38th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

History

The wing was a World War II Command and Control organization which supported Training Command Flight Schools in the southwestern United States, primarily in New Mexico. The wing controlled fight schools primarily instructing in advanced (Phase III) two and four engine training, along with bombardier training and before June 1944, glider training. 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.

As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.

Lineage

Established as 38th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942

Activated on 8 January 1943 Disbanded 16 June 1946.

Assignments

AAF West Coast (later, AAF Western Flying) Training Center, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing used a wide variety of planes to support its numerous training needs:

The Cessna AT-17 was the standard two-engine advanced trainer, along with the Cessna UC-78 variant of the AT-17

The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, as well as the AT-24 Mitchell were used for two-engine bomber training and transition. Some Martin B-26 Marauders were also used for training. Four-Engine training was done with Boeing B-17 and Consolidated B-24 bombers

Glider/Liaison aircraft training used L-2, L-3, L-4 aircraft, as well as the TG-5, TG-6 and CG-4 gliders

Stations

Roswell Army Airfield, New Mexico, 8 January 1943

Kirtland Field, New Mexico, 10 September 1943

Williams Field, Arizona, 26 February 1945 – 16 June 1946.