34th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

34rh Flying Training Wing
Locations of airfields controlled by the 34th 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 34th Flying Training Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. It was last assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Midland Army Airfield, Texas.

There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 34th Training Wing, established on 20 November 1940 as the 34th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Langley Field, Virginia, and this organization.

History

The wing supervised Training Command Flight Schools in Central and Northern Texas and Oklahoma. The assigned schools provided specialized training for bombardiers, and the wing was the home of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools (Childress, Midland, San Angelo, and Big Spring Army Airfields).^[1]

The wing also provided specialized schools for training on the two-engine Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber (Dodge City, Laughlin Army Airfields), and the B-24 Liberator four-engine heavy bomber (Fort Worth, Liberal Army Airfields). After graduation Air Cadets 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 34th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942

Activated on 8 January 1943

Disbanded c. 16 June 1946^[2]

Assignments

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

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing used primarily the Beechcraft AT-11 for bombardier training.

• Two-Engine training was performed on the Martin B-26 Marauder
• Four-Engine training was performed on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Assigned Schools

Big Spring Army Airfield, Big Spring, Texas AAF Bombardier School 77th Bombardier Training Group Opened: August 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-11)[3] One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools; closed 1945, reopened 1951 as Big Spring Air Force Base; later Webb Air Force Base, closed 1977 Childress Army Airfield, Childress, Texas AAF Bombardier School 79th Bombardier Training Group Opened January 1943, Closed: December 1945 (AT-11)[4] One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools. Dodge City Army Airfield, Dodge City, Kansas AAF Pilot School (Specialized, Two-Engine) Opened May 1943, Closed: December 1945 (B-26)[5] Provided B-26 Marauder training and transition training. Also trained Free French and WASP pilots on the B-26 Fort Worth Army Airfield, Fort Worth, Texas AAF Pilot School (Specialized, 4-Engine), also Transition School 96th Pilot Transition Training Group (4 Engine) Opened May 1943, Closed: December 1945 (B-24)[6] Also known as Tarrant Army Airfield; performed B-32 Dominator training in 1945; remained open after the war as Carswell AFB, closed 1993, now NAS Fort Worth (Navy), Carswell Field, (USAFR)

Laughlin Army Airfield, Del Rio, Texas AAF Pilot School (Specialized, Two-Engine) Opened January 1943, Closed: August 1945 (B-26)[7] Provided B-26 Marauder training and transition training. Also trained Free French and WASP pilots on the B-26; Became A-26 Invader school, August 1945; remained open after the war as Laughlin Air Force Base. Liberal Army Airfield, Liberal, Kansas AAF Pilot School (Specialized, Four-Engine) Opened May 1943, Closed: September 1945 (B-24)[8] Provided 4-engine training on the B-24 Liberator and transition training. Midland Army Airfield, Midland, Texas AAF Instructors School (Bombardiers) AAF Bombardier School 78th Bombardier Training Group Opened January 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-11)[9] One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools. San Angelo Army Airfield, San Angelo, Texas AAF Pilot School (Basic) 49th Basic Flying Training Group AAF Bombardier School 76th Bombardier Training Group Opened: February 1941, Closed: August 1945 (BT-14, BT-15, AT-11)[10] Basic school closed March 1942; One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools.

Stations

• San Angelo Army Airfield, Texas, 8 January 1943
• Midland Army Airfield, Texas, 25 May 1945 – 16 June 1946^[2]

See also

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

31st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training

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

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

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. 34th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
3. www.accident-report.com: Big Spring Army Airfield
4. www.accident-report.com: Childress Army Airfield
5. www.accident-report.com: Dodge City Army Airfield
6. www.accident-report.com: Fort Worth Army Airfield
7. www.accident-report.com: Laughlin Army Airfield
8. www.accident-report.com: Liberal Army Airfield
9. www.accident-report.com: Midland Army Airfield
10. www.accident-report.com: San Angelo Army Airfield