The 30th Flying Training Wing was a training wing of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. It was last assigned to the

Flying Division, Air Training Command Flying Division, Air Training Command, was a training formation of the United States Air Force. The unit was established in 1926 as the Air Corps Training Center to be the primary pilot training center for the Air Corps. It was reorganized int ...

, and was disbanded on 13 October 1946 at

Randolph Field Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Uni ...

, Texas.

History

The wing was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

command and control organization which supported Training Command flight schools in the Lower Great Lakes and Southeastern United States. The assigned schools provided phase III advanced two-engine flying training for air cadets, along with advanced B-24 Invader and B-25 Mitchell transition training for experienced pilots for reassignment to other flying units. Single-engine transition training was also instructed. Air cadet graduates of the advanced schools were commissioned as second lieutenants, received their

Aircrew Badge The Aircrew Badge, commonly known as Wings, is a qualification badge of the United States military that is awarded by all five branches of armed services to personnel who serve as aircrew members on board military aircraft. The badge is inten ...

("wings") and were reassigned to operational or replacement training units operated by one of the four numbered air fores in the zone of interior. As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas

Lineage

* Established as 30th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942 : Activated on 26 December 1942 : Disbanded on 13 October 1946.30th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

Assignments

* Army Air Forces Southeast Training Center, 26 December 1942 * Army Air Forces

Eastern Flying Training Command Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command (EFTC) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command, stationed at Maxwell Field, Alabama. It was inactivated on 15 December 1945. Hist ...

, 15 September 1943 * Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command, 15 December 1945 * Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, 1 January 1946 *

, 1 July-13 October 1946.

Training aircraft

The two-engine advanced flying schools flew several trainers, designed for different tactical aircraft * The

Cessna AT-17 The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat or Cessna Crane is a twin-engine advanced trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and larger multi-engine combat aircraft. The ...

(AT-8)s were used for transport pilot training * The

Curtiss-Wright AT-9 The Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep was a twin-engined advanced trainer aircraft used by the United States during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engined trainers and twin-engined combat aircraft. The AT-9 had a low-wing cantilever monopl ...

was a high-performance trainer, to simulate P-38 Lightning two-engine fighters * The

Beechcraft AT-10 The Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita was an American World War II trainer built for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) by Beechcraft. It was used to train pilots for multi-engined aircraft such as bombers. Development Beechcraft began design ...

was used for bomber pilot training

Assigned pilot schools

;

Blytheville Army Airfield Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. It was located nor ...

, Blytheville, Arkansas : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : Opened: July 1942, Closed: November 1945 (AT-10, AT-17) : Later become USAF Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, Closed 1992 ;

Columbus Army Airfield Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, Columbus, Mississippi : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : 26th Two-Engine Flying Training Group : Opened: March 1942, Closed: August 1945 (AT-8, AT-9, AT-10, AT-17) : Now USAF Columbus Air Force Base ;

Freeman Army Airfield : ''For the civil use of this facility after 1946, see Freeman Municipal Airport '' Freeman Army Airfield is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base. It is located south-southwest of Seymour, Indiana. The base was established in 1942 ...

, Seymour, Indiana : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : 33d Two-Engine Flying Training Group : Opened: June 1943, Closed: February 1945 (AT-10) ;

George Army Airfield George Field is a former World War II military airfield, located 5 miles east-northeast of Lawrenceville, Illinois. It operated as an advanced pilot training school for the United States Army Air Forces from 1942 until 1945. History George ...

, Lawrenceville, Illinois : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : 30th Two-Engine Flying Training Group : Opened: September 1942, Closed: July 1944 (AT-9, AT-10) : Transferred to I Troop Carrier Command, September 1944 ;

Moody Army Airfield Moody may refer to: Places * Moody, Alabama, U.S. * Moody, Indiana, U.S. * Moody, Missouri, U.S. * Moody, Texas, U.S. * Moody County, South Dakota, U.S. * Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada * Hundred of Moody, a cadastral division in South ...

, Valdosta, Georgia : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : 31st Two-Engine Flying Training Group : Opened: January 1942, Closed: September 1944 (AT-9, AT-10, AT-17) : Became Transition School for B-25s, A-26s, September 1944; Now USAF Moody Air Force Base ; Stuttgart Army Airfield, Stuttgart, Arkansas : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : 32d Two-Engine Flying Training Group : Opened: May 1943, Closed: September 1944 (AT-10) : Field opened September 1942, used for Glider training until April 1943; became single-engine P-40, P-41 transition school September 1944, Closed December 1945 ; Turner Army Airfield, Albany, Georgia : AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): : 23d Two-Engine Flying Training Group : Opened: July 1941, Closed: September 1944 (AT-7, AT-9, AT-10, AT-17) : Became B-25 Mitchell transition school, September 1944; later Turner Air Force Base, Closed 1967

Stations

Jackson Army Airbase Hawkins Field is a joint civil-military public airport in Jackson, Mississippi. It is owned by the City of Jackson and operated by the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 cal ...

, Mississippi, 26 December 1942 * Columbus Army Airfield, Mississippi, 15 September 1943 * Turner Army Airfield, Georgia, 13 September 1944 * Randolph Field, Texas, 31 Jul – 13 Oct 1946.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Training wings of the United States Army Air Forces Military units and formations established in 1942 1942 establishments in the United States Military units and formations disestablished in 1946