37th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

37th Flying Training Wing
Locations of airfields controlled by the 37th Flying Training Wing
Active	1942-1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Command and Control
Role	Training
Part of	Western Flying Training Command
Engagements	World War II World War II American Theater

The 37th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to the Western Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Luke Field, Arizona.

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 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

Activated on 8 January 1943

Disbanded 16 June 1946.^[2]

Assignments

• 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 the higher-horsepower Vultee BT-15
• The North American AT-6 was used as the single-engine advanced trainer
• The Cessna AT-17 was the standard two-engine advanced trainer, along with the Cessna UC-78 variant of the AT-17

Curtiss-Wright AT-9s were used for high performance two-engine training in perpetration for Lockheed P-38 Lightning training

Beechcraft AT-10s were used for pilots in training for two engine bombers (B-25s and B-26s)

Beechcraft AT-11s were used for pilots in training for C-47 transports

Assigned Schools

Stations

• Luke Field, Arizona, 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946.^[2]

See also

• Army Air Forces Training Command
• Other Western Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings:

35th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic/Advanced Flight Training (California)

36th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training

38th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Bombardier and Specialized 2/4-Engine Training

81st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classification/Preflight Unit

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Army Air Forces Training Command
Flying Training	Flying Schools Eastern Flying Training Command Central Flying Training Command Western Flying Training Command Specialized Schools Bombardier Contract Flying Glider Training Gunnery Navigator
Technical Training	Eastern Technical Training Command Central Technical Training Command Western Technical Training Command