The 31st Flying Training Wing was a training formation of the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II.
The wing's mission was to train personnel of the U.S. Army Air Forces Training Command. Headquartered at Enid Field, Oklahoma, for most of its operational service, it controlled contract pilot schools primarily in the Central United States. There is no lineal connection to the 31st Fighter Wing.
History
Until 1939, the U.S. Army Air Corps provided all flying training with military instructor pilots. Beginning in 1939, it contracted with nine civilian flying schools to provide primary flight training. Primary training consisted of a three-month course of 65 hours of flying instruction. As the United States prepared to enter World War II by expanding its number of flying squadrons, the number of contract primary schools increased.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
According to the contract, the government supplied students with training aircraft, flying clothes, textbooks, and equipment. The Air Corps also put a detachment at each school to supervise training. The schools furnished instructors, training sites and facilities, aircraft maintenance, quarters, and mess halls. From the Air Corps, schools received a flat fee of $1,170 for each graduate and $18 per flying hour for students eliminated from training. The Primary Pilot Training used Boeing PT-17 or Fairchild PT-19 two-seater single-engine training aircraft. Also, the wing controlled specialized schools for Liaison Pilots using the Stinson L-5 Sentinel, and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) primary training was conducted exclusively at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.
Following the fall of France in 1940, the Air Corps upped its pilot production goal to 7,000 per year. To meet that goal, the Air Corps increased the capacity of its schools and added more contract primary schools. The vast majority of contract primary pilot training ended in the spring of 1944 as part of the rundown of Army pilot training. The ones remaining open ended their operations in October 1945.
Lineage Established as 31st Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942 Activated on 16 January 1943 Disbanded on 30 December 194531st Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
Assignments Army Air Forces Gulf Coast Training (later, AAF Central Flying Training) Command, 16 January 1943 – 30 December 1945
Stations Chickasha, Oklahoma, trained 8,000 troops at the Wilson and Bonfis Flying School that opened in October 1941, after the war it became Chickasha Municipal Airport. Enid Field, Oklahoma, 16 January 1943 Fort Worth Field, Texas, 31–30 May 30 December 1945
Training aircraft CPS Primary Trainers were primarily PT-17 Stearman biplanes and Fairchild PT-19s monoplanes, although a wide variety of other types could be found at the airfields. The Fairchild PT-19 aircraft also could have the student pilot covered with a hood for "Blind" instrument flying training.
Glider pilot schools used Aeronca TG-5As, Taylorcraft TG-6As, and Piper TG-8As unpowered glider conversions of powered light observation aircraft which had similar characteristics to the military gliders under development.Combat Glider Pilot Training
Contract Pilot Schools
Arledge Field, Stamford, Texas 308th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Stamford Flying School and Lou Foote Flying Service and Coleman Flying School Opened: August 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-17, PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas 319th Flying Training Detachment 2563d Army Air Forces Base Unit (Women Air Service Pilots), April 1944 Operated by: Aviation Enterprises. Conducted Primary, Basic and Advanced (WASP) training Opened: May 1942, Closed: December 1945 (PT-17, PT-19) Controlled five auxiliary airfields
Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas 306th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Fred Harmon Flying School Opened: October 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-19) Controlled five auxiliary airfields
Chickasha Municipal Airport, Chickasha, Oklahoma 316th Flying Training Detachment 2549th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), April 1944 Operated by: Wilson-Bonfils Flying School Opened: October 1941, Closed: August 1945 (PT-17, PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Cimarron Field, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 310th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Oklahoma Air College Opened: October 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-19) Controlled three auxiliary airfields
South Coleman Airport, Coleman, Texas 304th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Coleman FLying School, Limited Opened: July 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Corsicana Field, Corsicana, Texas 301st Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Air Activities of Texas Opened: April 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19) Controlled six auxiliary airfields
Cuero Municipal Airport, Cuero, Texas 303d Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Brayton Flying Services, Inc. Opened: May 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-17, PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Gibbs Field, Fort Stockton, Texas 313th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Pacific Air School Limited Opened: June 1942, Closed: April 1944 (PT-17, PT-19) Controlled two auxiliary airfields
Garner Field, Uvalde, Texas 305th Flying Training Detachment 2566th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Contract Pilot School, Primary), April 1944 Operated by: Hangar Six, Incorporated Opened: October 1941, Closed: July 1945 (PT-13, PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Grider Field, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 312th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Pine Bluff School of Aviation Opened: April 1941, Closed: October 1944 (PT-19) Controlled five auxiliary airfields
Harvey Parks Airport, Sikeston, Missouri 311th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Missouri Institute of Aeronautics Opened: January 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-18, PT-19) Controlled seven auxiliary airfields
Hatbox Field, Muskogee, Oklahoma 315th Flying Training Detachment Operated by Spartan Aircraft Company and Spartan School of Aeronautics Opened: January 1941, Closed: June 1944 (PT-19) Controlled three auxiliary airfields
Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas 307th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Texas Aviation School and W. F. Long Flying School. Opened: September 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-19) Controlled three auxiliary airfields
Jones Field, Bonham, Texas 302d Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Bonham Aviation School Opened: September 1941, Closed: November 1944 (PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Miami Municipal Airport, Miami, Oklahoma 322d Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Spartan School of Aeronautics Opened: June 1941, Closed: March 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004 Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Mustang Field, El Reno, Oklahoma 320th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Midwest Air School Opened: February 1943, Closed: November 1944 (PT-17, PT-19) Controlled four auxiliary airfields
Parks Metropolitan Airport, East St. Louis, Illinois 309th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Parks Air College Opened: June 1939, Closed: August 1943 (PT-13, PT-17, PT-19) Controlled one auxiliary airfield
Ponca City Municipal Airport, Ponca City, Oklahoma 323d Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Darr School of Aeronautics Opened: June 1941, Closed: May 1944 (PT-17, PT-19)
Tulsa Municipal Airport, Tulsa, Oklahoma 314th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Spartan School of Aeronautics Opened: June 1939, Closed: August 1944 (PT-3A, PT-17, PT-19) Controlled five auxiliary airfields
Victory Field, Vernon, Texas 317th Flying Training Detachment Operated by: Hunter Flying Service and Richey Flying Service. Opened: December 1941, Closed: August 1944 (PT-19) Controlled five auxiliary airfields
Contract Glider Pilot Schools
Aberdeen Regional Airport, Aberdeen, South Dakota 26th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School WW2 US Army Air Force CG-4A Combat Glider History Report (TG-8A) Operated by: Anderson & Brennan Flying Service
Eberts Field, Lohoke, Arkansas 15th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A) Operated by: Kenneth Starnes Flying Service
Renner Field, Goodland, Kansas 22d Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A) Operated by: William A. Ong
Hale County Airport, Plainview, Texas 4th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A) Operated by: Clint Breedlove Aerial Service
Hartlee Field Airport, Denton, Texas 17th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A) Operated by: Harte Flying Service
Hays Airport, Hays, Kansas 19th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A) Operated by: Morey Airplane Company
Janesville Field, Janesville, Wisconsin 16th Glider Training Detachment Basic Glider Training School (TG-4A, TG-5, TG-8A) Operated by: Bonham Aviation School
Okmulgee Municipal Airport, Okmulgee, Oklahoma 25th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School Operated by: Sooner Air Training Corp.
Pittsburg Airport, Pittsburg, Kansas 21st Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider Training School (TG-8A) Operated by: McFarland Flying Service
Spencer Municipal Airport, Spencer, Iowa 23d Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School(TG-8A) Operated by: Hunter Flying Service Hunter Flying Service moved from Spencer, Iowa, to Hamilton Airport at Hamilton, Texas, on 20 October 1942.
Theldor Airfield, Vinita, Oklahoma 27th Glider Training Detachment Pre-Glider/Primary Training School (TG-8A) Operated by: Burke Aviation Service
See also Other Training Command Primary Flight Training Wings: 29th Flying Training Wing (Primary flight training wing for AAF Eastern Flying Training Command) 36th Flying Training Wing (Primary flight training wing for AAF Western Flying Training Command) Other Central Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings: 32d Flying Training Wing (Basic Flight Training) 33d Flying Training Wing (Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine) 34th Flying Training Wing (Bombardier and Specialized Two/Four-Engine Training) 77th Flying Training Wing (Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine) 78th Flying Training Wing (Classification/Preflight Unit) 80th Flying Training Wing (Navigation and Glider)
List of wing commanders BG Warren R. Carter, 16 January 1943 BG T.W. Blackburn, 26 April 1943 Col Henry W. Door, 10 April 1944 BG Aubry Hornsby, 22 May 1944 Col James F. Powell, 15 June 1944 Col Walter S. Lee, 31 July 1944 BG Charles T. Myers, c. Nov 1944 (Additional Duty) Col Walter S. Lee, 16 December 1944 BG John F. Egan, 4 January 1945 Col Hilbert M. Wittkop, 23 Apr–31 Oct 1945 Unknown through 30 December 1945.
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