
Beechcraft AT-10s were used for pilots in training for two engine bombers (B-25s and B-26s)
Beechcraft AT-11s were used for pilots in training for C-47 transports along with bombardier training
Beechcraft AT-7s were used for two-engine pilot training and also navigator training
Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s were used for four-engine pilot training
L-2, L-3, L-4, TG-5 and TG-6s were used for glider and liaison pilot training
Gunnery training schools flew A-33, AT-6s, AT-1s, B-34s, B-10s and RP-63s for air-to-air flexible gunnery training.[1]

References

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
  2. Manning, 2005, 33.
  3. 1 2 35th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  4. 36th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  5. 38th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  6. 80th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  7. 81st Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  8. 83d Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
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