News Letter 1941 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

Facilities Under Construction -----------------------
GULF COAST PREPARES TO TRAIN
18,000 YEARLY
lacilities for training more than 18,000
military airmen annually are in operation
or under construction in the Gulf Coast Air
Corps Training Center's administrative area,
Maj. Gen. Gerald C. :Brant, cOlIIJDanding the
center, revealed recently at Randolph Field
in a survey of activities under his direction.
Thirty-two primary, basic and advanQed
flying schools and one bombingrange are
involved in the trainiDg program, part of
the Air Corps' plan to train 30,000 pilote
annually.
Newconstruction totalling approximately
$55,000,000 for the military flying .chool.
will be reqUired to meet the il'eatly increased
training program. ~ of the new
training school. are nearing completion,a.
in the ca81 of the twin-ell&ined pilot and
bombardier school at l11ill&ton Field, Houaton,
Texa8, and the pursuit pilots' Ichool
at Victoria, Texas. Ielly Field and :Brooks
1ield, San Antonio, Texa., *Yeterans- of
many years, are undergoing extensive modernization,
at a cost of about $6,500,000.
!welve thouNIld of the 18,000 airmen to
be trained annually in the GCJ.O!Carea w111
be airplane pilote, 3,000 will be bombardiers,
2,000 vill be aerial navigators, and
1,000 will be observers. Of the 12,000
fliers, 7,500 will be trained as multiengined
pilot8, and 4,500 will be taught
the intricacies of singlll-ell&ined pursuit
planes.
three e1~le-eDg1ae a.-anced schoole aa4
oae gunnary school. Aerial £U.IUlU7 aM.
boabl11gruees will b. constructed at Jmaerous
points alouc the Texas coaet froa
:BroVDavllleto the vicbi vof Lake Charl.s,
La.
Ten civilian ele.eniary fllght trainiUC
scnools,under Air Corps .upervlsion, usiac
Air Corps planes and equipaent, are nov in
operation in this ar.... Contracts bav. been
let to civilian operators for an add1t10nal
six .choole, which will be in operaUon by
October,makiuc a total of 16 clvil elementary
flight training schools.
LocaUon of 'he new pr1Jlary vainiuc
fields are: :Bonham, !exa.; Ch1ckaaba,
Okla.; Vernon,Texa.; Uvalde,Texa.;Col.-n,
Texaa, aDd :Balliucer, Texas.
Onebade flying sehool,operated by ciTilian
per.onnel, and two military ba.ic
tlyiuc schoole are in operation in the ar ...
\o4.q. Three additional ail!M.ry baeic
.choole will be a4ded '0 the far-fiUIIC
training 8ystem. 81te. bave been .elected
at bid. Okla., and at a po1at midvq be-
(Continued OIl pece 26)
NEGRO SCHOOL OPENS
The firat .chool to train Xegro .tudent.
as officers in the Arrq Air Forces was opened
forllally last month at 1'u8ke.r;ee,Ala.,
whenMaJ.Gen. Walter R. Yeaver, cOlllland1rac
the SoutheastAir Oorp. Traininc Center,set
into aotion activities of the _inetT-ninth
Pur8uit Squadronand Pilot !raining School.
In announcingthe details of the expanded
training facilities, General :Brant pointed
out that a8 late as June, 1939, there ver. !he first group of lJegro aviation aadets
only two Air Corp. flyill& schools in the .at in the ahadowof the .onuaent to :Booker
entire nation - Bandolph Jield, a combination
priaary aDd basic .chool and Ielly on the campusof !tilekegee In.ti tute to hear
T. Ya8hincton, famed leader of their race,
Field, 'he advanced flyill& 8chool. !WO General Weaveraddress the group atten4iag
yeare and a few d~8 later, 32 major flyill&
field. comprise the Gulf Coast Air President ot fuakegee In.titute,al.o .poke
the openill&ceremoni.s. Dr. r.D. Patter.on,
Corps Training Center alone,with almost a. andG.L. Wa8hington, civilian direotor of
many .choo1l1n .ach of the other twotraiaing
eentu8, tb.. West Coast and the South-
Iloni.s.
the flying school, acted a..... t.r of oereeast
.A.1rCorp. !raining Centers. Oaptain 1I0el r. Parr1ah 18 Air Corps
The thirty-tvo schools are divided into !raining J>etachaaentcOJlJlWlderat !uekeeee
three categorie8, primary, basic and ad- and was &IlOII& the Air J'orces .fficers par-
'Vaneed. Whenthe progr&ll svill&s into high tieipatiuc in the procru. MaJ. Gen. JiI.B.
gear late this fall, there will be 16 pri- Arnold, Chief of the Arftq Air lorcas, aDd
mary schools, six bade tlyiBg schools, Gen. George C. Marshall, \he Ohlef of Statf,
five twin-engine advanced flying schoole, sent congratulatory aesBages.
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