The wing's 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.[1]
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.[1]
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.[1]
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.[1]
The wing also provided specialized flight training for foreign pilots as well as a navigation school at Selman, Louisiana that encompassed the entire range of training from preflight ground school to advanced navigation training.
Lineage
Established as 74th Flying Training Wing on 14 August 1943
Army Air Forces Classification Center, 25 April 1942 – 7 July 1942
1176th Preflight Training Squadron, 1 March 1943-29 February 1944[3]
AAF Flying School
Opened August 1940 for Free French Pilots (Basic, BT-13). Transferred to Gunter Field, Gunter 1941 and began Advanced, Single-Engine school for basic graduates from Gunter. Flight training ended December 1945[4]
3d Preflight Training Group (Bombardier/Navigation)
AAF Navigation School
41st, 42d Navigation Training Groups
Opened: August 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-7, BT-13, A-28)[6]
Selman AAF was unique as it was only at Selman that a cadet could get his entire training (pre-flight, and advanced), and wind up with a commission and navigators wings without ever leaving the field. Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) squadrons were assigned to Selman AAF to provide navigational flying to train cadets
^ abcdManning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas OCLC71006954, 29991467
^ abc74th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
^Mueller, Robert (1989). Volume 1: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. ISBN0-912799-53-6, ISBN0-16-002261-4
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