31st Flying Training Wing (World War II)

The 31st Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 30 December 1945 at Fort Worth Army Airfield, Texas.

The squadron was a World War II Command and Control unit, its mission to flying training units of the Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Enid Army Airfield, Oklahoma for most of its operational service, it controlled contract pilot schools primarily in the Central United States.

There is no lineage between the current United States Air Force 31st Fighter Wing, established on 6 November 1947 at Turner Army Airfield, Georgia, 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. The Primary Pilot Training used Boeing PT-17 or Fairchild PT-19 two-seater single-engine training aircraft. Also, the wing controlled specialized schools for Liaison Pilots using the Stinson L-5 Grasshopper, and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) primary training was conducted exclusively at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.^[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 31st Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942

Activated on 16 January 1943

Disbanded on 30 December 1945^[2]

Assignments

• Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training (later, AAF Central Flying Training) Command, 16 January 1943 – 30 December 1945^[2]

Stations

• Enid Army Airfield, Oklahoma, 16 Jan 1943
• Fort Worth Army Airfield, Texas, 31 May-30 December 1945^[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]

• Boeing-Stearman PT-13
• Boeing-Stearman PT-18

The PT-13 and PT-18s were the basic Boeing-Stearman with different engines than the PT-17, with varying horsepower ratings. The PT-19 also could have the student pilot covered with a hood for "Blind" instrument flying training.^[1]

Along with the primary pilot training, the command offered several specialized contract schools for glider and liaison pilot training. These schools operated the following aircraft:^[1]

Assigned Contract Pilot Schools

^[2][26]

See also

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

29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary flight training wing for AAF Eastern Flying Training Command

36th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary flight training wing for AAF Western Flying Training Command

• Other Central Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

32d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic Flight Training

33d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine

34th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Bombardier and Specialized Two/Four-Engine Training

77th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine

78th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classifcation/Preflight Unit

80th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Navigation and Glider

References

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

External links

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