29th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)

The 29th 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 16 June 1946 at Napier Field, Alabama. The wing controlled World War II Phase One primary flying training units of the Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Moody Field, Georgia for most of its operational service, it controlled contract civilian-operated pilot schools primarily in the Southeastern United States.

This article is about the 29th Flying Training Wing of World War II. For the 29th Flying Training Wing of the 1970s, see 29th Flying Training Wing.

29th Flying Training Wing
Flight instructors with a PT-17 Stearman biplane trainer
Active1942-1946
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Army Air Forces
TypeCommand of flying training units
RoleTraining
Part ofArmy Air Forces Training Command
EngagementsWorld War II

  • World War II American Theater
Commanders
26 December 1942Col Fred C. Nelson
10 February 1943Brig Gen John G. Williams
4 April 1945Col Raymond L. Winn
25 May - 1 November 1945Brig Gen Clinton D. Vincent
through 16 Jun 1946Unknown
Locations of airfields controlled by the 29th Flying Training Wing

There is no lineage connection between the 29th Flying Training Wing, established on 22 December 1939 as the 29th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Langley Field, Virginia, and this organization.

History

Until 1939, the United States 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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

The vast majority of contract primary pilot training ended in the spring of 1944 as part of the rundown of Army pilot training. The ones remaining open ended their operations in October, 1945.[1]

Lineage
  • Established as 29th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942
Activated on 26 December 1942
Disbanded on 16 June 1946.[2]

Assignments
  • Army Air Forces Southeast Flying Training (later, AAF Eastern Flying) Command, 26 December 1942
  • Western Flying Training Command, 15 December 1945 – 16 June 1946[2]

Stations
  • Moody Field, Georgia, 26 December 1942
  • Napier Field, Alabama, 1 April 1945 – 16 June 1946[2]

Training aircraft
Fairchild PT-19 monoplane trainer

CPS Primary Trainers were primarily PT-17 Stearman biplanes and Fairchild PT-19s monoplanes, although a wide variety of other types could be found at the airfields. The Fairchild PT-19 aircraft also could have the student pilot covered with a hood for "Blind" instrument flying training.[1]

Glider pilot schools used Aeronca TG-5As, Taylorcraft TG-6As, and Piper TG-8As unpowered glider conversions of powered light observation aircraft which had similar characteristics to the military gliders under development.[3]

Contract Pilot Schools

[2][29]

Contract Glider Pilot Schools

See also

Other Eastern Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

27th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic Flight Training
28th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine
30th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine
74th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces) Classification/Preflight/Specialized/Navigation
75th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces) Gunnery
76th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces) Specialized Four-Engine Training

References

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

  1. 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. 29th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  3. COMBAT GLIDER PILOT TRAINING
  4. 29th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  5. W.W.II Army Air Forces Contract Flying School Airfields - Database Summary
  6. "www.accident-report.com: Albany Army Airfield". Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  7. WWII airfield
  8. "www.accident-report.com: Avon Park Airport". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  9. www.accident-report.com: Carlstrom Field
  10. "www.accident-report.com: Chester Field". Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  11. Shaw, Frederick J. (2004). Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy. Washington, DC: Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force.
  12. Shettle, M. L. (2005), Georgia's Army Airfields of World War II. ISBN 0-9643388-3-1
  13. "www.accident-report.com: Dorr Field". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  14. "www.accident-report.com: Fletcher Field". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  15. "www.accident-report.com: Harris Army Airfield". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  16. "www.accident-report.com: Hawthorne School of Aeronautics". Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  17. Free French Pilot Training in the United States
  18. Abandoned airports: Lodwick Field
  19. "www.accident-report.com: Lafayette Airport". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  20. www.accident-report.com: McKellar Field
  21. "www.accident-report.com: Moton Field". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  22. "www.accident-report.com: almer Airport". Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  23. "www.accident-report.com: Souther Field". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  24. "www.accident-report.com: Taylor Field". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  25. "www.accident-report.com: Thompson-Robbins Field". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  26. "www.accident-report.com: Van de Graaff Field". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  27. www.accident-report.com: Union City Airport
  28. "www.accident-report.com: Woodward Field". Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  29. "World War II Airfields and seaplne bases by state". Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  30. WW2 US Army Air Force CG-4A Combat Glider History Report
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