There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 37th Training Wing, established on 22 December 1939 as the 37th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) at Albrook Army Airfield, Panama Canal Zone, and this organization.
History
The wing directed Training Command Flight Schools in Arizona. Most of the assigned schools provided phase II basic and phase II advanced flying training for Air Cadets, although the wing also commanded both contract basic (phase I) and Army schools. Graduates of the advanced schools were commissioned as Second Lieutenants, received their "wings" and were reassigned to Operational or Replacement Training Units operated by one of the four numbered air fores in the zone of interior.[1]
As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.[1]
Lineage
Established as 37th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942
AAF West Coast (later, AAF Western Flying) Training Center, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946[2]
Training aircraft
The schools of the wing used a wide variety of planes to support its numerous training needs:[1]
Primary training aircraft were the Boeing-Stearman PT-17 and Ryan PT-22. PT-13 and PT-27 aircraft were also used which were basic Stearmans with varying horsepower ratings.
The Vultee BT-13 was the basic training aircraft, along with its cousin the Vultee BT-15
AAF Advanced Flying School, Two-Engine, also Two-Engine Transition
310th Two-Engine Flying Training Group
Opened: August 1942, Closed: November 1945 (AT-9, AT-17, UC-78, AT-24)[4]
Aircraft carried fuselage code: "A";[5] Became exclusive B-25 Mitchell and B-26 Marauder two-engine transition school October 1944, closed November 1945
Opened: March 1941, Closed: July 1946 (PT-17, AT-6, P-36, P-39, P-40)[8]
Aircraft carried fuselage code "X";[5] AT-6s flown from July 1941 until end of war; transition school operated P-36s (1941), P-39s, P-40s; Advanced Flying School closed July 1946; remained open as training base, becoming Luke Air Force Base in 1948.
AAF Advanced Flying School, Two/Four-Engine, also Two/Four-Engine Transition
Opened: January 1942, Closed: June 1948 (AT-6, AT-9, AT-10, AT-11, AT-17, B-25, B-17, B-24)[13]
Aircraft carried fuselage code: "Y"[5] Became single-engine AT-6 school in December 1943; Two/Four engine training beginning May 1945; became permanent USAF Williams Air Force Base, 1948. Closed 1993
^ abcManning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas OCLC71006954, 29991467
^ abc35th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama