77th Flying Training Wing explained

Unit Name:77th Flying Training Wing
Dates:1943–1946
Country: United States
Branch:  United States Army Air Forces
Type:Command and Control
Role:Training
Command Structure:Army Air Forces Training Command
Battles:World War II

  • World War II American Theater

The 77th Flying Training Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was based in Texas between 1943 and its disbandment on 16 June 1946.

There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing, established on 5 February 1942 as the 77th Observation Group at Salinas Army Air Base, California, and this organization.

History

On 14 August 1943, the wing was established at Foster Army Airfield, Texas. It directed Flight Schools in South Texas. The schools provided phase III advanced flying training for Air Cadets, along with advanced single-engine transition training for experienced pilots for reassignment to other flying units. Air Cadet graduates of the advanced schools were commissioned as Second Lieutenants, received their "wings" and were reassigned to First Air Force, Second Air Force, Third Air Force, or Fourth Air Force operational or Replacement Training Units in the Zone of the Interior (the continental United States).

As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.[1] The wing headquarters was moved to Bryan Army Airfield in March 1945, and disbanded there in June 1946.

Lineage

Activated on 25 August 1943

Disbanded on 16 June 1946 .[2]

Assignments

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing used primarily the North American AT-6 as their single-engine advanced trainer. Also some Bell P-39s, Curtiss P-40s and North American P-51s were used for transition training. :[1]

Assigned Schools

Aloe Army Airfield, Victoria, Texas
  • AAF Pilot School (Advanced Single Engine), also SE Transition School
  • 61st Single Engine Flying Training Group
  • Opened: December 1942, Closed: November 1945 (AT-6, P-47)[3]
  • Aircraft carried fuselage code "(Suffix)W" Sub-Field of Foster Army Airfield; had at least ten auxiliary airfields
    Bryan Army Air Base, Bryan, Texas
  • AAF Instructors' School (Instrument Pilot)
  • Opened: January 1943, Closed: November 1945 (AT-6)[4]
  • Had 3 auxiliary airfields; Base closed 1947; reactivated in 1951 as Bryan Air Force Base closed 1958
    Eagle Pass Army Airfield, Eagle Pass, Texas
  • AAF Pilot School (Advanced Single Engine)
  • 57th Single Engine Flying Training Group
  • Opened: October 1942, Closed: May 1945 (AT-6)[5]
  • Aircraft carried fuselage code "EP";[6] had at least three auxiliary airfields
    Foster Field, Victoria, Texas
  • AAF Pilot School (Advanced Single Engine), also SE Transition School
  • 62d Single Engine Flying Training Group
  • 79th Bombardier Training Group
  • Opened: October 1941, Closed: October 1945 (AT-6, P-40, P-47, P-51)[7]
  • Aircraft carried fuselage code "(Suffix)Y"[6] had at least five auxiliary airfields; Closed 1945; became Foster Air Force Base in 1952, closed 1955.
    Matagorda Peninsula Army Airfield, Matagorda Island, Texas
  • AAF Pilot School (Advanced Single Engine Transition)
  • Opened: July 1942, Closed: April 1945 (AT-6, P-40, P-47, P-51)[8]
  • Aircraft carried fuselage code "P";[6] Sub-Field of Foster Army Airfield; Now Pierce Airfield
    Moore Field, Mission, Texas
  • AAF Pilot School (Advanced Single Engine), also SE Transition School
  • Opened: November 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-6, P-39, P-40)[9]
  • had at least four auxiliary airfields

    Stations

    See also

    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

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

    79th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Gunnery

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

    Notes and References

    1. Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
    2. 77th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
    3. Web site: www.accident-report.com: Aloe Army Airfield . 2014-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100917060039/http://accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/aloe.html . 2010-09-17 . dead .
    4. Web site: www.accident-report.com: Bryan Army Airfield . 2014-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141007190533/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/bryan.html . 2014-10-07 . dead .
    5. Web site: www.accident-report.com: Eagle Pass Army Airfield . 2014-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141007090411/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/eaglepass.html . 2014-10-07 . dead .
    6. http://www.fuselagecodes.com/id1.html Flight Training Field Fuselage Codes of World War II
    7. Web site: www.accident-report.com: Foster Field . 2014-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140320112857/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/foster1.html . 2014-03-20 . dead .
    8. http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/matagordapeninsula.html www.accident-report.com: Matagorda Peninsula Bombing Range
    9. Web site: www.accident-report.com: Moore Field . 2014-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141007092139/http://www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/slist/moore.html . 2014-10-07 . dead .

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