37th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

The 37th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Luke Field, Arizona.

37th Flying Training Wing
Locations of airfields controlled by the 37th Flying Training Wing
Active	1942–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Command and Control
Role	Training
Part of	Western Flying Training Command
Engagements	World War II World War II American Theater

There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 37th Training Wing, established on 22 December 1939 as the 37th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) at Albrook Army Airfield, Panama Canal Zone, and this organization.

History

The wing directed Training Command Flight Schools in Arizona. Most of the assigned schools provided phase II basic and phase II advanced flying training for Air Cadets, although the wing also commanded both contract basic (phase I) and Army schools. 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

• Established as 37th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942

Activated on 8 January 1943

Disbanded 16 June 1946.^[2]

Assignments

• AAF West Coast (later, AAF Western Flying) Training Center, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946^[2]

 

A Stearman PT-17, a historic World War II plane of the type used to train pilots in Scottsdale in World War II

Training aircraft

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

• Primary training aircraft were the Boeing-Stearman PT-17 and Ryan PT-22. PT-13 and PT-27 aircraft were also used which were basic Stearmans with varying horsepower ratings.
• The Vultee BT-13 was the basic training aircraft, along with its cousin the Vultee BT-15
• The North American AT-6 was used as the single-engine advanced trainer
• The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat was the standard two-engine advanced trainer, along with the Cessna UC-78 variant of the AT-17

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

Assigned Schools

Ajo Army Airfield, Arizona AAF Flying Gunnery School (Fixed) 330th Gunnery Training Group Opened: August 1942, Closed: April 1945 (AT-6, AT-9)^[3] Satellite of Luke Field; taken over by Williams Field, 1 July 1943 Dateland Army Airfield, Dateland, Arizona AAF Advanced Flying School, Two-Engine Satellite of Yuma Army Airfield Airfield supported gunnery training, no permanent aircraft assigned Douglas Army Airfield, Douglas, Arizona AAF Advanced Flying School, Two-Engine, also Two-Engine Transition 310th Two-Engine Flying Training Group Opened: August 1942, Closed: November 1945 (AT-9, AT-17, UC-78, AT-24)^[4] Aircraft carried fuselage code: "A";^[5] Became exclusive B-25 Mitchell and B-26 Marauder two-engine transition school October 1944, closed November 1945 Echeverria Field, Wickenburg, Arizona AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 5th Glider Training Detachment Opened: October 1941, Closed: April 1944 (PT-17, PT-27, PT-13)^[6] Operated by: Claiborne Flight Academy; Glider training Jan 1941 – Feb 1943; Primary flight training February 1943 – April 1944 Gila Bend Gunnery Range, Gila Bend, Arizona AAF Flying Gunnery School (Fixed) Opened: September 1942, Closed: September 1944 (AT-6)^[7] Satellite of Luke Field, operated AT-6s for gunnery practice Luke Field, Phoenix, Arizona AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine (Transition) 330th Single Engine Flying Training Group Opened: March 1941, Closed: July 1946 (PT-17, AT-6, P-36, P-39, P-40)^[8] Aircraft carried fuselage code "X";^[5] AT-6s flown from July 1941 until end of war; transition school operated P-36s (1941), P-39s, P-40s; Advanced Flying School closed July 1946; remained open as training base, becoming Luke Air Force Base in 1948. Marana Army Air Field, Marana, Arizona AAF Basic Flying School AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine Opened: August 1942, Closed: August 1945 (BT-13, AT-6)^[9] Aircraft carried fuselage code: "S";^[5] Became advanced single-engine school October 1944

Ryan Field, Tucson, Arizona AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 11th Flying Training Detachment Opened: July 1942, Closed: September 1944 (PT-17, PT-22, PT-27)^[10] Operated by: Ryan School of Aeronautics, Hemet, California; transferred to United States Marine Corps, April 1945 Thunderbird Field No. 1, Phoenix, Arizona AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 6th Flying Training Detachment Opened: September 1939, Closed: July 1945 (PT-13, PT-17)^[11] Operated by: Thunderbird Corporation Thunderbird Field No. 2, Scottsdale, Arizona AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 12th Flying Training Detachment Opened: June 1942, Closed: October 1944 (PT-17)^[12] Operated by: Thunderbird Corporation Williams Field, Chandler, Arizona AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine AAF Advanced Flying School, Two/Four-Engine, also Two/Four-Engine Transition Opened: January 1942, Closed: June 1948 (AT-6, AT-9, AT-10, AT-11, AT-17, B-25, B-17, B-24)^[13] Aircraft carried fuselage code: "Y"^[5] Became single-engine AT-6 school in December 1943; Two/Four engine training beginning May 1945; became permanent USAF Williams Air Force Base, 1948. Closed 1993 Yuma Army Airfield, Yuma, Arizona AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine AAF Advanced Flying School, Two-Engine, also Two-Engine Transition 307th Single-Engine Flying Training Group Opened: November 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-6, AT-9, AT-17, UC-78, B-25)^[14] Aircraft carried fuselage code: "U";^[5] Also operated Yuma gunnery and bombing ranges

Stations

• Luke Field, Arizona, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946.^[2]

See also

•  Aviation portal
•  Arizona portal

• Army Air Forces Training Command
• Other Western Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

35th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic/Advanced Flight Training (California)

36th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training

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

1. Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas OCLC 71006954, 29991467
2. 35th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
3. . Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
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5. Flight Training Field Fuselage Codes of World War II
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14. . Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2014.