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 ...

. This wing oversaw multiple "advanced" flight schools that trained multi-engine bomber pilots for World War 2. It was last assigned to the Flying Division, Air Training Command, and was disbanded on 13 October 1946 at Randolph Field,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

History

The wing was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 ("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 The 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. Hi ...

, 15 September 1943 * Army Air Forces Western Flying Training Command, 15 December 1945 * Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, 1 January 1946 * Flying Division, Air Training Command, 1 July-13 October 1946.

Training aircraft

The two-engine advanced flying schools flew several trainers, designed for different tactical aircraft * Cessna AT-17 Bobcat (Also known as AT-8) - used for transport pilot training * Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep - used to simulate P-38 Lightning two-engine fighters, notoriously difficult to fly or land * Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita - used for bomber pilot training * North American AT-6 Texan

Assigned pilot schools

; Blytheville Army Airfield,

Blytheville, Arkansas Blytheville is one of two county seat, county seats of and the largest city in Mississippi County, Arkansas, Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. It is approximately north of West Memphis, Arkansas, West Memphis. The population was 13,40 ...

: AAF Pilot School (Advanced Two Engine): :25th Two-Engine Flying Training Group: : Opened: July 1942, Closed: November 1945 (AT-10, AT-17) : Later became USAF Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base in 1954, Closed 1992 ; Columbus Army Airfield,

Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Mississippi, Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the ...

: 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, 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, 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, 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): : 32nd 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,

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

, 26 December 1942 * Columbus Army Airfield,

, 15 September 1943 * Turner Army Airfield, Georgia, 13 September 1944 * Randolph Field, Universal City, 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