75th Flying Training Wing (U.S. Army Air Forces)

75th Flying Training Wing

Vultee BT-13s from Buckingham AAF flying in formation. BT-13s were used as target towing aircraft for flexible gunnery training.
Active 1943-1946
Country United States
Branch United States Army Air Forces
Type Command and Control
Role Training
Part of Army Air Forces Training Command
Engagements

World War II


  • World War II American Theater

The 75th Flying Training Wing was a flying training wing of the United States Army Air Forces. At the time, a wing controlled several multi-squadron groups. It was last assigned to the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 15 June 1946 at Buckingham Army Airfield, Florida.

There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 75th Air Base Wing, established on 5 February 1942 as the 75th Observation Group at Ellington Field, Texas and this organization.

History

The wing was a World War II Command and Control organization, initially part of Eastern Flying Training Command. The mission of the wing was to train aerial gunners. Fixed gunnery training for air cadet pilots was carried out at Eglin Army Airfield, while flexible gunnery training for enlisted gunners was carried out both at Tyndall Army Airfield in northern Florida and Buckingham Army Airfield in Southwest Florida. As the men graduated from flexible gunnery school, they were assigned to combat crews either forming in the United States or as replacements to overseas combat units.[1]

As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.[1]

Lineage

Activated on 25 August 1943
Disbanded on 16 June 1946.[2]

Assignments

Training aircraft

The schools of the wing flew two types of aircraft. Gunnery trainers and gunnery targets.

Assigned Pilot Schools

Apalachicola Army Airfield, Apalachicola, Florida
AAF Flexible Gunnery School
Opened: September 1942, Closed: October 1945 (AT-6, AT-18, BT-13)[3]
Operated AT-18 Hudsons for gunnery trainers; used modified AT-6s for aerial gunnery targets; Sub-base of Tyndall AAF
Buckingham Army Airfield, Fort Myers, Florida
AAF Flexible Gunnery School
37th Flexible Gunnery Training Group
Opened: March 1942, Closed: October 1945 (AT-6, AT-18, BT-13, B-24)[4]
Operated AT-18 Hudsons and B-24 Liberators for gunnery trainers; used modified AT-6s for aerial gunnery targets;
Eglin Army Airfield, Valparaiso, Florida
AAF Fixed Gunnery School
Opened: October 1941, Closed: October 1945 (AT-6)[5]
Fixed gunnery school operated AT-6s; also home of Proving Ground Command; now USAF Eglin Air Force Base

Naples Army Airfield, Naples, Florida
714th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron
Opened: January 1944, Closed: August 1945 (P-40, RP-39Q RP-63)[6]
Sub-base of Buckingham AAF; operated modified single-engine fighters as aireal gunnery targets for flexible gunners in training at Buckingham AAF
Tyndall Army Airfield, Panama City, Florida
AAF Flexible Gunnery School
37th Flexible Gunnery Training Group
Opened: August 1941, Closed: December 1945 (AT-6, AT-18)[7]
Operated AT-18 Hudsons for gunnery trainers; used modified AT-6s for aerial gunnery targets; Now USAF Tyndall Air Force Base

Stations

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 75th Flying Training Wing (World War II).

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

  1. 1 2 Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
  2. 1 2 3 75th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
  3. www.accident-report.com: Apalachicola Army Airfield
  4. www.accident-report.com: Buckingham Army Airfield
  5. www.accident-report.com: Eglin Army Airfield
  6. www.accident-report.com: Naples Army Airfiel
  7. www.accident-report.com: Tyndall Army Airfield
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