78th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)

78th Flying Training Wing
Cadets march through the main gate at the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. In the early 1940s,
Active	1943–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Command and Control
Role	Training
Part of	Army Air Forces Training Command
Engagements	World War II World War II American Theater
Commanders
Notable commanders	BG M. F. Davis, 25 Aug 1943 Col Robert E. M. Goolrick, 1 May 1945-c. 30 Jun 1945.

The 78th Flying Training Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. 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 unit for the classification and preflight testing of aviation cadets. It was one of three such centers, the others being at Maxwell Field, Alabama and Santa Ana Army Air Base, California.

There is no lineage between the current United States Air Force 78th Air Base Wing, established on 24 September 1948 at Hamilton Air Force Base, 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.^[1]

• 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.^[1]
• 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.^[1]

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.^[1]

Lineage

• Established as 78th Flying Training Wing on 14 August 1943

Activated on 25 August 1943

Disbanded on 30 June 1945 ^[2]

Assignments

• Army Air Forces Central Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943 – 30 June 1945^[2]

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 1944^[3]

• 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^[3]

• 2535th Army Air Forces Base Unit, 1 May 1944 – 30 June 1945^[3]
• Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas

AAF Pilot School (Advanced, Two-Engine) June 1941-March 1943 (AT-9, AT-10)^[4]

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^[3]

• Duncan Field, San Antonio, Texas

AAF Pilot School (Basic) Jan 1942-Feb 1943 (BT-9, BT-13)^[4]

492d, 667th, 1029th, 1030th Basic Flying Training Squadrons

Duncan Field merged into Kelly Field, March 1943^[3]

*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 1941^[5]

Stations

• San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center, Texas, 25 August 1943 – 30 June 1945^[2]

See also

• Army Air Forces Training Command
• Other Training Command Preflight/classification Units:

74th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Eastern Flying Training Command

81st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Western Flying Training Command

• Other Central Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

31st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training

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

79th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Gunnery

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

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

1. Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
2. 78th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
3. Mueller, 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. ISBN 0-912799-53-6, ISBN 0-16-002261-4
4. www.accident-report.com Kelly Field
5. Clay, 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. ISBN 978-0-9841901-4-0. LCCN 2010022326. OCLC 637712205