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Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command (EFTC) was a unit 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 assigned to the
Army Air Forces Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Corp ...
, stationed 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. It was inactivated on 15 December 1945.


History

The command was established on 8 July 1940 by the
Office of the Chief of Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ...
, as part of the expansion of the training department of the Air Corps. After the
Fall of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wo ...
in May 1940, the United States began rapidly expanding its military forces, and with the large numbers of men entering the military, the training requirements of the Air Corps were drastically expanded. As a result, the centralized training of aircrew was divided into three Training Centers, the Eastern, Gulf Coast (later Central) and Western. Training schools were assigned to the Centers based on the geography of the United States. In July 1943, these Centers were re-designated as Eastern, Central and Western Training Commands.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas By 1944, EFTC controlled a large number of training schools in the Southwestern United States, and established several
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...
to provide organizational command and control over them, based on both training types and geography. The schools operated by EFTC part of the Aviation Cadet Training Program. These were: * Classification: This was the stage where it would be decided whether the cadet would train as a navigator, bombardier, or pilot * Preflight: Ground training for all air cadets. Successful completion meant being assigned to a flying school for training. "Washouts" were returned to the regular Air Corps ranks for reassignment. * Primary (Phase I): Taught basic flying using two-seater training aircraft. Usually taught by contract flying schools operated by the WFTC * Basic (Phase II): Formation flying, air navigation, cross-country flying skills were taught. * Advanced (Phase II): Single or multi-engine aircraft schools for cadets becoming fighter, bomber or transport pilots. After graduation, the successful Air Cadet received his "wings" and were commissioned
Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...
s. In addition, experienced pilots in the field were sent to Training Command "transition schools" to acquire additional single or multi-engine flying ratings. In addition to the American Air Cadets, Cadets from the British
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
and
Free French Air Force The Free French Air Forces (french: Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres, FAFL) were the air arm of the Free French Forces in the Second World War, created by Charles de Gaulle in 1940. The designation ceased to exist in 1943 when the Free Fren ...
were trained in flying skills. EFTC also operated aircrew schools for
Navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...
s, Bombardiers and flexible aerial gunners.
Radio operator A radio operator (also, formerly, wireless operator in British and Commonwealth English) is a person who is responsible for the operations of a radio system. The profession of radio operator has become largely obsolete with the automation of ra ...
s were centrally trained at Scott Field, Illinois. Other aircrew positions, such as B-29 flight engineers and RADAR operators were also trained later in the war as training requirements presented themselves. This included the first jet pilots in 1945. EFTC was inactivated on 15 December 1945, being consolidated into the new Central Flying Training Command 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, as part of the consolidation of the Army Air Forces after World War II ended.


Lineage

* Established as Southeast Air Corps Training Center on 8 July 1940 and activated : Redesignated Army Air Forces East Coast Training Center on 29 October 1942 : Redesignated Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command on 31 July 1943 : Inactivated on 15 December 1945


Assignments

* Office of the Chief of Air Corps, 8 July 1940 * Air Corps Flying Training Command (later Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, Army Air Forces Training Command), 23 January 1942 – 15 December 1945


Stations

* Maxwell Field, Alabama, 8 July 1940 – 15 December 1945


Major Components

*
27th Flying Training Wing (World War II) The 27th Flying Training Wing was a training formation of the United States Army Air Forces. From 1943–45 it was assigned to Eastern Flying Training Command. In 1945–46 it was assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and it was disb ...
Basic Flight Training : Headquarters: ::
Cochran Army Airfield Middle Georgia Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located nine nautical miles (10  mi, 17  km) south of the central business district of Macon, a city in Bibb County, Georgia, United States. It is mostly used ...
, Georgia, 17 December 1942 – 15 December 1945 ::
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, 16 December 1945 – 16 June 1946 * 28th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single-Engine : Headquarters: ::
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 ...
, Illinois, 26 December 1942 ::
Craig Field Craig Field (born 12 December 1972) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. Field played for South Sydney, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Balmain Tigers and Wests Tigers. His primary position was at . His talent and leaders ...
, Alabama, 15 August 1943 – 30 December 1945 *
29th Flying Training Wing The 29th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last based at Craig Air Force Base, Alabama. It was inactivated when Craig was closed when the Air Force reduced its pilot training program after the Vietnam War. The un ...
Primary Flight Training : Headquarters: ::
Moody Field 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 ...
, Georgia, 26 December 1942 ::
Napier Field Napier Field is a town in Dale County, Alabama. At the 2020 census, the population was 409. It is part of the Ozark micropolitan statistical area. The town was originally constructed as a military air base during the Second World War. It is cu ...
, Alabama, 1 April 1945 – 16 June 1946 * 30th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine : Headquarters: ::
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 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, 31 Jul – 13 Oct 1946. * 74th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classification/Preflight/Specialized/Navigation : Headquarters: ::
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, 16 September 1943 – 30 December 1945 *
75th Flying Training Wing (World War II) The 75th Flying Training Wing was a flying training wing of the United States Army Air Forces. At the time, a wing controlled several multi-squadron groups. It was last assigned to the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, and was disbanded o ...
Gunnery : Headquarters: ::
Buckingham Army Airfield Buckingham Army Airfield is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base, approximately 10 miles east of Fort Myers, Florida. It was active during World War II as an Army Air Forces Training Command airfield. It was closed on 30 Septembe ...
, Florida, 25 August 1943 – 16 June 1946 * 76th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Specialized Four-Engine Training : Headquarters: ::
Smyrna Army Airfield Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to pro ...
, Tennessee, 25 August 1943 – 16 June 19467 h Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama


Major Aircraft

: Primary flight training :: Boeing-Stearman PT-17
, Fairchild PT-19 and Ryan PT-22 twin-seat, single engine trainers : Basic flight training :: Vultee BT-13 and Vultee BT-15 : Advanced flight training :: North American AT-6 (single engine);
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 ...
(two-engine) : Specialized schools: ::
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 ...
s were used for high performance two-engine training in perpetration for
Lockheed P-38 The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive t ...
Lightning training :: Beechcraft AT-10s were used for pilots in training for two engine bombers (B-25s and B-26s) ::
Beechcraft AT-11 The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November ...
s were used for pilots in training for C-47 transports along with bombardier training ::
Beechcraft AT-7 The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to Novembe ...
s were used for two-engine pilot training and also navigator training ::
Boeing B-17 The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
s and
Consolidated B-24 The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
s were used for four-engine pilot training :: L-2, L-3, L-4, TG-5 and TG-6s were used for glider and liaison pilot training :: Gunnery training schools flew A-33, AT-6s, AT-1s, B-34s, B-10s and RP-63s for air-to-air flexible gunnery training.


References

{{USAAF Training Bases World War II Military units and formations established in 1940 Training commands of the United States Army Air Forces Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations in Alabama