The 78th Flying Training Wing was a 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 Central Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 30 June 1945 at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas. 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 opposin ...

unit for the classification and preflight testing of aviation cadets. It was one of three such centers, the others being at

Maxwell Field Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

, Alabama and

Santa Ana Army Air Base Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) was a World War II-era air base located near Santa Ana, California. The air base was decommissioned in 1946, and part of the land was annexed by Costa Mesa in 1953. The air base was used for basic training, alth ...

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

78th Air Base Wing The 78th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 78th acts as the host unit at Robins. The wing was first activated as the 78th Fighter Wing in September 1948 as part of the wing ...

, established on 24 September 1948 at

Hamilton Air Force Base Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, California, and this organization.

History

The mission of the wing was to provide both Classification and Preflight stage training to air cadets which had completed Training Command basic indoctrination training.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas * Classification Stage processed the cadet and issued him his equipment. This was the stage where it would be decided whether the cadet would train as a navigator, bombardier, or pilot. * Pre-Flight Stage taught the mechanics and physics of flight and required the cadets to pass courses in mathematics and the hard sciences. Then the cadets were taught to apply their knowledge practically by teaching them aeronautics, deflection shooting, and thinking in three dimensions. Once the cadet successfully completed the training at the center, they would be assigned to one of the AAF primary flight schools for initial flying training.

Lineage

* Established as 78th Flying Training Wing on 14 August 1943 : Activated on 25 August 1943 : Disbanded on 30 June 1945 78th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

Assignments

* Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943 – 30 June 1945

Units

* Army Air Forces Classification Center, 30 April 1942 – 1 May 1944 : 885th Classification Center Squadron, 4 July 1942 : 886th Classification Center Squadron, 4 July 1942 : 888th Classification Center Squadron, 4 July 1942 Squadrons re-designated as squadrons "E", "F", "G", 2535th AAFBU, 1 May 1944Mueller, Robert (1989). Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. , * Army Air Forces Preflight School (Pilot), 30 April 1942 : Re-designated: 330th Training Group, 17 August 1942 – 1 May 1944 :: 881st Preflight Training Squadron, 4 July 1942 :: 882d Preflight Training Squadron, 4 July 1942 :: 883d Preflight Training Squadron, 4 July 1942 :: 884th Preflight Training Squadron, 4 July 1942 Squadrons re-designated as squadrons "A", "B", "C", "D", 2535th AAFBU, 1 May 1944 * 2535th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 30 June 1945 * Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Two-Engine) June 1941 – March 1943 (AT-9, AT-10) :: 61st*, 62d*, 63d*, 64th*, 389th, 390th, 1028th, 1048th, 1097th, 1098th, 1099th Two-Engine Flying Training Squadrons : Flying training ended at Kelly, March 1943, base was transferred to Air Service Command * Duncan Field, San Antonio, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) Jan 1942 – Feb 1943 (BT-9, BT-13) :: 492d, 667th, 1029th, 1030th Basic Flying Training Squadrons : Duncan Field merged into Kelly Field, March 1943 *Squadrons formed on 1 September 1936 as part of the Air Corps Primary Flying School detachment at Kelly Field; 61st (Pursuit); 62d (Observation); 63d (Attack); 64th (Bombardment); re-designated Two-Engine squadrons 16 June 1941Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle 1919–1941. 3 The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops 1919–1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. . .

Stations

* San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas, 25 August 1943 – 30 June 1945

References