35th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

35th Flying Training Wing
Locations of airfields controlled by the 35th Flying Training Wing
Active	1942–1946
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

The 35th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at the Minter Field, California.

There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 35th Fighter Wing, established on 10 August 1948 at Irumagawa Airbase, Japan, and this organization.

History

The wing was a World War II Command and Control organization which supported Western Flying Training Command Flight Schools in California. Most of the assigned schools provided phase II basic flying training for Air Cadets, although the wing also commanded both contract basic (phase I) and advanced single and two-engine Army schools. In addition, an advanced navigation school at Mather Field for Air Cadets selected at the Santa Ana Classification Center was controlled by the wing. 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 35th 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]

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.

Beginning in late 1944 the USAAF (as well as the USN) began replacing the Vultee BT-13 / BT-15 Valiant from the Basic phase of flight training with the North American AT-6 Texan^[1]

• The Vultee BT-13 was the basic training aircraft, along with the higher-horsepower Vultee BT-15
• The North American AT-6 was used as the single-engine advanced trainer
• The Cessna AT-17 was the standard two-engine advanced trainer, along with the Cessna UC-78 variant of the AT-17; Curtiss-Wright AT-9s were used at Mather and Stockton Fields for high performance two-engine training in perpetration for Lockheed P-38 Lightning training by IV Fighter Command.
• Specialized two-engine bomber trainers at Mather Field were the Lockheed AT-18 Hudsons along with North American B-25 Mitchells. The Beechcraft AT-7 was used for two-engine pilot training and also navigator training at Mather

Assigned Pilot Schools

Chico Army Airfield. Chico, California Army Flying School 97th Basic Flying Training Group Opened: September 1941, Closed: March 1944 (BT-13)[3] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "M" Fuselage code "M" was originally assigned to Moffett Field when it was a USAAC base. In 1942 Moffett Field was returned to the USN and the USAAC transferred its assets to Chico. The BT-13's retained the fuselage code of "M";[4] Transferred to IV Fighter Command, May 1944, became P-38, P-63 Replacement Training Unit; closed September 1945 Dos Palos Airport, Firebaugh/Dos Palos, California AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 13th Flying Training Detachment Opened: June 1942, Closed: November 1944 (PT-13, PT-22, BT-13)[5] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "B";[4] Operated by: Coast Aviation Corporation Gardner Army Airfield, Taft, California AAF Basic Flying School 98th Basic Flying Training Group Opened: August 1941, Closed: February 1945 (BT-13)[6] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "F"[4] Santa Maria Army Airfield, Santa Maria, California AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 1st Flying Training Detachment Opened: September 1939, Closed: February 1945 (PT-13, PT-27)[7] Operated by: Hancock College of Aeronautics, one of the original nine civilian contract Army Primary Training Schools; transferred to IV Fighter Command, May 1944, became P-38 Replacement Training Unit; had five auxiliary airfields, closed July 1945 Lemoore Army Airfield, Lemoore, California AAF Basic Flying School 97th Basic Flying Training Group Opened: January 1942, Closed: August 1945 (BT-13, BT-15)[7] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "R"[4] Also operated advanced two-engine flying school (AT-17, UC-78), November 1943; both schools closed August 1945 Mather Field, Sacramento, California AAF Advanced Single-Engine Flying School AAF Specialized Two-Engine Flying School, also Two-Engine Transition AAF Navigation School Opened: May 1941, Closed: August 1945 (AT-6)[7] Former World War I flying training airfield, reopened May 1941; also AAF Navigation School, August 1941 (AT-7, AT-9); Specialized Two-Engine Flying School, June 1943 (AT-18, B-25); Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "T" and "I", "I" for aircraft assigned to the Centralized Flight Instructors Program;[4] became permanent training airfield after World War II as Mather Air Force Base; Closed 1993. Merced Army Airfield, Merced, California AAF Basic Flying School AAF Advanced Single-Engine Flying School Opened: September 1941, Closed: October 1944 (BT-13)[8] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "E"[4] Advanced Flying School (AT-6) opened June 1944; became permanent airfield after World War II as Castle Air Force Base; Closed 1993.

Minter Field, Shafter, California AAF Basic Flying School AAF Specialized Two-Engine Flying School, also Two-Engine Transition Opened: June 1941, Closed: June 1944 (BT-13)[9] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "L"[4] Basic Flying School closed June 1944; Two-Engine Flying School opened June 1944 (AT-6, AT-17, UC-78. B-25), closed December 1945. Palo Alto Airport, King City, California 3d Flying Training Detachment Opened: March 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-22)[10] transferred to Navy April 1945 Rankin Field, Tulare, California AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 4th Flying Training Detachment Opened: March 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-13, PT-17)[11] Operated by: Rankin Aeronautical Academy Sequoia Field, Visalia, California AAF Contract Pilot School (Primary) 8th Flying Training Detachment Opened: September 1941, Closed: September 1944 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-22)[11] Also known as Visalia Army Airfield; Operated by: Visalia-Dinuba School of Aeronautics; primary flight school closed September 1944, transferred to IV Fighter Command and became P-61 Black Widow Replacement Training Unit Stockton Field, Stockton, California AAF Advanced Flying School, Single-Engine AAF Basic Flying School AAF Advanced Flying School, Two-Engine 316th Two-Engine Flying Training Group Opened: December 1940, Closed: December 1942 (AT-6)[11] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "M";[4] Opened initially as single engine school; May 1942 added Basic School (BT-15) two-engine school opened November 1943 (AT-9, AT-17, UC-78); closed February 1945; Transferred to Air Transport Command as a C-47 training base, March 1945; closed January 1946. Victorville Army Airfield, Victoville, California AAF Advanced Flying School (Bombardment) AAF Advanced Flying School, Specialized Single-Engine AAF Advanced Flying School, Specialized Two/Four-Engine Transition AAF Glider Flying School 98th Basic Flying Training Group Opened: February 1942, Closed: August 1945 (AT-6, AT-9, AT-11, AT-17, BT-13, B-24, CG-4, C-47)[12] Aircraft carried Fuselage Code "V";[4] had at least four auxiliary airfields; remained open after the war ended, became George Air Force Base; closed 1992

Stations

• Merced Army Airfield California, 8 January 1943
• Minter Field, California, 11 September 1943 – 16 June 1946^[2]

See also

• Army Air Forces Training Command
• Other Training Command Basic Flight Training Wings:

29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Eastern Flying Training Command

32d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Central Flying Training Command

• Other Western Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

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

37th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic/Advanced Flight Training (Arizona)

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 websites or documents of 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 ASIN: B000NYX3PC
2. 35th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
3. www.accident-report.com: Chico Army Airfield
4. Flight Training Field Fuselage Codes of World War II
5. www.accident-report.com: Eagle Field
6. www.accident-report.com: Gardner Army Airfield
7. www.accident-report.com: Santa Maria Army Airfiel
8. www.accident-report.com: Merced Army Airfield
9. www.accident-report.com: Minter Field
10. www.accident-report.com: Palo Alto Airport
11. www.accident-report.com: Rankin Field
12. www.accident-report.com: Victorville Army Airfield