29th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

The 29th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Napier Field, Alabama.

The squadron was a World War II Command and Control unit, its mission to command Phase One primary flying training units of the Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Moody Field, Georgia for most of its operational service, it controlled contract civilian-operated pilot schools primarily in the Southeastern United States.

There is no lineage between the current United States Air Force 29th Flying Training Wing, established on 22 December 1939 as the 29th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Langley Field, Virginia, and this organization.

History

Until 1939, the Army Air Corps provided all flying training with military instructor pilots. Beginning in 1939, it contracted with nine civilian flying schools to provide primary flight training. Primary training consisted of a three-month course of 65 hours of flying instruction. As the United States prepared to enter World War II by expanding its number of flying squadrons, the number of contract primary schools increased.^[1]

According to the contract, the government supplied students with training aircraft, flying clothes, textbooks, and equipment. The Air Corps also put a detachment at each school to supervise training. The schools furnished instructors, training sites and facilities, aircraft maintenance, quarters, and mess halls. From the Air Corps, schools received a flat fee of $1,170 for each graduate and $18 per flying hour for students eliminated from training.^[1]

Following the fall of France in 1940, the Air Corps upped its pilot production goal to 7,000 per year. To meet that goal, the Air Corps increased the capacity of its schools and added more contract primary schools.^[1]

The contract primary pilot schools ended their operations in October, 1945.^[1]

Lineage

• Established as 29th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942

Activated on 26 December 1942

Disbanded on 16 June 1946.^[2]

Assignments

• Army Air Forces Southeast Flying Training (later, AAF Eastern Flying) Command, 26 December 1942
• Western Flying Training Command, 15 December 1945 – 16 June 1946^[2]

Stations

• Moody Field, Georgia, 26 December 1942
• Napier Field, Alabama, 1 April 1945 – 16 June 1946^[2]

Training aircraft

The primary aircraft used were Boeing-Stearman PT-17 and Fairchild PT-19 twin-seat, single engine trainers. However other aircraft were used at several schools. Those were:.^[1]

The PT-11 and PT-14s were late 1930's-era trainers which were phased out by 1943. The PT-13, PT-18 and PT-27s were the basic Boeing-Stearman with different engines than the PT-17, with varying horsepower ratings. The PT-23 was a radial engine version of the PT-19, with higher horsepower. The Fairchild PT-19/PT-23 aircraft also could have the student pilot covered with a hood for "Blind" instrument flying training.^[1]

Assigned Contract Pilot Schools

^[2][24]

See also

• Army Air Forces Training Command
• Other Training Command Primary Flight Training Wings:

31st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Central Flying Training Command

36th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Western Flying Training Command

• Other Eastern Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

27th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic Flight Training

28th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine

30th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine

74th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classifcation/Preflight/Specialized/Navigation

75th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Gunnery

76th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Specialized Four-Engine Training

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Army Air Forces Training Command Flying Training Flying Schools Eastern Flying Training Command Central Flying Training Command Western Flying Training Command Specialized Schools Bombardier Contract Flying Glider Training Gunnery Navigator Technical Training Eastern Technical Training Command Central Technical Training Command Western Technical Training Command