The 76th Flying Training Wing was a wing of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, and was stationed from 1943–46 at Smyrna Army Airfield, Tennessee.

There is no lineage link between the United States Air Force 76th Maintenance Wing, established on 5 February 1942 as the 76th Observation Group at MacDill Field, Florida and the 76th FTW of the Second World War.

History The wing was a heavy bomber training wing of Eastern Flying Training Command. Its schools provided four-engine heavy bomber transition training for experienced pilots who were moving from single and two-engine aircraft to the B-17 or B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. Also after 1944, most pilots were learning on B-17/B-24s for eventual transition to B-29 Superfortress training under Second Air Force.

As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas

Lineage Established as 76th Flying Training Wing, on 14 August 1943 Activated on 25 August 1943 Disbanded on 16 June 1946.76th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

Assignments Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943 AAF Western Flying Training Command, 15 December 1945 – 16 June 1946.

Training aircraft The schools of the wing flew primarily B-17D/E/F Flying Fortresses. Some B-17Gs were flown after June 1944 when Second Air Force B-17 training ended. Some B-24D Liberators were also used

Assigned pilot schools

Hendricks Army Airfield, Sebring, Florida AAF Pilot School (Specialized, 4-Engine) 43d Pilot Transition Training (4-Engine) Opened: February 1942, Closed: December 1945 (B-17) Transition training for experienced single or two-engine pilots; primarily used for training B-29 Superfortress pilots after mid-1944

Lockbourne Army Airbase, Columbus, Ohio AAF Pilot School (Specialized, 4-Engine) 44th Pilot Transition Training (4-Engine) Opened: January 1943, Closed: February 1945 (B-17) Transition training for experienced single or two-engine pilots; WASP 4-engine school; primarily used for training B-29 Superfortress pilots after mid-1944; Later USAF Lockborune/Rickenbacker AFB, Now OH Air National Guard

Smyrna Army Airfield, Smyrna, Tennessee AAF Pilot School (Specialized, 4-Engine) 46th Pilot Transition Training (4-Engine) Opened: January 1942, Closed: October 1945 (B-17, B-24) Transition training for experienced single or two-engine pilots; primarily used for training B-29 Superfortress pilots after mid-1944; later USAF Smyrna/Stewart Air Force Base, closed 1971

See also

Other Eastern Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings: 27th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic Flight Training 28th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine 29th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training 30th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine 74th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classification/Preflight/Specialized/Navigation 75th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Gunnery

References