The Flying/Aviation Cadet Pilot Training Program was originally created by the U.S. Army to train its pilots. Originally created in 1907 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, it expanded as the Army's air assets increased.

Requirements Candidates originally had to be between the ages of 19 and 25, athletic, and honest. Two years of college or three years of a scientific or technical education were required. This requirement was relaxed in January, 1942, after research on the qualifying exam showed that its scores were sufficiently predictive. Army Air Forces Cadets were supposed to be unmarried and pledged not to marry during training. From 1907 to 1920, pilot officers were considered part of the Signal Corps or the Signal Officer Reserve Corps. After 1920, they were considered part of their own separate organization, the U.S. Army Air Service (1918–1926).

Locations

The U.S. Army Air Corps Training Center (USAACTC) was at Duncan Field, San Antonio, Texas, from 1926 to 1931 and Randolph Field from 1931 to 1939. Two more centers were activated on 8 July 1940: the West Coast Army Air Corps Training Center (WCAACTC) in Sunnyvale, California, and the Southeast Army Air Corps Training Center (SAACTC) in Montgomery, Alabama. The SAACTC was later renamed the Gulf Coast Army Air Corps Center (GCAACTC). In 1942, the Army moved the WCAACTC from Moffett Field to Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB), located on West 8th Street in Santa Ana, California.

On 23 January 1942 the USAAF created the separate Air Corps Flying Training Command and the Air Corps Technical Training Command to control all aspects of technical and aviation training. Originally formed in Washington, D.C., they moved to facilities at Fort Worth, Texas, in July. They were renamed the Army Air Forces Flight Training Command and Army Air Forces Technical Training Command respectively in March, 1942. They were later unified as the Army Air Forces Training Command (July 1943 – June 1946).

Aviation cadet centers Gulf Coast Army Air Corps Center (GCAACTC)– Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas (1931–47). West Coast Army Air Corps Training Center (WCAACTC) – Moffett Field, Sunnyvale, California (1940–41). Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB); Santa Ana, California (1942–1947). Southeast Army Air Corps Training Center (SAACTC) – Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama (1940–47). From 1942, classification and pre-flight took place at Nashville AAC, Tennessee.

From 1947, the Aviation Cadet program was run by the now-independent U.S. Air Force from Lackland, Kelly, Randolph, or Brooks AFB, all located in San Antonio, Texas. The Air Force program stopped taking civilian and enlisted pilot candidates in 1961 and navigator candidates in 1965.

Enlisted pilots (1912–42) The first enlisted U.S. Army pilot was Corporal Vernon L. Burge, a crew chief at the U.S. Army's flight school in the Philippines. When Captain Frank P. Lahm, the school's commander, couldn't find enough commissioned officer applicants, he trained Burge, who received his FAI pilot's license on 14 June 1912. Although the practice was officially condemned, the Army later relented, as Burge was already a trained aviator.

The second was Corporal William A. Lamkey. Lamkey entered the Army Signal Corps in 1913, but had already received his FAI license from the Moisant Aviation School in 1912. Lamkey later left the Army to work as a mercenary pilot.

The third pilot was Sergeant William C. Ocker. Ocker was denied pilot training because he was an enlisted man, so he became an aircraft mechanic instead. In his off hours he exchanged work for flight lessons from the nearby Curtiss Flying School. Eventually, he qualified for his FAI license on 20 April 1914, receiving certificate #293. Ocker did mostly test pilot work to accrue flight hours and tested many experimental or early prototype aircraft. He is famous for inventing "blind flying" training to teach pilots to fly by instruments in cloudy or dark conditions.

World War I (1914–18) Only 29 enlisted pilots were created by 1914 and most were commissioned as second lieutenants in 1917.

From 1914 to 1918, sixty mechanics were trained as pilots. They were used as ferry pilots and did not fly in combat. Their primary job was to transfer new and repaired aircraft from rear areas to air bases and forward air fields. They would then fly patched-up damaged aircraft back for more thorough repairs.

The Army Air Corps Act of 1926 set certain standards as part of a five-year program to expand and improve the aviation arm of the U.S. Army. It set a quota that 20% of a tactical aviation unit's pilot billets must be manned by enlisted pilots by 1929. By 1930, only 4% of all pilots were enlisted. New pilots were usually commissioned to meet the need for pilot-rated officers in Air Corps administrative and command billets. Enlisted pilots didn't have a place in the hierarchy when they stopped flying and either reverted to their old pre-flying trade or were discharged.

In 1933, the training and creation of enlisted pilots was discontinued due to budget cuts and lack of funds.

World War II (1939–45) In 1939 there were only 55 enlisted pilots in the then-U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC).

On 3 June 1941, Public Law 99 was enacted, allowing enlisted men to apply to flight training. Candidates had to be between the ages of 18 and 22, have a high school diploma with at least 1.5 credit hours worth of math, and have graduated in the top half of their class. In November 1941, this was reduced to being at least 18 years old and possessing a high school diploma. After demand lifted in mid-1944, the requirements went back to college-educated or college graduate candidates.

Enlisted pilots were called flying sergeants. Graduating enlisted pilots were graded as flight staff sergeants while pilots who graduated at the top of their class were graded as flight technical sergeants. They were usually assigned to flying transport and liaison aircraft. Their pilot status was only indicated by their pilot's wings, often leading to enlisted aviators being mistaken for air crew or harassed for impersonating a pilot. This caused a lot of bad feelings between the enlisted pilots (who had more dangerous jobs for lower pay and no privileges) and the officer pilots (who received the same pay, promotability, and privileges as officers).

The first enlisted pilot cadets were part of class 42C (enrolling in November, 1941 and graduating on 7 March 1942), which trained at Kelly Field and Ellington Field, Texas. 93 enlisted graduates became P-38 fighter pilots and were assigned to the 82nd Fighter Group in North Africa. Members of this class shot down 130 enemy aircraft and nine became aces.

The program created 2,576 enlisted pilots from 1941 to 1942. 332 enlisted pilots served overseas and 217 of them flew combat missions. Enlisted pilots destroyed 249.5 enemy aircraft and 18 became aces. Lt. William J. Sloan was the leading ace of the 12th Air Force with 12 victories.

When Public Law 658 (Flight Officer Act)Flight Officer Act, Pub. L. no. 77-658, 56 Stat. 649 (1942) was passed on 8 July 1942 most enlisted pilots were promoted to the new rank of flight officer and newly-graduating enlisted pilots were graded as flight officers or second lieutenants depending on merit. This ended the creation of enlisted pilots in the U.S. Army.

Overview The U.S. Army created almost 3,000 enlisted pilots from 1912 to 1942. Seven pre-War enlisted pilots and four World War II enlisted pilots became U.S. Air Force generals.

Last enlisted pilot The U.S. Air Force's last enlisted pilot was Master Sergeant George H. Holmes (1898–1965). Holmes had enlisted in the Army as a mechanic in 1919, became a pilot with the rank of corporal in 1921, and was promoted to lieutenant's rank in the Army Reserve in 1924. The Army later made Holmes an enlisted man and he served as both a mechanic and a pilot in the 1920s and 1930s. He was promoted to captain in 1942 and achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1946. He resigned his commission and reverted to his enlisted rank of master sergeant in 1946. He continued to fly as a non-commissioned officer until he retired in May 1957.

Flying Cadet Program (1918–40)

In 1918, flying cadets wore standard Army uniform and were differenced by a white piqué hatband on the service cap or service hat and white brassards on both sleeves. Flying cadets were dubbed "Twelve-and-a-halfs" because they were considered between pay grade 12 (officer cadet) and pay grade 13a (regimental sergeant major) in rank, being neither officer nor enlisted. Cadets were paid the same as Privates, but earned a 50% bonus for flight pay.

In June 1918, the Air Service insignia of a winged single-prop propeller replaced the Signal Corps insignia. In 1925, they were allowed to wear the overseas cap and had branch of service piping of ultramarine blue with threads of golden orange.

From 1928 to 1942, flying cadets wore a distinctive slate-blue uniform. Visor-cap insignia was a pair of gold wings (3 inches wide) and a silver propeller (2 inches high). Flight cadet insignia was worn on the lower right sleeve. Rank insignia was worn on the upper sleeves and consisted of 1 to 4 point-down black mohair chevrons on slate blue backing to indicate the following equivalent ranks: cadet corporal (1 chevron), cadet sergeant (2 chevrons), cadet lieutenant (3 chevrons), and cadet captain (4 chevrons). Chevrons were 2.875-inches wide for jackets and shirts and 7-inches wide for overcoats.

1907–17 The U.S. Army Signal Corps Aviation School was first based at College Park, Maryland, from 1907 to 1912. It later moved in 1912 to Rockwell Field, North Island, San Diego, California.

In 1912 the requirements and rank of Military Aviator were created for heavier-than-air aircraft pilots; the rank of Military Aeronaut was for lighter-than-air aircraft pilots. (Previous to this all American military pilots were certified by civilian aviation bodies). The first 24 certified pilots awarded this distinction (and the accompanying Signals Corps Military Aviator badge) were listed in War Department General Order No. 39 (27 May 1913). This was later split in 1914 into the ranks of Student Pilot (which granted a 25% increase in pay), Junior Military Aviator (for certified Enlisted Pilots and Lieutenants, granting a 50% increase in pay) and Military Aviator (for Captains and above; granting a 75% increase in pay but also requiring 3 years of flight experience). Junior Military Aviators who participated in regular and full-time flight would be paid at the next pay grade (e.g., Flight 2nd Lieutenants would be paid the same as a 1st Lieutenant). Reserve Military Aviators had a commission in the Army Reserves; this meant they had fewer billets, a slower career progression, and less job security than Regular Army pilots.

1917–18 To meet the increased demand for pilots, the Signal Corps Aviation School was shut down during World War I and its functions moved to other facilities. Rockwell Field was closed in 1920 and just used for storage.

Student training was in three stages:

Ground School was created on 12 May 1917. Students were taught the basics of flight, airplane operation and maintenance, meteorology, astronomy, military science, and officer etiquette. It lasted 8 weeks (extended to 12 in 1918) and took place at the U.S. Schools of Military Aeronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, University of Texas, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, University of California at Berkeley, and Ohio State.