74th Flying Training Wing (World War II)

The 74th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Eastern Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 30 December 1945 at the Maxwell Field, Alabama.

The squadron was a World War II Command and Control unit, its mission was to provide classification and preflight testing of aviation cadets. It was one of three such centers, the others being at Maxwell Field, Alabama and Santa Ana Army Air Base, California.

History
The mission of the wing was to provide both Classification and Preflight stage training to air cadets which had completed Training Command basic indoctrination training.


 * Classification Stage processed the cadet and issued him his equipment. This was the stage where it would be decided whether the cadet would train as a navigator, bombardier, or pilot.


 * Pre-Flight Stage taught the mechanics and physics of flight and required the cadets to pass courses in mathematics and the hard sciences. Then the cadets were taught to apply their knowledge practically by teaching them aeronautics, deflection shooting, and thinking in three dimensions.

Once the cadet successfully completed the training at the center, they would be assigned to one of the AAF primary flight schools for initial flying training.

Lineage

 * Established as 74th Flying Training Wing on 14 August 1943
 * Activated on 30 December 1943
 * Disbanded on 1 November 1945

Assignments

 * Army Air Forces Eastern Flying Training Command, 25 August 1943-30 June 1945

Units
Both units absorbed into 74th Flying Training Wing, inactivated on 1 November 1945
 * Army Air Forces Classification Center, 25 April 1942-7 July 1942
 * 1176th Preflight Training Squadron, 1 March 1943-29 February 1944

Stations

 * Maxwell Field, Alabama, 16 September 1943-30 December 1945