The 32d Flying Training Wing is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

unit. It was last assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 13 October 1946 at the

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 Un ...

, Texas. There is no lineage between the United States Air Force

32d Composite Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, established on 22 November 1940 as the 32d Pursuit Group (Fighter) at Rio Hato Army Airbase, Panama, and this organization.

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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Command and Control organization which supported Training Command Basic Flight Schools. At the schools, Phase II Basic Pilot Training taught the cadets to fly in formation, fly by instruments or by aerial navigation, fly at night, and fly for long distances. Cadets got about 70 flight hours in trainers before being promoted to Advanced Training.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 32d Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942. : Activated on 16 January 1943 : Disbanded on 13 October 194632d Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

Assignments

* Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training Center, 16 January 1943 : Re-designated: Central Flying Training Command, 31 July 1943-13 October 1946.

Training aircraft

The primary aircraft used was the

Vultee BT-13 Valiant The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the ...

twin-seat, single engine trainer. Mid-1930s era

North American BT-9 The North American BT-9 was the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) designation for a low-wing single engine monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served before and during World War II. It was a contemporary of the Boeing-Stearman PT-13 Kay ...

s were flown at Randolph until 1943. The North American BT-14 and the

Vultee BT-15 The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the B ...

were also used, the BT-15 being a higher-horsepower version of the BT-13. Beginning in late 1944 the USAAF (as well as the USN) began replacing the Vultee BT-13 / BT-15 Valiant from the Basic phase of flight training with the

North American AT-6 The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...

Texan

Assigned Pilot Schools

; Curtis Field, Brady, Texas : AAF Contract Pilot School (Basic) : Opened: May 1941, Closed: August 1945 (PT-17, PT-19, BT-13, BT-15) : Operated by: Brady Aviation School, Dallas Aviation School and Air College; three auxiliary airfields; the school, originally for primary flight training, was used for basic training twice in its history but had reverted to primary training when it was closed. ;

Coffeyville Army Airfield Coffeyville Army Airfield was a World War II training base of the United States Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command (CFTC). It was later used by Third Air Force. Today, it is the city-owned Coffeyville Municipal Airport, Kansas. ...

, Coffeyville, Kansas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 47th Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: October 1942, Closed: May 1944 (BT-13) : Basic flying school closed May 1944; became Third Air Force photo-reconnaissance pilot training school (F-5E Mustang), Closed October 1945 ; Enid Army Airfield, Enid, Oklahoma : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 48th Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: December 1941, Closed: January 1945 (BT-13, BT-15) : Basic flying school closed January 1945; became advanced twin-engine school (B-25) February 1945. Remained open as a permanent training airfield after war ended, now Vance Air Force Base ; Garden City Army Airfield, Garden City, Kansas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 49th Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: December 1942, Closed: December 1944 (BT-13) ;

Goodfellow Field Goodfellow Air Force Base is a nonflying United States Air Force base located in San Angelo, Texas, United States. As part of Air Education and Training Command, Goodfellow's main mission is cryptologic and intelligence training for the Air For ...

, San Angelo, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 53d Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: May 1941, Closed: December 1944 (BT-13, BT-14) : Added advanced single-engine school (AT-6) January 1945; Remained open as a permanent training airfield after war ended, now Goodfellow Air Force Base ; Independence Army Airfield, Independence, Kansas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : Opened: January 1942, Closed: January 1945 (BT-14, BT-15) : Aircraft Fuselage Code: "S"Flight Training Field Fuselage Codes of World War II
/ref> ;

Malden Army Airfield Malden Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district of Malden, a city in Dunklin County, Missouri, United States. This airport is included in the National ...

, Malden, Missouri : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : Opened: March 1943, Closed: May 1945 (BT-13) : Aircraft Fuselage Code: "ML"; Basic flying school closed January 1945; became glider training school under I Troop Carrier Command, closed September 1945. ;

Majors Army Airfield Majors Airport is a city-owned airport southeast of the central business district of Greenville, in Hunt County, Texas. Originally named Majors Field, it is home to L3Harris Mission Integration Division (MID), which performs aircraft modific ...

, Greenville, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 50th Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: August 1942, Closed: November 1944 (BT-13) : Basic flying school closed November 1944; reassigned to II Fighter Command and became P-47 Replacement Training Unit; Airfield closed July 1945 ;

Perrin Field North Texas Regional Airport / Perrin Field is a county-owned airport in Grayson County, Texas between Sherman and Denison. Formerly Grayson County Airport, the airport was renamed in November 2007. Several buildings are occupied by businesses ...

, Sherman, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 53d Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: January 1942, Closed: January 1944 (BT-13) : Aircraft Fuselage Code: "N"; Basic flying school closed March 1945; became advanced single-engine school (AT-6); Remained open as a permanent training airfield after war ended as Perrin Air Force Base, Closed 1971. ;

, San Antonio, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : Airfield opened 1931 as primary Air Corps Basic Flying training school. Wartime Basic school operated BT-9 and BT-14s, closed April 1944, became Advanced school with AT-6s : Basic aircraft Fuselage Code: "C"; Remained open as a permanent training airfield after war ended; now Randolph Air Force Base ;

Strother Army Airfield Strother Army Airfield was a World War II training base of the United States Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command (CFTC), and later II Fighter Command. It is currently the city-owned Strother Field. History Strother Army Air Field ...

, Winfield, Kansas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : Opened: November 1942, Closed: May 1944 (BT-13) : Aircraft Fuselage Code: "K" (Used as a suffix); Basic flying school closed May 1944; reassigned to II Fighter Command and became P-47 Replacement Training Unit; Airfield closed August 1945 ; Waco Army Airfield, Waco, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 54th Basic Flying Training Group : Opened: April 1942, Closed: September 1944 (BT-13) : Basic flying school closed September 1944; Became advanced single-engine (AT-6), also twin-engine (UC-78) school, airfield closed September 1945; later reopened 1948 as Connally Air Force Base, closed 1969

Stations

* Perrin Field, Texas, 16 January 1943 * Randolph Field, Texas : Temporary assignment 31 Oct 1945, became permanent station on 5 August-13 October 1946

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Training wings of the United States Army Air Forces Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945