Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command

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Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command
Eastern Flying Training Command-Map.png
Locations of airfields controlled by the AAF Eastern Flying Training Command
Active1940–1945
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Branch Us army air corps shield.svg   United States Army Air Forces
TypeCommand and Control
RoleTraining
Part of Army Air Forces Training Command
Engagements World War II
  • World War II - American Campaign Streamer (Plain).png
    World War II American Theater
Insignia
Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command distinctive unit insignia Eastern flying training command emblem.png
Postcard photo of the Headquarters, AAF Eastern Flying Training Command at Maxwell Field, Alabama Maxwell Field - Postcard HQ AAF Eastern Flying Training Command.jpg
Postcard photo of the Headquarters, AAF Eastern Flying Training Command at Maxwell Field, Alabama

Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command (EFTC) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command, stationed at Maxwell Field, Alabama. It was inactivated on 15 December 1945.

Contents

History

The command was established on 8 July 1940 by the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, as part of the expansion of the training department of the Air Corps. After the Fall of France 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. [1]

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. [1]

By 1944, EFTC controlled a large number of training schools in the Southwestern United States, and established several Wings 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: [1]

In addition to the American Air Cadets, Cadets from the British Royal Air Force and Free French Air Force were trained in flying skills. EFTC also operated aircrew schools for Navigators, Bombardiers and flexible aerial gunners. Radio operators 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. [1]

EFTC was inactivated on 15 December 1945, being consolidated into the new Central Flying Training Command at Randolph Field, Texas, as part of the consolidation of the Army Air Forces after World War II ended. [1]

Lineage

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 [1]

Assignments

Stations

Major Components

Major Aircraft

Primary flight training
Boeing-Stearman PT-17, Fairchild PT-19 and Ryan PT-22 twin-seat, single engine trainers [1]
Basic flight training
Vultee BT-13 and Vultee BT-15 [1]
Advanced flight training
North American AT-6 (single engine); Cessna AT-17 (two-engine) [1]
Specialized schools:
Curtiss-Wright AT-9s were used for high performance two-engine training in perpetration for Lockheed P-38 Lightning training
Beechcraft AT-10s were used for pilots in training for two engine bombers (B-25s and B-26s)
Beechcraft AT-11s were used for pilots in training for C-47 transports along with bombardier training
Beechcraft AT-7s were used for two-engine pilot training and also navigator training
Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s 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. [1]

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74th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

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References

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 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. ↑ 27th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  3. ↑ 28th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  4. ↑ 29th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document, Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  5. ↑ 30th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  6. ↑ 74th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  7. ↑ 75th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  8. ↑ 7[th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
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