33d Flying Training Squadron

33d Flying Training Squadron

33d Flying Training Squadron Patch
Active 1 February 1940 – 15 March 1963
11 May 1990 – 1 October 1992
1 October 1998 – Present
Country  United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Pilot Training
Part of Air Education and Training Command
19th Air Force
71st Flying Training Wing
71st Operations Group
Garrison/HQ Vance Air Force Base
Decorations DUC
AFOUA
PPUC
ROK PUC
Emblem of the World War II 33d Bomb Squadron
Nearest aircraft is Consolidated B-24L-5-CO (S/N 44-41538) of the 33rd Bomb Squadron, 22nd Bomb Group. (U.S. Air Force photo) Aircraft #538 was named "Round Trip Ticket" and aircraft #366 B-24J S/N 44-40366 was named "Gypsy" and later renamed "Slightly Dangerous".

The 33d Flying Training Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron based out of Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. It is a part of the 71st Flying Training Wing. As Vance AFB is a joint specialized undergraduate pilot training (JSUPT) base, Navy and Marine Corps aviators as well as Air Force and Air National Guard pilots are trained there.

The 33 FTS currently flies the T-6A "Texan II" which has 1100 shaft horsepower and a maximum speed of 316 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed).

The 33 FTS mascot is the dragon and students use callsigns starting with "DRAGN" when on station and "Hook" when off station.

History

Established as a GHQ Air Force medium bomber squadron in 1940 as a result of the buildup of the Army Air Corps after the breakout of World War II in Europe. It trained with a mix of B-18 Bolos and B-26 Marauders.

After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was transferred to the West Coast, flying anti-submarine patrols from Muroc AAF, California from December 1941 to the end of January 1942. It was then assigned to the new Fifth Air Force, originally based on the Philippines, leaving the B-18s at Muroc, being redesignated as the 408th Bombardment Squadron. By the time the squadron arrived in the theater the situation on the Philippines was desperate, and the squadron was based in Australia. From there it attacked Japanese targets on Papua New Guinea and New Britain. In October 1943 the B-26 Marauders were joined by B-25 Mitchells, and for the rest of the year the group continued to operate in support of Allied troops on New Guinea.

In February 1944 the unit was redesignated as a Heavy Bombardment Squadron, and was assigned very long range Consolidated B-24 Liberators, built by Ford and optimized for long range bombing missions in the Pacific. With its new heavy bombers the group attacked targets on Borneo, Ceram and Halmahera, amongst them the crucial oil fields of the Dutch East Indies. In September 1944 the squadron moved its attention to the Philippines, attacking targets on Leyte. It moved onto Leyte on 15 November 1944. From then until August 1945 it flew against targets on Luzon, as well as supporting the campaign on Borneo and even ranging out as far as China. Finally, on 15 August 1945 the unit moved to Okinawa, from where it flew a number of armed reconnaissance missions over southern Japan to make sure the surrender terms were being obeyed. Most of the squadron's personnel were demobilized after the war; the squadron being reassigned to the Philippines where it's B-24s were sent to reclamation and it became a paper unit.

The squadron was redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress squadron on Okinawa in 1946, receiving former Eighth Air Force B-29s originally deployed from the United States for the planned Air Offensive as part of the Japanese Campaign. Became part of Twentieth Air Force, and flew training missions over the Southwest Pacific until being made non-operational in 1948.

Assigned to Strategic Air Command in 1948, receiving B-29s and operating from Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas; later March AFB, California. Took part in SAC deployments and exercises. In 1950 was part of the Fifteenth Air Force SAC contingent of non-nuclear-capable B-29 units deployed to Okinawa due to the breakout of the Korean War. Flew combat missions over North Korea during 1950, returning to the United States in October.

Upon return to the United States, trained with second-line B-29s for training and organization. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1953, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in late 1962; Inactivated in early 1963 when the last aircraft was retired.

Reactivated under Air Training Command as a flying training squadron in 1990. Inactivated in 1992; Reactivated in 1998 as part of AETC.

Lineage

Activated on 1 February 1940
Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 3 February 1944
Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 30 April 1946
Redesignated: 33d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 July 1948
Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 March 1963
Activated on 11 May 1990
Inactivated on 1 October 1992

Assignments

Attached to 22d Bombardment Wing, 10 February 1951 – 15 June 1952
64th Operations Group, 15 December 1991 – 1 October 1992
71st Operations Group, 1 October 1998 – Present

Stations

Air echelon at Charters Towers Afld, Australia, 11 January – 19 February 1944
Deployed at: RAF Lakenheath, England, c. 16 November 1948 – c. 14 February 1949
Deployed at: RAF Lakenheath, England, 18 November 1949 – 16 February 1950
Deployed at: Kadena AB, Okinawa, 8 July – 29 October 1950
Deployed at: RAF Wyton, England, 5 September – 9 December 1951
Deployed at: RAF Upper Heyford, England, 9 December 1953 – 5 March 1954

Aircraft

See also

References

Notes

    Bibliography

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

    Further Reading

    External links

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