31st Flying Training Wing (World War II)

31st Flying Training Wing
Locations of airfields controlled by the 31st Flying Training Wing
Active	1942-1945
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	BG Warren R. Carter, 16 Jan 1943 BG T.W. Blackburn, 26 Apr 1943 Col Henry W. Door, 10 Apr 1944 BG Aubry Hornsby, 22 May 1944 Col James F. Powell, 15 Jun 1944 Col Walter S. Lee, 31 Jul 1944 BG Charles T. Myers, c. Nov 1944 (Additional Duty) Col Walter S. Lee, 16 Dec 1944 BG John F. Egan, 4 Jan 1945 Col Hilbert M. Wittkop, 23 Apr-31 Oct 1945 Unknown through 30 Dec 1945.

The 31st Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 30 December 1945 at Fort Worth Army Airfield, Texas.

There is no lineage between the current United States Air Force 31st Fighter Wing, established on 6 November 1947 at Turner Army Airfield, Georgia, and this organization.

The squadron was a World War II Command and Control unit, its mission to flying training units of the Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Enid Army Airfield, Oklahoma for most of its operational service, it controlled contract pilot schools primarily in the Central United States.

History

Until 1939, the 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. The Primary Pilot Training used Boeing PT-17 or Fairchild PT-19 two-seater single-engine training aircraft. Also, the wing controlled specialized schools for Liaison Pilots using the Stinson L-5 Grasshopper, and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) primary training was conducted exclusively at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.^[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 31st Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942

Activated on 16 January 1943

Disbanded on 30 December 1945^[2]

Assignments

• Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training (later, AAF Central Flying Training) Command, 16 January 1943 – 30 December 1945^[2]

Stations

• Chickasha, Oklahoma trained 8,000 troops at the The Wilson and Bonfis Flying School that opened in October 1941, after the war it became Chickasha Municipal Airport.
• Enid Army Airfield, Oklahoma, 16 Jan 1943
• Fort Worth Army Airfield, Texas, 31 May-30 December 1945^[2]

Training aircraft

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

Arledge Field, Stamford, Texas 308th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Stamford Flying School and Lou Foote Flying Service and Coleman Flying School[5] Opened: August 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)[6] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas 319th Flying Training Detachment[4] 2563d Army Air Forces Base Unit (Women Air Service Pilots), April 1944 Operated by: Aviation Enterprises. Conducted Primary, Basic and Advanced (WASP) training [5] Opened: May 1942, Closed: December 1945 (PT-17, PT-19)[7] Controlled five auxiliary airfields Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas 306th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Fred Harmon Flying School[5] Opened: October 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-19)[8] Controlled five auxiliary airfields Chickasha Municipal Airport, Chickasha, Oklahoma 316th Flying Training Detachment[4] 2549th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), April 1944 Operated by: Wilson-Bonfils Flying School [5] Opened: October 1941, Closed: August 1945 (PT-17, PT-19)[9] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Cimarron Field, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 310th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Oklahoma Air College[5] Opened: October 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-19)[10] Controlled three auxiliary airfields South Coleman Airport, Coleman, Texas 304th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Coleman FLying School, Limited[5] Opened: July 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19)[11] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Corsicana Field, Corsicana, Texas 301st Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Air Activities of Texas[5] Opened: April 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19)[12] Controlled six auxiliary airfields Cuero Municipal Airport, Cuero, Texas 303d Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Brayton Flying Services, Inc.[5] Opened: May 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)[13] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Gibbs Field, Fort Stockton, Texas 313th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Pacific Air School Limited[5] Opened: June 1942, Closed: April 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)[14] Controlled two auxiliary airfields Garner Field, Uvalde, Texas 305th Flying Training Detachment[4] 2566th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), April 1944 Operated by: Hangar Six, Incorporated[5] Opened: October 1941, Closed: July 1945 (PT-13, PT-19)[15] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 312th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Pine Bluff School of Aviation[5] Opened: April 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-19)[16] Controlled five auxiliary airfields

Harvey Parks Airport, Sikeston, Missouri 311th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Missouri Institute of Aeronautics[5] Opened: January 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-18, PT-19)[17] Controlled seven auxiliary airfields Hatbox Field, Muskogee, Oklahoma 315th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by Spartan Aircraft Company and Spartan School of Aeronautics[5] Opened: January 1941, Closed: June 1944 (PT-19)[18] Controlled three auxiliary airfields Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas 307th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Texas Aviation School and W. F. Long Flying School.[5] Opened: September 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-19)[19] Controlled three auxiliary airfields Jones Field, Bonham, Texas 302d Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Bonham Aviation School [5] Opened: September 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19)[20] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Miami Municipal Airport, Miami, Oklahoma 322d Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Spartan School of Aeronautics [5] Opened: June 1941, Closed: March 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)[21] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Mustang Field, El Reno, Oklahoma 320th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Midwest Air School [5] Opened: February 1943, Closed: November 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)[22] Controlled four auxiliary airfields Parks Metropolitan Airport, East St. Louis, Illinois 309th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Parks Air College [5] Opened: June 1939, Closed: August 1943 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-19)[23] Controlled one auxiliary airfield Ponca City Municipal Airport, Ponca City, Oklahoma 323d Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Darr School of Aeronautics [5] Opened: June 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)[21] Tulsa Municipal Airport, Tulsa, Oklahoma 314th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Spartan School of Aeronautics [5] Opened: June 1939, Closed: August 1944 (PT-3A, PT-17, PT-19)[24] Controlled five auxiliary airfields Victory Field, Vernon, Texas 317th Flying Training Detachment[4] Operated by: Hunter Flying Service and Richey Flying Service.[5] Opened: December 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-19)[25] Controlled five auxiliary airfields

^[2][26]

Contract Glider Pilot Schools

Aberdeen Regional Airport, Aberdeen, South Dakota 26th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School[27] (TG-8A) Operated by: Anderson & Brennan Flying Service[5] Eberts Field, Lohoke, Arkansas 15th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School[27] (TG-8A) Operated by: Kenneth Starnes Flying Service[5] Renner Field, Goodland, Kansas 22d Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School[27] (TG-8A) Operated by: William A. Ong[5] Hale County Airport, Plainview, Texas 4th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School[27] (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A) Operated by: Clint Breedlove Aerial Service[5] Hartlee Field Airport, Denton, Texas 17th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School[27] (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A) Operated by: Harte Flying Service[5] Hays Airport, Hays, Kansas 19th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School[27] (TG-8A) Operated by: Morey Airplane Company[5]

Janesville Field, Janesville, Wisconsin 16th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School[27] (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A) Operated by: Bonham Aviation School[5] Okmulgee Municipal Airport, Okmulgee, Oklahoma 25th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School[27] Operated by: Sooner Air Training Corp.[5] Pittsburg Airport, Pittsburg, Kansas 21st Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider Training School[27] (TG-8A) Operated by: McFarland Flying Service [5] Spencer Municipal Airport, Spencer, Iowa 23d Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School[27](TG-8A) Operated by: Hunter Flying Service[5] Hunter Flying Service moved from Spencer, Iowa, to Hamilton Airport at Hamilton, Texas, on 20 October 1942.[27] Theldor Airfield, Vinita, Oklahoma 27th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School[27] (TG-8A) Operated by: Burke Aviation Service[5]

See also

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

29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary flight training wing for AAF Eastern Flying Training Command

36th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary flight training wing for AAF Western Flying Training Command

• Other Central Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

32d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic Flight Training

33d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine

34th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Bombardier and Specialized Two/Four-Engine Training

77th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine

78th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classification/Preflight Unit

80th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Navigation and Glider

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. 31st Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
3. COMBAT GLIDER PILOT TRAINING
4. 31st 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: Arledge Field
7. www.accident-report.com: Avenger Field
8. www.accident-report.com: Bruce Field
9. www.accident-report.com: Chickasha Municipal Airport
10. www.accident-report.com: Cimarron Field
11. www.accident-report.com: Coleman Municipal Airport
12. www.accident-report.com: Corsicana Field
13. www.accident-report.com: Cuero Municipal Airport
14. www.accident-report.com: Fort Stockton Field
15. www.accident-report.com: Garner Field
16. www.accident-report.com: Grider Field
17. www.accident-report.com: Harvey Parks Airport
18. www.accident-report.com: Hatbox Field
19. www.accident-report.com: Hicks Field
20. www.accident-report.com: Jones Field
21. Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004
22. www.accident-report.com: Mustang Field
23. www.accident-report.com: Parks Metropolitan Airport
24. www.accident-report.com: Tulsa Municipal Airport
25. www.accident-report.com: Tulsa Municipal Airport
26. World War II Airfields and seaplne bases by state
27. WW2 US Army Air Force CG-4A Combat Glider History Report